Stepan Ridniuj Fighter pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, Heroes of the Great Patriotic War Date of Birth: 26.03.1917 Country: Ukraine

Biography of Stepan Ridny

Stepan Grigorievich Ridny was a fighter pilot, a Hero of the Soviet Union, and a Hero of the Great Patriotic War. He was awarded the Order of Lenin. Ridny was born on March 26, 1917, in a peasant family in Ukraine. He lost his parents at an early age and was raised in an orphanage. Ridny worked at the Ugroedskoye Sugar Beet Farm. In 1934, he graduated from the Bogodukhov Zoological Technical School. In 1935, he moved to Odessa, where he worked as a stamper at one of the factories while attending evening school. He completed his training at the aeroclub and joined the Red Army in 1937. In 1938, he graduated from the 8th Odessa Military Pilot School. Ridny participated in the Great Patriotic War from June 1941 and served as a pilot in the 126th Fighter Aviation Regiment.
On June 23, 1941, Junior Lieutenant Ridny shot down a He.111 bomber. Stepan Ridny flew 6-8 combat missions daily, escorting bombers and intercepting enemy planes. In just 20 days of the war, he shot down 8 enemy aircraft.
At the end of June, while patrolling near Gomel, Ridny noticed an enemy Ju.88 bomber on the horizon and approached it. The bomber's gunners opened fire on Ridny's MiG, but he did not change his flight direction. The pilot of the Ju.88 lost his nerve and evaded. At that moment, Ridny shot him down at close range. During this attack, Ridny's fighter was severely damaged, with the oil and water systems failing and the engine jamming. With no time to choose a landing site, the plane crashed without landing gear into a swamp. The mechanics later disassembled the aircraft and transported it back to the regiment.
Thus, Junior Lieutenant Ridny was left "horseless." However, he couldn't sit and wait. He found a battered "isachok" on the outskirts of the airfield. At Ridny's request, the technicians repaired it and returned it to service. Soon, he flew on this retired plane to intercept enemy bombers and scored another victory. Ridny shot down a "Junkers," but had difficulty reaching the airfield himself. The wings and tail of the "isachok" were scorched, and there were over two hundred holes in the fuselage.
On July 9, 1941, the 126th Fighter Aviation Regiment was transferred to the 6th Air Defense Fighter Aviation Corps of Moscow. Ridny continued to fly the I-16 aircraft and shot down a Ju.88 bomber on July 10, 1941. On July 11, he shot down a He.111 bomber, and on July 12, together with Junior Lieutenant Ivan Levshoy, he destroyed two more Ju.88 bombers.
Lieutenant-General of Artillery Zhuravlyov recalled: "Once, in a battle with a group of enemy planes, Ridny shot down a Me-109 fighter and, upon returning to the airfield, noticed an enemy column of tanks and vehicles on the road and attacked it until he ran out of ammunition. Stepan Ridny's main rule was to be the first to engage the enemy, regardless of their numbers, using surprise, skill, the maneuverability of his aircraft, and the power of onboard weapons... He was a pilot who was famous from Murmansk to Sevastopol in those days.
The newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda," describing the combat qualities of the pilot, wrote about him as a master of aerial combat, a cool-headed and skilled fighter who took care of the equipment entrusted to him. He often found himself in dire situations. His plane was on fire. But the pilot never abandoned his combat machine - he always made it to the landing strip and landed the plane carefully. All our young aviators should learn from Stepan G. Ridny, a pupil of the Lenin Komsomol."
In his commendation, Ridny was described as "extremely brave in battle. After intercepting an enemy bomber, he never lets it go until it is completely destroyed. Examples: July 10 - 'Junkers-88,' July 11 - 'Heinkel-111,' the crew was taken prisoner. On July 12, in tandem with another pilot, he intercepted and destroyed two 'Junkers.' During the period from July 1 to 12, Ridny's plane was shot down three times. He made forced landings outside the airfield, but he preserved the machine. Despite the twenty bullet holes on it, he continued to fly on combat missions. For the heroism shown in battles against the fascists, he deserves the title Hero of the Soviet Union."
On August 9, 1941, Junior Lieutenant Stepan Grigorievich Ridny was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union. He was presented with the Gold Star Medal No. 272. Ridny was a member of the Communist Party since 1941.
In September 1941, the 126th Fighter Aviation Regiment was equipped with P-40 "Tomahawk" fighters among the first. During this period, the regiment was based at the NII VVS airfield.
Technician Tronov recalls: "Stepan Ridny... was a good combat leader and a senior comrade who always cared for the members of his squadron. Before taking his place in the pilot's cockpit, he usually said, 'I'm going to give the fascists hell.' If there was a free minute, he would show me a flight map with a marked target that he had to detect and hit. Once, in early October, Ridny led a group of fighters ordered to strike a German column. From a high altitude, the pilots did not notice that there was cavalry in the column, and when they made a low pass, they saw how the enemy abandoned the horses and carts and rushed into the woods. But at that moment, the ammunition ran out. After returning to the airfield, Ridny asked me to quickly attach bombs and load the machine guns with new belts. A few minutes later, his group of aircraft was in the air again. When he returned from the mission, he said, 'The fascist column is now just horns and hooves...'
The next day, Ridny's flight engaged in battle against nine Bf.109s. The enemy had a threefold numerical advantage! But our pilots did not flinch. They fought until the last opportunity. When my commander landed, I couldn't believe how he managed to reach the airfield with a riddled plane. He flew on one honest wing... The fuselage was punctured, the oil tank leaked out all the oil. And without it, as you know, the engine could overheat and catch fire.
Despite the intense combat work, Stepan Ridny always executed party assignments exemplary. We, aviation specialists, gladly attended the political sessions he led. He had the ability to explain things clearly and answer our questions correctly.
We loved our commander for not considering it shameful to take wrenches and work with us to expedite the preparation of the aircraft for combat sorties."
On December 4, 1941, in tandem with Lieutenant Ivan Levshoy, Lieutenant Ridny shot down a He.111 bomber. On December 14, he shot down another He.111 bomber. On February 3, 1942, leading a pair of fighters, Ridny provided cover for his troops pursuing the retreating enemy. Suddenly, a group of German Me-109 fighters appeared. They were separate from the main group and did not see our pair. One of the "Messers," lagging behind the group and accelerating the engine, left behind a trail of black smoke. Naturally, at that moment, he let his guard down, and Ridny immediately took advantage of it. He quickly caught up with the enemy and shot him down with a short burst of fire.
On February 4, 1942, Ridny flew in a pair with Lieutenant Shumilov and spotted a German Ju.52 transport plane. It circled over a field, choosing a landing spot to deliver reinforcements or fuel to their troops. After two consecutive attacks, the "Junkers" crashed to the ground. Several hours later, Senior Lieutenant Ridny and Lieutenant Matyushkin drove another enemy transport plane into the ground.
On February 8, 1942, a group of He.111 bombers approached Moscow, camouflaged by ragged clouds. They were flying through the area patrolled by Stepan Ridny's trio of fighters. Despite the enemy's numerical advantage, our pilots engaged in battle. They fought skillfully, especially the commander. He shot down the leader, and the other bombers, dropping their payloads randomly, hurriedly retreated.
Throughout his combat service, Senior Lieutenant Stepan Grigorievich Ridny flew 172 combat sorties, engaged in 53 aerial battles, and personally shot down 9 enemy aircraft and 17 in a group.
On February 17, 1942, he died in an aviation accident due to equipment failure. He was buried at the Chkalovskaya station of the Shchelkovsky City Council in the Moscow region.
Streets in his native village and in Gomel were named after the Hero.