First person. Ivan Meshcheryakov - intelligence officer and scientist

Born on September 1, 1922 in the village of Nizovka, Penza region, in a peasant family. Father - Vasily Ivanovich Meshcheryakov (1898-1988), participant in the Civil and Great Patriotic Wars, blacksmith. Mother - Meshcheryakova (Matveeva) Maria Stepanovna (1900-1928). Stepmother - Meshcheryakova (Nikolaeva) Marina Efimovna (1895-1968), collective farmer. Wife - Meshcheryakova (Zolotareva) Natalia Yakovlevna (1926-1990), graduated from the Lvov Pedagogical Institute, worked at the Institute of Teaching Methods of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences, Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences. In 1996, Ivan Vasilyevich married Natalia Ivanovna Kuznetsova (born 1946), who graduated from the Moscow Pedagogical Institute named after V.I. Lenin, Candidate of Philological Sciences, Deputy Dean of the Literary Faculty of Moscow State Pedagogical University. Daughter - Maria Ivanovna Meshcheryakova (born in 1957), graduated from the Institute of Culture and the Moscow Pedagogical Institute, Candidate of Sciences.

After graduating from 7 classes and a mechanical college in Penza, Ivan entered the Penza flying club, where he experienced the joy of flying an airplane (it was a U-2) and landing with a parachute. On June 28, 1941, he was sent to the Kuibyshev Airborne School, and in October he was awarded the rank of junior lieutenant ahead of schedule.

At this time, the 7th Airborne Corps was formed in the Volga German Republic. As part of it, from October 1941, the young officer had the opportunity to participate in the defense of the capital on the Volokolamskoye and Leningradskoye highways.

The further combat path of the paratrooper officer is connected with fierce defensive battles south of Stalingrad. In one of them, Ivan Meshcheryakov receives his first wound (in total, he was wounded four times during the war years). He was discharged from the hospital, and he was lucky: he again ended up in the 7th Airborne Corps. As part of the 2nd Guards Airborne Division formed from him, he took part in the Demyansk operation at the beginning of 1943. It was she who created the preconditions for launching an offensive in the Pskov direction. Then there was the Battle of Kursk, battles in the area of ​​​​the Ponyri station, the crossing of the Dnieper near Kanev, the Korsun-Shevchenko operation, battles in the Carpathians, Hungary, Slovakia and the end of the war in Czechoslovakia, near the city of Pardubice.

During the war years, paratrooper officer I. Meshcheryakov was the senior adjutant of a separate battalion, the commander of a rifle company, and the head of reconnaissance of the airborne regiment of the 2nd Guards Airborne Division. He most remembers the combat operations of the second half of the Great Patriotic War, when he, as a scout, had to leave documents and awards at the regiment headquarters before the next operation. From that time on, he became neither Meshcheryakov nor an officer of the Red Army, but a nameless warrior carrying out the orders of the command.

This was the case in the Carpathians. Neither we nor the Germans have a complete defense. The neutral strip is stretched. The command desperately needs “language.” And not just a trench soldier, but one who, moving in the circle of headquarters officers, knows a lot and can tell a lot during interrogations. Finding and getting something like this is not easy.

Meshcheryakov's scouts discovered an apiary behind the enemy's wire fence. It turned out that two German soldiers regularly come here during the day to buy honey. At dawn, Meshcheryakov and a group of scouts, having overcome the no-man's land, entered the apiary, disguised themselves, and set up an ambush. The honey “getters” arrived, as always, in the afternoon. And soon both received a gag in their mouth. So, without a single shot, without noise, the “tongues” were taken, which at the regimental headquarters revealed the defense and plans of the command of the opposing German infantry division.

Here is an excerpt from one of the award sheets: “On August 21, 1944, when the enemy, up to a battalion strong, launched an attack on height 100.5 with the task of capturing it, Comrade. Meshcheryakov, with a group of scouts consisting of 8 people, led it into battle... By personal example, he inspired his fighters to military exploits... he was wounded, but continued to lead the military operations until the high-rise was left behind us...”

