For some reason, it became usual to believe that at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the Red Army suffered extremely alone defeats. This flawed, rotten stereotype turns into a denu, if you recall Berlin bombardment in August-September 1941. Even Hitler, looking at the flaming capital, could not believe his eyes. Indeed, in the summer of 1941, Germany had chuckled from delight to the victorious act of his soldiers in Russian land.
In July 1941, the Fiber Fascist Air Force, German Gering, reported Hitler that the military aviation of the Russians was completely destroyed. Only after this victorious argument was decided to start Moscow's aviation bombardments. In the meantime, the idea of \u200b\u200bchoke Admiral Kuznetsov caught fire in the head of Admiral Kuznetsov so that the dream and the reality of each of them filled with a nightmare so that the slices were not lying into the throat, so that the Germans were thinking: "And who are these Russians, and what are they capable of?" Well, soon the officers of the Wehrmacht will really write in their diaries: "Russians are not people. They are made of iron. " So, on July 26, 1941, the offer of Kuznetsov about the bombardment of Berlin comes to Joseph Stalin. Madness? Of course! From the front line to the capital Reich - a thousand kilometers. Nevertheless, Stalin is quite smiling and the next day orders the 1st Minno-torpedo aircraft shelf of the 8th airbag in the Baltic Fleet Air Force to produce a bomb strike on Berlin. On July 30, General Zhavorkov arrives in the specified airport and hardly time to talk about the order of the bet, as the commander of Evgeny Preobrazhensky commander discovers it by posting the ready-made calculations on the table, the list of crews and the map of the alleged route. Strocious! In those hellish days, pilots, anticipating the order, thought a single mind with Admiral Kuznetsov.

It remains only to proceed to the task. But it is easy to say ... all the conditions were against flight. First, a huge distance. A minute error in the route threatened to reflect on the fuel reserve in the fatal way. Secondly, the rise was possible only from the territory of the Baltic, from the kagul airfield, that on the island of Saarema, where there was a short excavation strip, quite suitable for fighters, but not for heavy bombers. And, thirdly, to fly at an altitude of 7 thousand meters with a temperature overboard minus 45-50 degrees Celsius. Kindle cold for eight-hour flight. Calculations showed that TB-7 with diesel engines M-40F with a bomb load of 4000 kg (of which 2000 kg on an external suspension) could fly to Berlin and return back. To perform flights, 12 TB-7 and 28 EP-2 were selected, which were fleamed on August 10 on the airfield. Here, after a more thorough selection, 10 TB-7 and 16 EP-2 were left. In the evening of the same day, airplanes climbed into the air with a course on Berlin.

"... they are made of iron." Exactly. August 7 at 21 hours 00 min. With an interval of 15 minutes, DB-3F aircraft rose into the air. Three links of five bomber in each. The first link was headed by the commander of the shelf Preobrazhensky. In the sky, the aircraft lined up "Rhombus" and took the direction to Germany. First, the route suggested flight over the sea by the island of Rugen (Slavic Ruyan or Buin, Pushkin). Then he followed the turn to the southern city of Port Shattin, and after the direct move to Berlin was opened. Eight o'clock in the oxygen mask and during the cold, from which the windows of cabins and glasses of headsets were frozen. Behind the whole day of enhanced training. Total: superhuman loads, not previously tested by anyone. Above the territory of Germany, the Group detects themselves ... The Germans are associated with her radio communications and offer to sit in the near airport. They believe that it is flying by the brave knights of Luftwaffe. They do not even come to mind that it may be an enemy. Therefore, without receiving an answer, they calm down. Do not respond, they say, and let. Will be on their conscience. Ten aircraft are forced to reset bombs on Shattin, on its port objects. Fuel on the outcome, no risk permanently. However, the five remaining dB-3F fly to Berlin.

