Sergey Kramarenko (pilot) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sergey Kramarenko
Birth name	Sergei Makarovich Kramarenko
Born	(1923-04-10)10 April 1923 Kalynivka [uk], Sumy Oblast, Ukrainian SSR
Died	21 May 2020(2020-05-21) (aged 97) Russia
Allegiance	Soviet Union
Service/branch	Soviet Air Force
Years of service	1941 — 1977
Rank	Major General of Aviation
Commands held	167th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment
Battles/wars	World War II Korean War
Awards	Hero of the Soviet Union
Other work	Memoirs: Protiv Messerov i Seybrov. V Nebe Dvukh Voyn (Against Messerschmitts and Sabre Jets. In the Sky of Two Wars), 2006.

Sergei Makarovich Kramarenko (Russian: Серге́й Макарович Крамаренко; 10 April 1923 – 21 May 2020) was a Soviet Air Force officer who fought in World War II and the Korean War. For his service in Korea he became a holder of the Title of Hero of the Soviet Union. He achieved several high command positions in the USSR and was also Air Force advisor in Iraq and Algeria in the 1970s. Retired in 1977 with the rank of major-general, he lived with his family in Moscow.

He was the last living Soviet flying ace of Korean War.

Childhood and encounter with aviation

Sergei Kramarenko was born on 10 April 1923 in the village of Kalynivka in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine, the eldest of three sons of Makar Kramarenko and Nadezhda Galkovskaya. His parents were divorced when he and his brothers were still children and he went with his mother and brothers to live first in the Caucasus, and later to a kolkhoz near the Volga river.

During the 1930s the young Kramarenko listened to radio broadcasts about the deeds of Soviet airmen like Valery Chkalov and Georgy Baydukov, and so decided to become a pilot. In the autumn of 1940 he began a flying course at the Dzerzhinsky aeroclub, and as one of the 80 who graduated with the highest marks was offered the opportunity to become a military pilot. Kramarenko accepted and began military training on 1 April 1941 at Borisoglebsk aerodrome.

World War II - Soviet-German Front

Sergei Kramarenko first saw action in late November 1942 over Stalingrad, as part of the 523rd Fighter Aviation Regiment, equipped with the LaGG-3. Like most inexperienced fliers, he began as wingman to more experienced pilots, such as Capt. Mikhail Baranovskiy and Lt. Yury Ryzhov. In early 1943 his unit was re-equipped with the Lavochkin La-5, which performance-wise proved to be on a par with the German Fw 190 and Bf 109.

First aerial victory

On 23 February 1943 he was flying as wingman in a flight led by Capt. Baranovskiy when they engaged a group of dive-bomber Ju 87 Stukas.

Kramarenko's first victory claim was Fw 190A-3 (WkNr 2265) of Oberfeldwebel Karl Stadeck, (of 2./JG 51 "Mölders"), who was killed. He claimed while flying Lavochkin La-5 "Red 34".

Downed, wounded, captured and rescued

On 19 March 1944 three La-5FNs of the 19th Fighter Aviation Regiment intercepted a group of Ju 88 bombers escorted by six Bf 110 fighters. Kramarenko's leader - Pavel Maslyakov - shot down one of the Junkers, but was in return jumped by one of the Bf 110s. Kramarenko was ready to cover him, scoring hits on the Messerschmitt. He then fell prey to the Bf 110 wingman, who set his aircraft on fire and forced him to bail out with severe burns to face and hands.

Kramarenko was captured almost immediately by German troops, and as he was unwilling to answer the questions of his SS interrogator he was to be executed. Fortunately for Kramarenko the order was cancelled at the last minute by a Wehrmacht General, who ordered also that Kramarenko be sent to a German field hospital. Two weeks later Kramarenko was rescued by Soviet troops liberating the hospital.

Service in Kozhedub's 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment

After several months of convalescence in a Moscow burns hospital, he returned to his regiment (now redesignated 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment). Kramarenko was appointed wingman to the Regiment navigator Major Aleksandr Kumanichkin, already an ace with 35 aerial victories ( he claimed five more in Korea). Both men were aggressive and disciplined in the air and they became a lethal team. He flew Kumanichkin's wing for several of the ace's victories, and shared some of them. On 16 April 1945 Kramarenko scored his second full victory: a Fw 190 over Eastern Prussia. The aircraft he flew that day was the Lavochkin La-7 "Red 27", of the regimental executive officer Major Ivan Kozhedub. Kozhedub had lent Kramarenko his aircraft because he was not scheduled to fly and no other aircraft was available.