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Ivan Meshcheryakov received a new combat mission - to take our intelligence officer behind enemy lines to the liaison officer - from the command at a time when the enemy, who was retreating deep into the forest, did not have a continuous defense. A group of scouts penetrated the German rear for many tens of kilometers and, at an appointed place, met the scout with the signalman. Returning, the scouts were forced to take another road in a wooded area. And unexpectedly we came across a school for junior command ranks of the German army located in the forest. The German cadets, who had been drinking heavily, were having a graduation banquet at that time. Meshcheryakov decided to attack the Germans on the move. The daring and unexpected attack led to the defeat of the school personnel and the capture of a significant part of the former cadets, who were taken to the location of our troops. For this I.V. Meshcheryakov was nominated for the title of Hero. But... the chief of staff of the guards division, at that time a colonel, and now Lieutenant General A.I. Shestakov, working in the Central Archives of the Ministry of Defense, discovered the same award sheet with Mehlis’s resolution: “The feat is unknown to the Military Council.”

The awards did not take place then. But years later, justice triumphed: Ivan Vasilyevich Meshcheryakov was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

After the war, Meshcheryakov was sent to the Lvov (Carpathian) military district, where until 1950 he served in the military registration and enlistment offices and district headquarters. Without leaving the service, he enters the 10th grade of evening school and receives a certificate with a gold medal. In 1951, he became a student at the Military Engineering Academy named after V.V. Kuibysheva - Faculty of Radio and Telemechanics. In 1956, with the rank of lieutenant colonel, he was sent to scientific work at the Institute of Strategic Missile Forces. He sequentially holds all positions up to the deputy head of the 4th Scientific Research Institute of the USSR Ministry of Defense for Space.

In 1967, a branch was created, and subsequently the 50th Central Research Institute of Space Facilities. Meshcheryakov became the deputy head of this institute for scientific work, and from 1983 to 1988 - the head of the institute.

During his service at the institute, Ivan Vasilyevich participated in all the most important work related to the creation of space weapons and the identification of the latest directions in the creation of space assets. He defends his candidate's and then doctor's dissertation, becomes a professor, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of the RSFSR, and laureate of the USSR State Prize. And in 1975, for his outstanding services in the creation of a special communication system, he was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor.

In 1988, Lieutenant General Ivan Vasilievich Meshcheryakov retired, continuing to work as a professor at the F.E. Military Academy. Dzerzhinsky. Since 1991, he has been the chief academician-secretary and head of the department of target efficiency at the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics named after K.E. Tsiolkovsky, an active fighter for Russia - a great space power.

I.V. Meshcheryakov - Hero of the Soviet Union, Hero of Socialist Labor, laureate of the USSR State Prize. He was awarded two Orders of Lenin, the Orders of the October Revolution, the Red Banner, the Patriotic War, I and II degrees, two Orders of the Red Star, the Order of the Badge of Honor, two medals “For Military Merit,” and many others. Recipient of awards from Czechoslovakia and Poland. Honorary citizen of the city of Yaremcha, Ivano-Frankivsk region.

On vacation, Ivan Vasilyevich likes to paint with oil paints and prefers the landscape genre.

M Ivan Ivanovich Yeshryakov, squadron commander of the 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (47th Mixed Aviation Division, Kalinin Front), guard captain.

Born on September 3, 1908 in the village of Nizhnyaya Dobrinka, now Zhirnovsky district, Volgograd region. Russian. Member of the CPSU(b) since 1932. Graduated from 7th grade. In 1930, he was called up for military service and served as a Red Army soldier in the 12th cavalry regiment of the USSR OGPU troops. In the Red Army since 1931. In 1938 he graduated from the flight department of the Kharkov Military Border School named after F.E. Dzerzhinsky.

On the fronts of the Great Patriotic War since June 1941. Flight commander of the 129th Fighter Aviation Regiment (47th Mixed Aviation Division, Western Front) Senior Lieutenant Meshcheryakov I.I. in an air battle on September 20, 1941, near the city of Yartsevo, Smolensk region, an enemy bomber was shot down by a MiG-3 aircraft. Continuing the battle and having used up ammunition, another bomber rammed. He landed safely.