Below are moving trams and cars. Station and military airfields are covered. The windows in the houses are burning. No freeness! Germans are convinced of their invulnerability. Five aircraft reset 250-kilogram bombs Fab-100 on military industrial facilities located in the heart of the city. Berlin is immersed in the pitch darkness, bursting with floods of fires. On the streets begins panic. But late. Radist Vasily Krotenko already passes: "My place is Berlin! The task was executed. We return to the database. " Only after 35 minutes, the Germans understand that they were bombed from the air. The beams of spotlights rush into the sky, the anti-aircraft guns are opening. However, the fire leads at random. Shells explode wasted at an altitude of 4500-5000 meters. Well, it can not be that the bombers flew above! This is not gods! The sun rose over the mutilated Berlin, and the Germans did not understand who bombed them. Newspapers came out with ridiculous headlines: "British aviation bombarded Berlin. There are killed and wounded. 6 English aircraft shot down. Having confused, like children, the fascists decided to lie in accordance with the covenants of Goebbels: "The naked lie, the more believe it". However, the British were confused, hased to declare that there was no spirit about Germany.
Then the singers of Blitzkrig and recognized that the Soviet Assa was made. Shame Loe on the head of the Ministry of Propaganda, and the heart of the Hermann nation has suffered a heart. What else to expect from Russian "Neochoralov"? And there was something to wait. Soviet aviation continued departures. Up until September 4, there were 86 of them. With 33 aircraft on Berlin, 36 tons of fugasal and incendiary bombs were collapsed. This is not to consider shells styled by campaign leaflets, and 37 aircraft bombed by other cities in Germany. Hitler crashed like a wounded beast. On September 5, he sent the unpretentious forces of the North Group, so that those units were separated by the kagula airfield. However, Berlin has already ceased to light up the lights at night, and in every German, an animal fear of the darkness of the Native Aryan sky has fallen. The first group under the command of Colonel Preobrazhensky returned everything, with the exception of the aircraft, which was not enough fuel. He managed Lieutenant Dashkovsky. On August 13, 1941, five pilots, bombed Berlin, received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union and 2 thousand rubles. The remaining pilots were also awarded and boned. On August 19, 1941, another order of the People's Commissar of the Commissar "On the Procedure forwarding the Air Force for Good Combat Work" was signed. It said: "To establish a monetary award to fighter pilots for each opponent plane in air combat in the amount of 1000 rubles. In the long-term bombing and serious bombarding aviation for each successful bombardment of the face from the crew receive a monetary award in the amount of 500 rubles each. Under the actions on the political center (capital) of the enemy for each bombardment, each face of the crew receives a monetary award in the amount of 2000 rubles. " After that, the Preobrazhensky group bombed the capital of Reich is another 9 times. The last was September 5th. When I had to leave Tallinn, the flights from the islands were impossible. In just ten raids on Berlin, 311 bombs were reset and 32 fire registered. "

From the memories of the navigator of the aircraft of the city of P. Molchanova about flight: "take off! I celebrate time - 20h.30m. We go with a gradual set of a given height of up to 6500 m. Airplanes were to go along the route: Rugen Island - Merge of the Varta River with the Oder River and then direct on Berlin. Soon the report "Pushkar" of the tower installation was followed: "On the right on board, two fighters two fighters are recreated at our plane" I-16. Did our fighters not recognized their fighters? The commander gives an order: when attacking, open a retaliatory fire. We have too important task. Fighters shot down from far distance and left. The rest of our ships took place Tallinn's traverse without a meeting with fighters. In Germany, quietly, exactly in peacetime, are excellent, rivers, lakes, settlements and unemployed cities are perfectly visible. We bring the ship to the BC. To the goal of a few minutes. Under us the lair of fascism! I make bombing! As heartbeat, the pulses of separating Fab-500 are counted. The ship in the right turn, the explosions of our bombs are visible. Berlin woke up. Works a huge number of powerful anti-aircraft spotlights. Barrifying fire for both MZA, but to our happiness breaking below the echelons of our bombers. It can be seen that the air defense of the enemy did not solve our height and the whole fire focused about 4500-5000 meters of height. In turn, as well as about. Rügen, refused the 4th engine. The plane began to shake. Without changing the echelon, we go on three engines. Reduce. In the right turn, the bay shore is visible, but what is it? From the sea / apparently from the submarine / and from the shore, the tracks of the anti-aircraft fire are visible, we immediately leave with a set of height. "Died" two more engines. How the plane fell - neither I, no one of the crew could see, because By the time of the refusal of two more engines, the height was less than 100 m. At rags, some miracle Sasha Kurban managed to plant a plane on the belly. The crew was unharmed, not counting individual bruises and bruises. All twelve, who could, smoked from the plane, grouping near the ship commander. With a sin in half, they got to the nearest village, from where they gave the regiment to the regiment teleogram: "The task was performed, when returning as a result of the failure of 3 engines suffered an accident. The crew is unharmed, waiting for instructions. "

