Glinka Dmitry Borisovich, Soviet fighter pilot: biography

The pilot Glinka possessed exceptional abilities to conduct aerial combat. He effectively used the situation that developed during the battle, could easily organize the cohesion of actions within his group, performed incredibly complex maneuvers, easily defeated the enemy. Such characteristics of Glinka Dmitry Borisovich is endowed with his wingman Ivan Babak. He, like no other, could appreciate the work of the commander.

Biography of Glinka Dmitry Borisovich (briefly)

Born in the village of Aleksandrov Dar Ekaterinoslav province in Ukraine in 1917, December 10. He graduated from six school classes. Already from 1937 he was listed among the Red Army.

In 1939, Dmitry completed his studies at the famous Kachinsky Aviation School.

In the ranks of the acting army, Glinka Dmitry Borisovich served as a lieutenant from the beginning of 1942. As part of the IAP, the 45th received the first baptism of fire in battle in the Crimea. Special differences showed during the defense of the Kuban. In April 1943, Glinka became an assistant to the commander of the air and rifle service. By this time on his account there were already 15 downed enemy aircraft with 146 combat sorties.

For the first time the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, Dmitry Borisovich was awarded in 1943, April 24. In August 1943, he was twice awarded the "Gold Star", by this time on his account there were 183 sorties into battle, 29 fascist planes were shot down.

After the war, the pilot did not leave the service in the Air Force. The Air Force Academy was graduated in 1951. He served in civil aviation. Since 1960, Glinka - the guard colonel of the reserve, was a deputy in the Supreme Council. He died in 1979. His bronze bust was installed in Krivoy Rog. He was awarded the Order of Lenin, Alexander Nevsky, the Red Banner, the Red Star, medals.

Brothers Boris and Dmitry Glinka

The brothers were born into the family of a hereditary miner. The elder was Boris - born in 1914, Dmitry - 1917th. Already in 1929, Boris worked with his father in the mine. In 1934 he graduated from the Mining College. At the same time I studied at the flying club. This was the beginning of the "flying" career. In 1936 Boris graduated from the school of pilots in Kherson and began to work as an instructor. In 1940, he was drafted into the Red Army, where he served as an instructor pilot. By way of example, the elder brother had a strong influence on Dmitry. He also decided to devote himself to the sky, he studied at the Kachinsky flying school.

During the war, the brothers perfectly mastered the American fighters P-39 ("Aerocobra"). After the war, they did not leave the aircraft and continued their service. Boris graduated in 1952, Dmitry - a year earlier, until 1960, he commanded the regiment.

Military pilots of the USSR, the brothers Glinka - outstanding fighters in the air. Each of them had its own style, characteristic handwriting. Boris is a virtuoso pilot, Dmitry is an excellent organizer of the combat group, he was able to fully control the situation.

The famous "DB"

At the front of the great pilot Glinka Dmitry Borisovich dubbed the initials "DB". His main qualities were persistence and inquisitiveness, patient stubbornness, with which Dmitry threw his plane into the most difficult and heavy figures. Like philosophers, the pilot tried to get to the root of the various incredibly difficult situations.

His students and colleagues noted in the DB, as a mentor, kindness, patience, pedagogical invention and tact. One of them, Grigory Dolnik, recalled that Dmitry Borisovich always replaced irony and screams with irony, and this had a tremendous impact on listeners.

At the front, Dmitry Glinka was in 1942, without going through the instructor's school, but before that he had departures for I-16 and service in part.

War. 1942 year

In Crimea, received his first baptism of fire Glinka Dmitry Borisovich. Participated in the battle on the aircraft Yak-1, as part of the fighter air regiment. Already in the first battle knocked down the fascist Ju-88, but was hit himself. I did not remember how I descended from the parachute, as it turned out in the hands of the infantry. The concussion was very severe, and the doctors forbade Dmitry to fly. Despite this, the pilot soon returned to his regiment. With new forces I was eager to fight, I made my heroic sorties; There were their number reached in a day to five. Already in 1942 Glinka became an ace of flying business. In the regiment he was the first pilot, and he was instructed to prepare and drive a group of fighters.

During the fighting in 1942, the regiment, which participated in the battles on four fronts, suffered losses of 30 cars, 12 pilots, while 95 enemy aircraft were destroyed. Then already on the account of Dmitry there were six German cars.