In total, by December 1941, he made 135 combat missions, of which 29 were to escort bombers and attack aircraft, 28 were to attack enemy ground forces, the rest were to cover friendly troops, patrol and “free hunt”. In 15 air battles he shot down 5 enemy aircraft, all of them shot down by him personally. The squadron under his command completed 1,555 combat missions, shooting down 56 enemy aircraft. For these exploits, on December 29, 1942, he was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Squadron commander of the 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (formerly the 129th Fighter Aviation Regiment, which was awarded the Guards rank in January 1942) I.I. Meshcheryakov. On February 8, 1942, in an air battle near the city of Rzhev, Kalinin Region, a LaGG-3 rammed an enemy plane for the second time, but he himself was killed.

Z and the courage and heroism shown when carrying out command tasks on the front of the fight against the Nazi invaders, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 5, 1942, to captain Meshcheryakov Ivan Ivanovich awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

Awarded the Orders of Lenin (5/5/1942), the Red Banner (11/8/1941), and the Red Star (1942, posthumously).

In Volgograd, on the street bearing his name, there is a memorial plaque, and in his homeland there is a bust of the Hero.

Sources

		Immortal feats. - M.: Military Publishing House, 1980
		Heroes of the Fatherland. Moscow, 2004.
		Heroes of the Soviet Union: short. biogr. words T.2. – Moscow, 1988.
		Dzerzhintsy. - Alma-Ata: Kazakhstan, 1975.
		Ilyin N.G., Rulin V.P. Guardsmen in the air. - M.: DOSAAF, 1973
		Wings of the Motherland. - M.: DOSAAF, 1983.
		On the edge of the possible. - 2nd ed., rev. and additional - M.: "Limb", 1993.
		Registered in Volgograd forever. - Volgograd: Nizhny-Volzh. book ed., 1975

Ivan Vasilyevich Meshcheryakov - Hero of Socialist Labor, holder of the Order of Lenin, Red Banner, Red Star and Patriotic War, II degree, awarded many medals.

A rich biography of Ivan Vasilyevich Meshcheryakov could contain several bright lives at once. A resident of Malakhovka near Moscow is a lieutenant general, professor, doctor of technical sciences, honored worker of science and technology, laureate of the USSR State Prize. Vice-President, Secretary of the Russian Academy of Cosmonautics named after. K.E. Tsiolkovsky...

Literally until his last days, Meshcheryakov was a professor at the department of the Academy. Peter the Great, head of the All-Russian Center for Military-Patriotic Education and Training of Youth for Military Service "Cascade", which bears his name. Ivan Vasilyevich passed away in 2012. But Lyubertsy Panorama journalist Elena Volkova has preserved a recording of the veteran’s memories.

Photo. Soviet intelligence officers on a mission.

Meshcheryakov began fighting in 1941 near Moscow, defended Stalingrad, Leningrad, fought on the Kursk Bulge, and liberated Ukraine. I celebrated victory in Czechoslovakia. During the war he headed regimental intelligence. A significant turning point in the biography of the gallant lieutenant came when he was appointed chief of reconnaissance of the airborne regiment of the 2nd Guards
airborne division.

“I never studied intelligence,” says Ivan Vasilyevich, “in frontline conditions this is a great luxury.” Experience and knowledge were acquired on the go. At the same time, a correspondent named Kazakevich appeared in the division, who was first kicked out from everywhere, but then sent to a reconnaissance company with the parting words “Live there in a dugout with the guys, watch”... Did we, those same guys, know the one hundred and difficult service of intelligence officers? then it will form the basis of the story “Star”, and then the film of the same name? By the way, the title of the work was the call sign of intelligence officer Meshcheryakov...

Photo. Military correspondent Emmanuel Kazakevich with friends.

Many people also remember the adventure film based on Yulian Semenov’s story “Major Whirlwind,” which tells about the dramatic fate of the reconnaissance group “Voice” in Krakow, conquered by the Germans. The prototype of the main character was Meshcheryakov’s friend, captain Evgeny Bereznyak. Unlike the book major, his fate was dramatic; he was
forced to spend a year in camps. But Meshcheryakov still managed to ensure that his comrade in arms, a brave intelligence officer, was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree.

One day our scout heard the following order: “Take a package with you and you will break through the front to the encircled unit. So that, alive or dead, he gets to the place!”

