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Vasiliy BondarenkoFighter pilot
Date of Birth: 23.04.1922
Country:  Ukraine |
Content:
Biography of Vasily Bondarenko
Vasily Bondarenko was born on April 23, 1922, in the village of Myakenkovka, Poltava region, in a peasant family. He completed 10 grades of secondary school. In 1939, he joined the Red Army. In 1941, he graduated from the Kachin Military Aviation School for Pilots.
By March 20, 1945, he became the squadron commander of the 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. He completed 324 combat missions, participated in 68 aerial battles, and personally shot down 24 enemy aircraft. On June 27, 1945, for his courage and military valor shown in battles with the enemy, he was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
After the war, Bondarenko continued his service in the Air Force. Since 1953, Guards Lieutenant Colonel Vasily Bondarenko was in reserve. He lived and worked in Kiev. In 1965, he graduated from the Kiev Institute of National Economy. He was awarded the Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner (three times), the Patriotic War 1st degree (twice), the Red Star, and various medals. A bust of the hero is installed at the Saur-Mogila Memorial Complex in the Shakhtersky district of the Donetsk region. He is also the author of the book "No Unknown Soldiers". He passed away on February 20, 2001.
Early Life and Military Service
Vasily Bondarenko was born in the village of Myakenkovka, Poltava Governorate. After his father's death, he was raised in the Kiev Children's Home, where he completed secondary school. He worked as a carpenter in a mine in the Donbass region and later as a planer at the Kiev Bolshevik Plant. His interests led him to join the aeroclub, which marked the beginning of his journey in aviation.
In the spring of 1941, after graduating from the Kachin Military Aviation School for Pilots, Sergeant Vasily Bondarenko was assigned to the 69th Fighter Aviation Regiment. He was immediately sent to the front lines at the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. During the defense of Odessa, he completed six combat missions and participated in three aerial battles, where he sustained a severe shrapnel wound.
Bondarenko remained with the regiment after its reorganization and was recognized as one of the best pilots. From June 1942, he participated in battles on the Southwest Front, where he completed 20 combat missions and shot down three enemy aircraft. On June 22, he was once again severely wounded, and in December of that year, he was wounded for the third time. Despite the hardships of war, Bondarenko never gave up and always returned to the ranks of the fighter pilots. Fighting on the Southern, Southwest, and Stalingrad fronts, he completed six combat missions on the I-16 fighter and 30 on the LaGG-3, shooting down four enemy aircraft in eight aerial battles (one He-111, one Me-110, and two Me-109) and one Me-109 in 18 Yak-1 missions.
In 1943, after retraining on the "Aircobra," Bondarenko joined the 45th Fighter Aviation Regiment (later the 100th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment). He took part in battles in the Kuban, Perekop, Yasso-Kishinev, Lvov-Sandomierz, and Berlin operations. Vasily Bondarenko had the honor of serving in two brotherly Guards aviation regiments - the 100th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment and the 16th "Pokryshkin" Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment - which together destroyed more than 1,000 enemy aircraft. Serving in the renowned 9th Guards Fighter Mariupol Order of Bohdan Khmelnytsky Aviation Division, commanded by three-time Hero of the Soviet Union A.I. Pokryshkin, Vasily Bondarenko achieved remarkable success.
On July 13, 1944, the offensive operation of Soviet troops on the Lvov-Sandomierz bridgehead began. In the first days of the battle, Lieutenant Vasily Bondarenko shot down four enemy aircraft.
In early 1945, a major offensive operation was launched with the aim of liberating the Polish people from German forces. On January 12, Soviet troops launched an offensive, with our aviators providing cover. On February 25, it became the shining hour for Vasily Bondarenko. On that day, he shot down three enemy aircraft, a rare achievement.
By March 20, 1945, as the squadron commander of the 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, Guards Senior Lieutenant Vasily Bondarenko completed 324 combat missions, participated in 68 aerial battles, and personally shot down 24 enemy aircraft (two He-111, one Ju-88, one Me-110, one FW-189, 16 Me-109, and three FW-190).
Berlin and Last Victories
On April 16, 1945, in the early foggy morning, bright flashes illuminated the sky. The first salvo thundered. Tens of thousands of guns and mortars sent a deadly load of retribution onto the heads of the enemy. The battle for Berlin had begun!
Vasily Bondarenko fought well during those days. He even had a remarkable and unusual incident. In the first days of the battle, Bondarenko's four-member team flew to cover our troops as they approached Berlin. On their way back, they spotted two FW-190s. Bondarenko immediately shot down the lead aircraft, and the second one was forced to land by our pilots.
Approaching the enemy, Vasily signaled to him to "land!" But the German pilot continued to flee. In response, our team surrounded him from all sides without firing a shot. They put him in such a position that he had no choice but to land right in front of them on the highway. The German pilot climbed out of the cockpit, raised his hands, and chose capture instead of trying to escape.
On April 19, 1945, a group of eight of our fighters, led by Guards Lieutenant Colonel K.V. Sukhov, flew to cover our troops in the Zellesen-Spremberg-Spreewitz area. They encountered three groups of enemy aircraft, totaling 20 machines, and engaged in a battle with them. Our pilots shot down nine of them. Bondarenko, Sukhov, and Golubev each achieved two victories, while Kutishev, Kudinov, and Berezin each secured one.
Vasily Bondarenko achieved his final victories in the skies above Berlin. On April 27, 1945, two groups of his fighters intercepted 12 enemy aircraft over the Spree. Our pilots decisively attacked the enemy and shot down nine aircraft in a 40-minute battle. Guards Senior Lieutenant Vasily Bondarenko personally shot down two of them.
By the end of the war, Vasily Bondarenko completed nearly 400 successful combat missions, personally shot down 29 enemy aircraft in 88 aerial battles, and achieved six victories in a group with his comrades. He was wounded six times and survived two incidents of being set on fire while in the air. On June 27, 1945, for his courage and military valor shown in battles with the enemy, Vasily Bondarenko was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union.
In 1953, Guards Lieutenant Colonel Vasily Bondarenko was discharged from service. He lived and worked in Kiev, where he graduated from the Kiev Institute of National Economy.