Kuban

In 1943, the air regiment was transferred to the "Aerocobra" and in March thrown into battle for the Kuban lands. The regiment received the title of Guards (100th Guards IAP). Already the Guard Captain Glinka in combat proved himself as an unsurpassed master of maneuvers. The "aerocobra" of the pilot wore No. 21, this figure was just catching up on the enemy. By May 43 Glinka Dmitry Borisovich knocked down his 21 German aircraft and became a legend, he was the most productive pilot.

Homeland on merit appreciated his heroism. April 24 for his military achievements, for heroism and courage, for courage in the fight against fascists Dmitry Borisovich was awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, and was awarded the Order of Lenin.

In the April battles for the Kuban, Glinka showed incredible endurance. For a day he made several sorties, once their number reached nine. After such a stress, the pilot slept for more than 24 hours, he was diagnosed with "severe overwork".

In one of the big battles in the Kuban was involved more than a hundred aircraft. Dmitry made attacks from behind, from the hill, on both sides. I shot down two bombers, but suffered at the same time. He was shot down and wounded, he was saved by parachute. Even in bandages, he again returned from the hospital to the regiment and continued his service.

Test of Glory

The pilots-heroes of the Great Patriotic War were very respected among the people. In April 1943, the newspaper "Red Star" published an essay "Feeling of the sky" by the poet Selvinsky. His description of the hero, he began by comparing a person with the image of a bird. The figure of the pilot Glinka, he compared with the free eagle.

In August 43 Dmitri Glinka was twice Hero of the USSR. The test of glory was given to him sometimes is not easy. The pilot was embarrassed by operators and correspondents, newspaper portraits, daily letters he delivered to strangers. With his unbalanced character, he often did not know how to behave in certain situations. On the one hand, the title of Hero obliged to bear its own worth, and on the other hand - the front-line brotherhood forced to easy communication, sincerity, utmost honesty with colleagues. It used to happen that the title took its own, Dmitry became serious, sometimes severe, but more often the youth prevailed, and the 23-year-old turned into a clumsy and cheerful joker.

The legendary 100th Guards Aviation Regiment

The pilots - the heroes of the Great Patriotic War, made a significant contribution to the victory. Dmitry Glinka made his numerous sorties and tirelessly beat enemy aircraft. After the Kuban, the legendary regiment waged battles on the Molochnaya River, in the Miusskaya operation, in the Perekop battle. "The more enemies, the easier it is to beat them," Dmitri Glinka reasoned. In September of the 43rd he received the second "Gold Star". Once, from the captured grenade of the Germans, which exploded nearby, Dmitry suffered multiple injuries. But by December the pilot was again in the ranks and wrote down to his account eight more enemy aircraft.

Soon the air regiment accepted the replenishment and became a participant on the southern front in the Iasi-Chisinau operation. Here the pilots shot down 50 aircraft, Dmitry raised his account to 46 vehicles. During the week of fighting near Iasi, Glinka scored six victories.

End of the war

In July 1944, Dmitry Glinka almost died in a plane crash. Five pilots of the Guards Regiment, including Dmitry Borisovich, flew on a transport plane to pick up the cars from repair. They arrived at the airfield just before departure. They did not have enough seats in the cabin, so I had to sit in the tail on the airplanes. These guys also saved. Overcoming the mountain route, the plane caught the top, which was covered by clouds. There was a terrible collapse, in which all the passengers and crew lost their lives, only five of the Glinka group managed to survive. Dmitry was treated for two months and was unconscious for several days. But after recovery he immediately returned to the front. In the battles for Berlin in one day he managed to shoot down three German aircraft. In April 1945, his last victory was the destroyed fighter FW-190, the pilot shot him at point-blank range from thirty meters.

Summing up the military results, it is worth saying that Dmitry Glinka made three hundred sorties, a hundred air battles, personally shot down fifty enemy aircraft.

Postwar years

Guard Colonel Dmitry Glinka for a long time served in the Air Force. In his command was a regiment, then he served in the air division, was deputy commander. Lived in Moscow. He was demobilized in 1960. At that time, many military pilots changed the control gear of a combat vehicle to the cabin of a passenger, agricultural or passenger aircraft. The illustrious ace, twice Hero of the USSR Dmitry Glinka sat at the helm of a passenger liner. As the pilot himself says, he could not live without heaven, and it was not in his nature to retire at a dacha and gather mushrooms in the forest, read books and listen to quiet music.