After some time, fighters from one of the forward battalions of the division detained three unknown ragamuffins at their location, who identified themselves as divisional scouts. At the request of the eldest of them, who claimed that his last name was Meshcheryakov and his call sign was “Zvezda,” the group was taken to division headquarters. Ivan Vasilyevich only remembers how he took out the treasured package from his bosom, handed it to the guard Colonel Shestakov and immediately collapsed from fatigue and unconsciousness on the floor. This episode was also included in Kazakevich’s story “Star”.

Meshcheryakov had to go behind enemy lines many times. One day he was ordered to take the staff “tongue”. Reconnaissance discovered an apiary in the enemy camp. As it turned out, two German staff officers got into the habit of going there to feast on honey. An ambush was set up. During their next visit to the apiary, honey lovers received a gag in their mouths and were taken to the unit.

Photo. A captured German.

In July 1944, a group of eight people led by Meshcheryakov was tasked with transporting three of our secret agents across the front line. And now the task is completed, Meshcheryakov’s group returns back. But then intelligence learned from local residents that the Germans were going to celebrate the graduation of junior commanders at one of the nearby farms. The decision was instantly made to look at the “blue light” in this farmstead.

It is clear that the Germans did not expect such guests to appear, who, hiding behind thickets of corn and sunflowers, suddenly opened fire from machine guns. As a result, almost three hundred newly minted junior officer ranks of the Wehrmacht immediately did what is called “hande hoch.”

Five people to escort three hundred prisoners? Won't they run away? He ordered the prisoners to cut off the buttons on their branded trousers and take away their belts. If you're about to run, your pants will fall off! Then he lined up the Germans in a column, and they walked, holding their belts with their hands. They held the prisoners for three days - without rest, stopping only to, excuse me, visit the bushes... The prisoners were tormented by thirst. In the courtyard of the house where the headquarters was located, they immediately rushed to the well. They just ran, losing their pants... This picture appeared before the eyes of the division commander. The general almost raised everyone's gun in surprise, deciding that the Germans had broken through to the headquarters. It’s lucky that I noticed: the Germans are not armed, even without belts...

When the situation became clear, the division commander squeezed Meshcheryakov tightly in his arms and joyfully said, “I’ll introduce him to the hero!” And he kept his word. The presentation went to the front headquarters. But at the headquarters the papers lay motionless for a long time. When Colonel General Lev Mekhlis, a member of the Military Council of the front, got hold of the performance, he wrote that “the feat is unknown to the Military Council”...

Photo. Lev Mekhlis, who “squeezed” Meshcheryakov’s award.

Once Ivan Vasilyevich was saved from death by his guards badge, which was hit by a German bullet. Although two ribs were broken, Meshcheryakov continued to command his reconnaissance battalion.

Captain Meshcheryakov will ride into one of the Transcarpathian mountain villages of the Guard on horseback. Holding reins made from bandages in one hand and a machine gun in the other. Before he has time to look around, suddenly some force rips him off his horse and throws him towards the nearest bushes. What he saw next shocked him. On the road, half of the horse was convulsing. Rear - from saddle to tail. The head and front legs were simply missing.

You know, this is truly scary: The horse was torn in half by a shell, blood, bones, guts are on the path, and the hind hooves are still moving as if galloping... Only a few seconds later I realized how lucky I was that I myself was alive.

The last battle in that war was short, but very difficult. The Germans understood that they were doomed and preferred not to give up. Many of our soldiers were killed, actually already beyond the war line. Yaremcha is a small town near Ivano-Frankivsk, which was considered the pearl of Eastern Europe, everything in it was built of wood: the town hall, the church, the amazingly beautiful houses. And all this, including the people who lived in it, was subject to destruction. The city was doomed to death by the retreating occupiers...

- The scouts, at all costs, had to get a diagram of laying the cable connecting the demolition charges laid by the Germans. Then an exhausting “war” of nerves began. It was necessary to cut the cable before the Germans lowered the switch. At the same time, they should not have discovered the damage to their infernal machine and had time to restore it before our forces arrived. We made it...