Interwar period

In 1946 the 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment was redeployed to the aerodrome of Tyoply Stan on the south-west outskirts of Moscow and was among the first units to receive the new prop-driven La-9, the jet-propelled La-15, and in late 1949 the MiG-15. Already the deputy commander of the 3rd squadron, Kramarenko flew the MiG-15 during the 1950 May Day fly-past over the Kremlin and Red Square, and on 14 August over Tushino airbase.

The Korean War (1950–53)

In early October 1950 the 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment were called to a meeting in the Officers' Club at Tyoply Stan by General Redkin, the Executive Officer of the Air Defense of Moscow, with Vasily Stalin also attending. Redkin detailed the critical situation in North Korea, with American B-29 heavy bombers bombing the poorly defended North Korean cities. The Soviet-backed Democratic People's Republic of Korea had officially requested Soviet assistance. When asked for volunteers all pilots, including Kramarenko, raised their hands. The unit was soon deployed to Korea. Soviet involvement would be a secret until well after the end of the Cold War.

Travelling across Siberia, Kozhedub's 324th Fighter Aviation Division (made up of the 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment and 196th Fighter Aviation Regiment) arrived in the city of Dunfyn, where they were given Chinese uniforms to wear. The Soviet fliers received their first salary in Chinese currency which they spent at local markets, buying civilian clothing to replace the Chinese uniforms. An intense period of air-to-air training in the MiG-15 followed. The Russians trained alongside Chinese pilots in the nearby airbase of Mukden. Kozhedub brought Kramarenko with him and personally checked the training of their Chinese and Korean apprentices. Kramarenko remembered the poor training of the Chinese students who could barely perform even basic training flights. Both he and Kozhedub also realized the meager diet of rice they received was a problem. As soon as the Chinese rations were replaced by meat and other high-calorie food the situation improved.

First victories

Both regiments of the 324th Fighter Aviation Division redeployed to the forward airbase at Antung, and entered into battle in early April 1951. On 3 April they suffered three losses for no victories, although on 4 April 1951 Fyodor Shebanov managed to shoot down an F-86 and the pilot captured).

Kramarenko noted that the main reason for such a defeat was their failure to enter Korean airspace at higher altitude and superior speed in comparison with American aircraft. Yevgeny Pepelyaev, (commander of the 196th Fighter Regiment) and Sergey Vishnyakov (executive officer of the 176th Fighter Regiment) instructed the MiG pilots to jump the American formations in co-ordinated attacks from different directions. Now with these coordinated attacks and both height and high speed the MiG-15 fliers had combat conditions in their favor.

These tactics were tested on 12 April 1951 when 44 MiG-15s of the 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment and 196th Fighter Aviation Regiment faced an American formation made up of 48 B-29s escorted by 96 jet fighters. Against these uneven odds the Soviet fliers claimed some 10 B-29s, 3 F-80s, and 1 F-86 shot down. Kramarenko's first victory in Korea was the F-80C of Captain A. B. Swanson (18th ABG).

His victory was probably confirmed by the interception of American radio dialogue: the F-86A Bu.No 49-1130 of Thomas C. Hanson (336th FIS, Killed), although USAF records list the aircraft as lost in an accident shortly after take-off.

Clash of Titans

On 17 June 1951 Kramarenko and his six wingmen almost fell in an American ambush when they engaged eight Sabres who were acting as bait for three more F-86s lying in wait and ready to attack from above.

The Sabre downed by Kramarenko was the F-86A BuNo 49-1281 of Lt.Col. Glenn T. Eagleston (4th FIG's commander, a famed World War II ace with 18.5 Luftwaffe kills while flying a P-51 Mustang, and two victories against MiGs in Korea), who belly-landed his jet at Kimpo Airbase South Korea. The jet was damaged beyond repair and was written off. The leader of the two Sabres who came to assist Eagleston was also a notable combat pilot: Lt.Col. Bruce Hinton, the first Sabre pilot to shoot down a MiG on 17 December 1950.