Unfortunately, it was not without sacrifice and emergency landings, the reason for which there were attacks of their fighters I-16 (the mission was secret and they did not identify the silhouettes of their bombers) and damage from the fire of the anti-aircraft batteries of the fascists and their own. Below are some details: on the takeoff of the EP-2 of the youthful Schessi Chassis on the drainage on the edge of the airfield. At TB-7 Major Egorova immediately after the separation from the Earth, two right diesel engines M-40F, and the plane crashed a catastrophe. After that, Zhigarev P. F. stopped the departure of the rest of the aircraft. As a result, 7 TB-7 and 3 EP-2 were gone to Berlin. The aircraft M. V. Wateropyanova, at a set of height, was attacked by fighters I-16, but reached the target and bombed in Berlin. After that, he fell under the anti-aircraft fire of the Germans and was damaged, was forced to land at the territory of Estonia occupied by the Germans in the Jõhvi area. The second pilot in the crew was born in Siberia Estonian E. K. Pusap, so only he communicated with the local population, and the remaining crew members did not enter into contact with local residents. Two days later, the crew went to his. On the aircraft Lieutenant V. D. The left external engine caught fire on the German territory. The crew managed to eliminate the fire, but the plane continued the flight with loss of height. Not flying to Berlin 370 km, the crew dropped the bombs and lean to the return course. After the refusal of another M-40F, the plane made a forced landing at the airfield in Obukhov. At TB-7 Captain A. N. Tigunin already on the way back, one of the engines refused. In addition, over the coast of Baltic, the plane fired their zenithors. When landing, the car crashed. Lieutenant B. A. Kubashko on the way back was shot down by the fighter I-16. The crew saved on parachutes. EP-2 Captain A. G. Stepanova disappeared. On TB-7 Major Ugryumova M. M. Several times at large altitudes were denied engines. The crew was bombed in Berlin, he spent all the fuel and fulfilled the forced landing in Torzhok. TB-7 senior lieutenant Panfilova A. I. Over the territory of Germany, he fell under the fire of anti-aircraft and received significant damage. The crew dropped the bombs, but on the way back the aircraft refused two M-40F. With a forced landing on the territory of Finland, five people died, and the rest were captured by the Finns when trying to go through the front line. TB-7 Major Kurban A. A., bombing around Berlin, was damaged from anti-aircraft fire and crashed during a forced landing in the Ropshi area. Of the 10 cars who went to Berlin went on purpose and bombed only six. Only two cars returned to Pushkin. After that, the departure of the Division was removed from the position of the division commander, and the Colonel of Golovanov A. E. was appointed in his place. After the removal of the Combridge, M. V. Wateropyanov, did not go from the division, continuing to the service with a simple crew commander TB-7 first in 432- M Far bomber aviation shelf, then after renaming it - in the 746th Aviation Regiment of Far Action

From the memories of N.G. Kuznetsova: "Others followed the first raid. But the conditions have become heavier. Now the enemy met our planes with fierce fire, barely crossed the coast, and around Berlin acted a complex air defense system. Every time I had to develop a special tactic. I saw a big height. Above 7 thousand meters, our bombers were no longer so terrible night fighters with special powerful headlights, the fire of anti-aircraft was not terrible. The Hitler's rate demanded from his command "to eliminate naval and military air bases on Dago's Islands and Ezel, and first of all - airfields from which raids on Berlin are produced." We had to strengthen the protection of airfields. There were almost all the islands and modest fighter forces.

In total, there were 13 people, a red banner and a red star - 55 people in August-September on the results of the audacious and skillful attacks on the fascist lair in August-September, the Red Banner and the Red Star - 55 people were awarded to Lenin orders. In September, 5 people became the heroes of the Soviet Union, many received orders and medals.