After the war, a museum dedicated to the feat of the guardsmen-reconnaissance will appear in Yaremche. The bust of Meshcheryakov will be sculpted for the museum by the sculptor then known throughout the country - Ivan Pershudchev. Unfortunately, Western Ukraine abandoned the memory of its defenders. That museum no longer exists, but Meshcheryakov’s fellow soldier saved and brought the commander’s portrait to the Moscow region. Now it is with Ivan Vasilyevich... in the garage.

And after the war, space called the hero. Meshcheryakov began working on rocket issues from the moment the first satellite was launched, in 1957. He had the opportunity to work with S.P. Korolev, M.F. Reshetnev, D.I. Kozlov, M.K Yangel...

Photo. Marshal Nedelin, who oversaw space projects.

1960 The task was set: to ensure continuous and stable communication between Moscow and the Baikonur test site, from where the new R-16 launch vehicle, created under the leadership of twice Hero of Socialist Labor, Academician Mikhail Yangel, was supposed to launch. The experimental launch was of great international significance. Therefore, a commission headed by the Commander-in-Chief of the country’s strategic missile forces, Marshal of the Soviet Union Nedelin, arrived at the cosmodrome.

There were about thirty minutes left before the launch, when Meshcheryakov’s colleague Alexander Kashits suggested that Ivan Vasilyevich go to the measuring point and observe the process from there.

I agreed, annoyed in my heart that I would now have to watch the indescribable picture of the launch from behind the glass. As we approached the gate, a terrible explosion was heard from behind. We both had burn marks that lasted our entire lives. But they remained alive and did not burn like everyone else who was present at the training ground. All that was left of Nedelin was a scrap of burnt overcoat and a melted marshal's star. And from all the other launch participants who were not in the bunker, only ashes were collected. The rocket that exploded killed 180 people...

Photo. The unfortunate explosion at the cosmodrome...

Meshcheryakov received burns - almost 30 percent of the surface of his body. But he survived and returned to rocket science. Under the leadership of Meshcheryakov, the main directions and programs for the development of second and third generation space assets, military applications and tactical and technical characteristics of the Energia-Buran MTSC were developed.

Photo. I.V.Meshcheryakov.

The editors of the site would like to thank Elena Volkova for the materials provided.

Born on September 3, 1908 in the village of Nizhnyaya Dobrinka (now Zhirnovsky district of the Volgograd region). After finishing 7 classes, he entered the vocational school of the city of Stalingrad. There he worked at a factory and studied at evening school. Since 1930, in the ranks of the Red Army, he served as a Red Army soldier in the 12th cavalry regiment of the OGPU USSR. In 1938 he graduated from the flight department of the Kharkov Military Border School named after. F.E. Dzerzhinsky and left there as an instructor-pilot. Then he served as part of the 10th aviation squadron of the border troops (city of Grodno, Western Special Military District).

Since July 1941, Lieutenant I.I. Meshcheryakov flew LaGG-3 on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War as part of the 239th IAP (10th SAD). From August 1941, he fought in the 129th IAP (December 6, 1941, reorganized into the 5th Guards IAP), flew the MiG-3 and LaGG-3. Fought on the Western and Kalinin fronts.

On September 20, 1941, the flight commander of the 129th Fighter Aviation Regiment (47th Mixed Aviation Division, Western Front), Senior Lieutenant I. I. Meshcheryakov, in an air battle over the Sovkhoz Dugino airfield (Smolensk Region), shot down a Yu-88 bomber with a ram. He landed safely.

By December 20, 1941, the squadron commander of the 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (47th Mixed Aviation Division, Kalinin Front) of the Guard, Captain I. I. Meshcheryakov, flew 135 combat missions, in 15 air battles he personally and in pair shot down 3 enemy aircraft ( The award list says 5 victories). For these exploits he was nominated for the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

On February 8, 1942, in an air battle west of the village of Denezhnoe (Kalinin Region), another Yu-88 bomber was shot down with a ram, killing himself. In total, he made about 200 sorties, conducted more than 20 air battles, in which he personally shot down 6 and as part of a group at least 3 enemy aircraft (probably won more group victories). By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 5, 1942, he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. One of the streets in Volgograd bears his name, and a bust has been erected in his homeland.

Awarded the orders: Lenin (05/05/1942), Red Banner (11/03/1941), Red Star (1942, posthumously).