Hero of the Soviet Union

The 324th Fighter Aviation Division had been fighting without a respite since April. During August it was allowed to rest for a month. When the unit came back into the fight, Kramarenko soon claimed new victories:

• 12 September 1951: he got credit for an F-80 kill, the F-84E BuNo 49-2399 of Captain Chapman (136th FBW), who ejected over Korea Bay.
• 22 September 1951: he claimed a Sabre. In actuality he had seriously damaged the F-86A BuNo 49-1158 (4th FIW), but this jet survived and could be salvaged.
• 30 October 1951: one more jet was claimed - the F-84E BuNo 51-615 of the 49th FBW (the unnamed flier was rescued).

Kramarenko was postulated to be awarded the Zolotaya Svezda, which is given with the title of Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza (Hero of the Soviet Union). He was finally decorated with this award on 10 November 1951 by the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, Nikolai Shvernik. On his return to the skies over Korea, Kramarenko kept on scoring victories:

• 1 December 1951: he claimed two Gloster Meteors of No. 77 Squadron RAAF, the seriously damaged Meteor F.8 S/N A77-559 of Flight Sergeant Bill Middlemiss, and the shot-down Meteor F.8 S/N A77-251 of Pilot Officer Vance Drummond RAAF, who bailed out and was captured. He could also have shot down one more fighter that day. He pulled behind and within firing range of a third Meteor, the pilot of which was completely unaware of his presence. But at that point Kramarenko showed his humanity: he felt that the air battle was already over, he and his team had won, and he felt that there was no need to draw more blood that day. Consequently, he ordered his wingman Ikar Gulyy to disengage and to leave the unknown Australian flier alone.
• 12 January 1952: he was credited with two F-86 kills in two separate engagements. The first claim matches with a US aircraft lost - F-86E BuNo 50-615 of Paul G. Ridgeway (334th FIS), though the USAF records credit it to an "engine failure".
• 16 January 1952: Kramarenko scored his last confirmed victory over Teiju, a F-86 which then crashed near the village of Un-Denri.

The USAF reported no Sabre loss on that date, but the fact that the US-Russia Joint Commission for POW-MIA interviewed him in 2002 looking for details on this kill indicates that this victory is unofficially admitted by the Americans. {KORWALD shows a F-80C loss with the Pilot MIA}

Shot down

On 17 January 1952 Kramarenko flew his last combat mission in Korea. During it he damaged an F-86, but was not only shot down himself but also fired upon by the Sabre flier while he was hanging defenseless in his parachute.

Kramarenko landed safely was found by a North Korean villager who took care of him until he was recovered by a search party and returned to Antung. The Sabre attacked by Kramarenko was the F-86E BuNo 50-636 of Major George V. Wendling (16th FIS), which received "major damage" on that day. Almost certainly the pilot who shot down and shot at the Soviet ace was Major William F. Shaeffer, of the 16th FIS, 51st FIW.

Following the decision of General Staff of USSR's Armed Forces, the VVS 303rd and 324th Fighter Aviation Division were replaced by PVO divisions, the 97th and 190th Fighter Aviation Division. So, on 31 January 324th, Fighter Aviation Division ceased combat operations in Korea and 176th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (and Kramarenko with it) returned to the Soviet Union.

Credited victories

On the Eastern Front (World War II) Sergei Kramarenko scored two individual victories and 10 more group (shared) kills, plus a balloon. During the Korean War he flew 104 combat sorties, engaged UN aircraft in 42 occasions, and was officially credited with 13 victories. After cross-referencing his credited victories with German and US losses, it seems that in fact he shot down one German warplane during World War II, and he scored at least eight or nine victories in Korea, besides seriously damaging three more UN jets.

(*) = Loss not credited in US records to MiG-15 action. KORWALD lists Captain A.B. Swanson loss date as 13.04.1951 and that he was hit by AAA, bailed out successfully and was rescued. Ditto lists Lt Thomas C. Hanson loss date 05.06.1951 crashed on take off 5 miles (8.0 km) off end of runway Suwon K-13 after jettisoning fuel tanks; Ditto lists Captain Ridgeway as being lost 13.01.1952. Cause of loss is given as "Engine explosion, crashed" and "Explosion in engine section"; {Pilot} successfully ejected 6 mi (9.7 km) N of K-14, rescued.

