Over Fields Of Fire: Flying the Sturmovik in Action on the Eastern Front 1942-45 (Soviet Memories of War) - Hardcover

Timofeeva-Egorova, Anna

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1906033277 ISBN 13: 9781906033279

Publisher: Helion and Company, 2010

Synopsis

During the 1930s the Soviet Union launched a major effort to create a modern Air Force. That process required training tens of thousands of pilots. Among those pilots were larger numbers of young women, training shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. A common training program of the day involved studying in 'flying clubs' during leisure hours, first using gliders and then training planes. Following this, the best graduates could enter military schools to become professional combat pilots or flight navigators. The author of this book passed through all of those stages and had become an experienced training pilot when the USSR entered the war. Volunteering for frontline duty, the author flew 130 combat missions piloting the Po-2 biplane in a liaison squadron. In the initial period of the war, the German Luftwaffe dominated the sky. Daily combat sorties demanded bravery and skill from the pilots of the liaison squadron operating obsolete, unarmed planes. Over the course of a year the author was shot down by German fighters three times but kept flying nevertheless. In late 1942 Anna Egorova became the first female pilot to fly the famous Sturmovik (ground attack) plane that played a major role in the ground battles of the Eastern Front. Earning the respect of her fellow male pilots, the author became not just a mature combat pilot, but a commanding officer. Over the course of two years the author advanced from ordinary pilot to the executive officer of the Squadron, and then was appointed Regimental navigator, in the process flying approximately 270 combat missions over the southern sector of the Eastern Front initially (Taman, the Crimea) before switching to the 1st Belorussian Front, and seeing action over White Russia and Poland. Flying on a mission over Poland in 1944 the author was shot down over a target by German flak. Severely burned, she was taken prisoner. After surviving in a German POW camp for 5 months, she was liberated by Soviet troops. After experiencing numerous humiliations as an 'ex-POW' in 1965 the author finally received a top military award, a long-delayed 'Golden Star' with the honorary title of 'Hero of the Soviet Union'. This is a quite unique story of courage, determination and bravery in the face of tremendous personal adversity. The many obstacles Anna had to cross before she could fly first the Po-2, then the Sturmovik, are recounted in detail, including her tough work helping to build the Moscow Metro before the outbreak of war. Above all, Over Fields of Fire is a very human story - sometimes sad, sometimes angry, filled with hope, at other times with near-despair, abundant in comradeship and professionalism and never less than a large dose of determination!

About this title

Review:

Over Fields of Fire really is one of the most humbling books you re likely to read for a long time. The author's trajectory of meaning remains as equally potent and powerful today, as the days to which she is referring. Yet from where did she gain her clarity of character and strength? I'll let Anna Timofeeva-Egorova answer that for herself: I think in the 18th century the Englishman John Bradman remarked: Beware the anger of a patient man. How right he was... --David Marx, http://davidmarxbookreviews.wordpress.com/

From the Publisher:

Anna Timofeeva (maiden name - Egorova) was born in Voldovo village, T'ver Region, Russia. She began her career in aviation in 1934, joining the flying club of a subway construction company. Following that, the author graduated from a flight school as a navigator. Upon the outbreak of war, Anna Egorova joined the 130th Independent Liaison Squadron of the 'Southern Front' as a pilot. After completing 130 combat missions in the liaison squadron flying the U-2 biplane, she joined the 805th Sturmovik (Ground Attack) Air Regiment. Successfully completing about 70 more combat missions, Anna Egorova advanced from an ordinary pilot to the executive officer of the Squadron, and then was appointed Regimental navigator. Flying on a mission over Poland in late 1944 the author was shot down over a target by German flak. Severely burned, she was taken prisoner. After surviving in a German POW camp for 5 months, she was liberated by Soviet troops. After experiencing numerous humiliations as an 'ex-POW' in 1965 the author finally received a top military award, a long-delayed 'Golden Star' with honorary title of 'Hero of the Soviet Union'.

About this edition

• Publisher: Helion and Company
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1906033277
• ISBN 13: 9781906033279
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240