* * *
List of famous aerial victories of I. I. Meshcheryakov:

Date	Enemy	Plane crash site or air combat	Your own plane
29.07.1941	1 Me-110	Vorotyshchino	LaGG-3
08.09.1941	1 Khsh-126 (paired)	Sushchevo	MiG-3
20.09.1941	1 Yu-88 (hit by ram)	airfield "Sovkhoz Dugino"
29.12.1941	2 Yu-87	southeast of Shelkochevo	LaGG-3
21.01.1942	1 Yu-87	Rzhev district
22.01.1942	2 Yu-88 (in group 2/3)
08.02.1942	1 Yu-88 (hit by ram)	west of Denezhnoe
Total aircraft shot down - 6 + 3; combat sorties - about 200; air battles - more than 20.

Born on September 3, 1908 in the village of Nizhnyaya Dobrinka, now Zhirnovsky district of the Volgograd region. Graduated from 7th grade. Since 1930 in the Red Army. In 1938 he graduated from the flight department of the Kharkov NKVD Military School.

From the first day of the Great Patriotic War, Lieutenant I. I. Meshcheryakov was in the active army. He fought as part of the 129th IAP (5th Guards IAP).

On September 20, 1941, the squadron commander of the 5th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (Kalinin Front) of the Guard, Captain I. I. Meshcheryakov, shot down an enemy bomber in an air battle near the city of Yartsevo, Smolensk Region. Continuing the battle and having used up ammunition, another bomber rammed. He landed safely.

By December 1941, he had flown 135 combat missions and shot down 5 enemy aircraft in 15 air battles.

On February 8, 1942, in an air battle near the city of Rzhev (Kalinin region), he rammed an enemy plane for the second time, but he himself died. In total, he shot down 11 enemy aircraft.

Awarded the orders: Lenin, Regional Banner, Red Star. In Volgograd, on the street bearing his name, there is a memorial plaque, and in his homeland there is a bust of the Hero.

* * *

Many heroic episodes in the history of the Soviet border troops are associated with the names of border guard pilots. From the first hours of the war, in extremely difficult conditions, they entered into battle with enemies who, to top off the surprise that placed our aviation units in especially difficult conditions, had the latest aircraft, distinguished by high speed and powerful weapons.

In the very first days of the war, border aviation was transferred to the Air Force of the Red Army. Border guard pilots distinguished themselves in air battles on many fronts. But there remained some units that carried out a number of special tasks precisely as air units of the border troops. Among them, in particular, the 1st Fighter Aviation Regiment of the Border Troops, whose commander was Captain V.V. Emelyanov, and whose military commissar was battalion commissar L.P. Azarov.

Throughout the war, border guard pilots fought side by side with units of the Red Army Air Force, invariably demonstrating the highest flying skill. Border guard pilots were often helped by the skills acquired during the peaceful period of border service.

The first to enter the battle was the 10th aviation squadron, located at the Carolina airfield in the Grodno region. The unexpected bombing attacks of German planes on the airfield caused significant damage to the squadron, and only one flight took off. In a short fierce battle, the border guard pilots Senior Lieutenant P.R. Pashinin, S.K. Fadeev, V.G. Krasovsky died the death of brave men. A. A. Astakhov and V. G. Pyzhov did not return from the combat mission. The surviving pilots were placed at the disposal of the border air brigade. One of the Heroes - aviators of the border troops - I. I. Meshcheryakov - took his first battle with the enemies precisely as part of the 10th air squadron.

From flight to flight, the handwriting of the Senior Lieutenant became stronger and stronger in the sky. In one of the battles, the troika he led entered into battle with 6 enemy aircraft that had broken through the defense zone and destroyed 4 of them.

By the fall, the air squadron, temporarily commanded by Meshcheryakov, was relocated to an airfield located on the far outskirts of Moscow and became part of the 129th Fighter Aviation Regiment. The location of the airfield made it possible to intercept enemy aircraft long before they approached the target and start air battles outside the capital.

Early in the morning of September 20, 1941, a large group of German Ju-88 bombers tried to strike the Dugino airfield, where our fighters and attack aircraft were based. The MiG-3 and LaGG-3, which had just returned from a combat mission, took off on alert, intercepted the enemy group on the approaches to the airfield and, with bold attacks, disrupted its battle formation.

