This is the extraordinary story of Vasily B. Emelianenko, the veteran pilot of one of the Soviet Union’s most contradictory planes of WWII – the I1-2. This heavily armoured aircraft was practically unrivalled in terms of fire power, but it was slow to manoeuvre and an easy target for fighters. I1–2 had to attack enemy flak columns at extremely low altitudes, which led to enormous tolls both in equipment and personnel.

• Half Title
• Full Title
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
  • List of Illustrations
  • Introduction
  • 1 Before the War
  • 2 A ‘Merchant’
  • 3 1941
  • 4 Reconnaissance in Force
  • 5 The First Encounters with Messers
  • 6 The Regiment
  • 7 A Flight with Major Zub
  • 8 The Souvenir Flint
  • 9 ‘Not a Step Back!’
  • 10 A Reckless Wingman
  • 11 The Crossing
  • 12 The Caucasus
  • 13 At the Sea
  • 14 A Jump Over the Caspian Sea
  • 15 We Restore Our Strength
  • 16 Point 3
  • 17 Over the Nogajsk Steppes
  • 18 The Crucial Flights
  • 19 A Special Mission
  • 20 Chief of Staff
  • 21 The Ground and the Sea
  • 22 ‘Filth’
  • 23 The Way to Taman
  • 24 Inspector’S Work
  • 25 The Academy
  • Epilogue
  • Table of Personnel
  • Index
• Back Cover