(**) = Overclaim in good faith.

(***)= KORWALD reports only one F-86 lost between dates of 21 June 1951 and 24.06.1951-on 22 June 1951 F-86A 49-1276 of 4th Ftr-Int Gp/336th Ftr-Int Sq was shot down by MIG at 645L. Pilot 1Lt Howard P. Miller remains recovered in "Operation Glory" Likewise KORWALD reports that on 24 June 1951 a F-80C of 49th Ftr-Bmdr Gr/8th Ftr-Bmdr Sq-a Flight of 4 F-80s attacked by 12 MiG-15s, downed by MiG over Chonsodae (Sonchon); 1Lt Ernest C Dunning Jr captured and returned during Operation Big Switch.

(****)= Possible overclaim in good faith. Pilots from 176 Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment claimed nine Meteors destroyed on 1 December 1950, although only three were actually lost by 77 Sqn RAAF.

Postwar

After his return to the Soviet Union, he studied at the Air Force Academy, where he graduated in 1954. Around that same time, in Moscow, he met an art student - Yulya Alekseyevna. Soon they began dating and going together to the Bolshoi Theater and others. In 1956 he got his first command duty as deputy commander of a regiment placed in Machulishchi, Belarus. In 1957 he proposed marriage to Yulya, and she accepted. Already married, that same year Kramarenko received his second command assignment - the 167th Fighter Aviation Regiment in Georgia. Soon other commissions followed all over the Soviet Union, and he was also blessed by the births of his son Aleksandr and his daughter Nadezhda.

In 1970 he received a new appointment, this time on foreign soil: the Iraqi Air Force had bought brand new MiG-21s, and Kramarenko helped Iraqi pilots and officers learn to operate the Soviet aircraft and trained them in tactics. A similar duty followed in Algeria in the mid-1970s. Finally, already a Major-General of the Air Force, Kramarenko retired in 1977.

In 1981, Kramarenko became the vice-president of the Rossiskaya Assotsiatsya Geroev (Russian Association of Heroes, the War Veteran Association, named that way because many of its members are Heroes of the Soviet Union). He published his autobiography, titled "Против «мессеров» и «сейбров»", or "Against the Messers and Sabres" in 2006. It was translated into English in 2008 as "The Red Air Force at War: Air Combat Over the Eastern Front & Korea" . His wife Yulia died in 2019. Sergei Kramarenko lived his last years in his flat in Moscow. He died on May 21, 2020, at the age of 97, due to illness. He was buried next to his wife at Troyekurovskoye Cemetery in Moscow.

Awards

USSR and Russia

• Hero of the Soviet Union (10 October 1951)
• Order of Lenin (10 October 1951)
• Order of the Red Banner, twice (15 April 1945 and 2 June 1951)
• Order of the Red Star (30 December 1956)
• Order of the Patriotic War 1st class (11 March 1985)
• Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 3rd class (21 February 1978)
• Medal "For Battle Merit" (17 May 1951)
• Medal of Zhukov (1994)
• Medal "For the Liberation of Warsaw" (1945)
• Medal "For the Capture of Berlin" (1945)
• Medal "For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1945)
• Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1965)
• Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1975)
• Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1985)
• Jubilee Medal "50 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (1995)
• Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (2004)
• Jubilee Medal "65 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (2009)
• Jubilee Medal "70 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (2013)
• Jubilee Medal "75 Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (2019)
• Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary since the Birth of Vladimir Il'ich Lenin" (1969)
• Jubilee Medal "30 Years of the Soviet Army and Navy" (1948)
• Jubilee Medal "40 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1957)
• Jubilee Medal "50 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1967)
• Jubilee Medal "60 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1978)
• Jubilee Medal "70 Years of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1988)
• Medal "Veteran of the Armed Forces of the USSR" (1976)
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 850th Anniversary of Moscow" (1997)
• Medal "For Impeccable Service", First class
• Medal "For Service in the Air Force" (2004)

Foreign

• Medal of Sino-Soviet Friendship (China)
• Order "60 Years of Victory in the Patriotic War of Independence" (North Korea)
• Jubilee Medal "60 Years of Liberation of Ukraine from Fascist Invaders" (Ukraine)
• Jubilee Medal "20 Years of Independence of Ukraine" (Ukraine)