Only a few Junkers managed to break through to the airfield and drop bombs, which exploded on the airfield, in the forest, near the parking lots of Il-2 attack aircraft and in the area of ​​field auto repair shops. In a short-lived air battle, many pilots shot down one bomber. But the deputy squadron commander did not return to the airfield. The wait was painful. Somehow I couldn’t believe that Ivan Ivanovich Meshcheryakov died. They respected him, calm on the ground, but formidable to the enemy in the air. Among the young pilots, the 33-year-old deputy commander, who had flown hundreds of hours on different types of aircraft, stood out for his combat experience and the number of enemy aircraft shot down. What intense joy everyone experienced when they reported by telegraph that he was alive and well and flown to the regiment! And after some time, Meshcheryakov came out of the communications plane cheerful and smiling. He spoke about his fight like this:

“I took off on alert to intercept fascist bombers. I was going at top speed to the front line at an altitude of 3000 meters and suddenly I saw 5 Junkers. I gained altitude and began to attack them. The enemy’s formation was broken. I saw that one bomber was behind. I decided to take care of it. I got closer. , fired one burst at him, then another - the enemy continued to go west. I repeated the maneuver, came closer, took aim, pressed the triggers. The plane trembled as usual. And suddenly, at the very beginning of the burst, the weapon fell silent. I reloaded. The result was the same. And it took off I'm angry. I decided to do the latter - to hit the tail of the enemy bomber with a propeller.

I increased the speed and the distance decreased noticeably. "Hawk" was overtaking the enemy. The target is getting closer and closer: 50, 30, 20, 10 meters. Before my eyes there is a bright disk of a propeller, like a spinning sword. Behind him, as if in a halo, is the tail of an enemy bomber. Even closer... The rest was no longer caught by consciousness. Crack - the propeller cuts the metal of the tail unit; "Junkers" went down like a stone. My wounded plane began to tremble as if in a fever. The engine began to shake, and the cabin visor was filled with hot water and steam. The car continued to glide for a couple of minutes, as if waiting for the pilot to use a parachute. The motor worked intermittently. Having lost traction, the car began to sharply lose altitude. Getting to your airfield was out of the question. He quickly inspected the area, turned the plane to a more suitable area, released the flaps and immediately landed the plane with the landing gear retracted. The fascist found his grave on the outskirts of the city of Yartsevo."

Aerial ramming is a technique used by brave pilots. It requires masterful control of the aircraft, exceptional endurance, nerves of iron, a huge emotional impulse, and a daring onslaught. Meshcheryakov proved that he possesses these qualities. The feat of the Senior Lieutenant became the property of all pilots of the Western Front. The army and front-line press wrote about him.

He was born in 1908 into a peasant family in the village of Nizhnyaya Dobrinka, Volgograd region. Here, in the Cossack village, he spent his childhood and youth. In 1930, Meshcheryakov was drafted into the Red Army. He was sent to aviation - to the Kharkov Military Pilot School, which he graduated from in 1932. That same year, the young pilot became a communist. And then service in combat aviation units, study, training. From the first days he participated in the Patriotic War. Here is a description taken from Ivan Ivanovich’s personal file:

“A decisive, courageous fighter pilot. He boldly enters into battle with superior enemy forces, and by his personal example draws his subordinates into battle.”

At the same time, he was the most sociable, sincere and never discouraged comrade, and enjoyed great respect from all the personnel. One day, nine fighters, led by Meshcheryakov, covered the front line. There was a battle on the ground. The sounds of gunfire did not reach the pilots, but from above they could see flashes of fire and smoke from exploding artillery shells and mines. Every day they plotted the situation at the front on their maps and knew how difficult it was for the infantrymen, tank crews, and artillerymen to hold back the enemy.

The fighters occupied different heights. The first link was flying at an altitude of 2000 meters, and the trio, together with Ivan Ivanovich, flew 500 meters above the second link. Suddenly, the group commander noticed enemy bombers. Short-nosed, heavy, slow-moving Ju-88s. Above them, like wasps, were the Me-109s. 18 bombers and almost as many fighters!

Numerical superiority is on the side of the Nazis, but this did not frighten our pilots. Before departure, the option of a possible air battle was played out. It was agreed that the first six would attack the bombers, and the commander and his wingmen would link the fighters. We considered just such a case that presented itself now. Meshcheryakov broadcast on the radio:

Bombers, attack!

Six of our fighters rushed at the bomber. The Me-109s tried to block their path, but were attacked from above by three fighters - they opened barrage fire in time. The sky was streaked with red threads of tracer bullets.

The battle dragged on. One attack followed another. The leader of the group of bombers tried to make his way to the target, dragging the pilots along with him, but Meshcheryakov shot him down. The bomber formation fell apart. German pilots began hastily dropping bombs to lighten their planes. They rushed in all directions. Ours caught up and attacked them.

The air battle, which began above the front line, soon moved deep into the enemy troops. On the ground here and there, downed fascist planes burned like black, smoky fires. One two three four! And all 9 Meshcheryakov fighters returned to their airfield.

The next day, while patrolling as part of 6 LaGG-3 in the Yelnya area, Meshcheryakov’s group met 9 Ju-88s flying towards the capital. Being to the side and above the bombers, Ivan Ivanovich attacked the enemy at high speed. The suddenness of the blow decided the outcome of the battle. Having lost control, the enemy began to shoot back randomly, drop bombs aimlessly, trying to evade pursuit. Taking advantage of the confusion of the fascist pilots, our fighters continued to strike strike after strike and shot down 2 enemy aircraft, one of which was destroyed by the group commander.

At the beginning of February 1942, after completing a combat mission in the Rzhev area, squadron commander Meshcheryakov did not return to his airfield.

Following a signal from the observation post, the squadron quickly took off. Having met a large group of enemy aircraft, our group entered into battle. A hellish carousel was spinning in the sky. In this whirlwind, every second counted; the slightest mistake could cost your life. Meshcheryakov directed his plane upward and, making a steep hill, ended up above one of the Messers. Having caught the enemy pilot in his sights, he fired a long burst. "Messer" with a strained roar fell onto the right wing, started smoking and went into a tailspin. A few minutes later, the enemy fighter, stubbornly trying to shoot down Meshcheryakov’s plane, also got his way.

Following the falling fighter with his eyes, the Captain looked around and immediately assessed the situation. The right wingman found himself in a difficult position: 2 Messers were on top of him. The second wingman was nowhere around. Meshcheryakov rushed to the rescue of his comrade, although there was no more ammunition left. However, this time the Messers were more attentive. Seeing that Meshcheryakov’s car was not firing, the Germans, leaving the wingman alone, rushed to him.

Having turned the plane around, Meshcheryakov sent it straight towards the nearest Messer. He launched a frontal attack. Probably, the enemy pilot hoped that the nerves of the Soviet ace would not stand it, he would make a slide and at that moment would be pierced by a machine-gun burst. However, when I realized that the Russian was not going to turn away, it was too late...

For the exemplary performance of combat missions of the command, courage, bravery and heroism shown in the fight against the Nazi invaders, by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 5, 1942, I. I. Meshcheryakov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.

“Where, in what country could such an attack technique as a ram be born?” wrote three times Hero of the Soviet Union A.I. Pokryshkin. “Only among us, among pilots who are infinitely devoted to their Motherland, who valued its honor, independence and freedom above all, above your own life."

* * *

List of all known victories of the Guard captain I. I. Meshcheryakov:
(From the book by M. Yu. Bykov - “Victories of Stalin’s Falcons”. Published by “YAUZA - EKSMO”, 2008.)

№ p/p	Date	Downed aircraft	Air battle location (victory)	Their aircraft
1	09/08/1941	1 Hs-126 (in pair - 1/2)	Sushchevo	MiG-3, LaGG-3.
2	09/20/1941		Sovkhoz Dugino airfield
3	12/29/1941	2 Ju-87	southeast Shelkochevo
4	01/21/1942	1 Ju-87	Rzhev district
5	01/22/1942	2 Ju-88 (in group - 2/3)	Rzhev district
6	02/08/1942	1 Ju-88 (shot down by ramming attack)	zap. Monetary
Total aircraft shot down - 11 [5 + 3]; combat sorties - about 200; air battles - more than 20.