| Built by: | Alex West |
| Kit: | 1/48 Bronco |
| Kit Media: | Plastic |
| Modifications and Additions: | Built ‘Out Of Box’ |
| Unit: | USSR, 20th Guard IAP |
| Location: | Murmansk, USSR, 1941 |
| Pilot: | Alexey Khlobistov |
Area of Operations
History
After Germany invaded the Soviet Union, Britain decided to aid their new ally by providing war materiel, including fighter aircraft. The sent the first of an eventual 247 Tomahawks to Russia in August 1941. An additional 2,178 P-40Es, Ks, Ls and Ns were sent under the US lend lease program between 1941 and 1944.
The ex-RAF aircraft were delivered via Arctic convoys, navigating the combined dangers of Arctic seas and Norway based Luftwaffe bombers, to reach the ports of Murmansk and Arkhangelsk. Murmansk was fiercely defended by the Russians as it is their only ice-free port with access to the Atlantic. It was in this role that Lt. Alexy Khlobystov flew this Tommahawk IIB with 20 GIAP (20th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment).
On the 8th of May, 1942, he was part of a flight of two Tomahawks and four Hurricanes that intercepted a German raid consisting of 15 Ju-87 dive bombers escorted by Bf 110s and Bf 109s. Alexey attacked one of the Bf 110s but it refused to go down. Eventually he flew close enough to ram the Bf 110’s tail plane with his wing, after which the German aircraft finally crashed.
Finding that his P-40 was still airworthy, he returned to the fight and engaged the Ju 87s together with two other pilots. One Ju 87 was shot down and the others scattered. He now found himself with two Bf 109s on his tail. Pulling hard on his controls, he managed to strike the tailplane of one of the fighters with his damaged wing causing the enemy to crash. Remarkably, he managed to nurse his damaged aircraft back to base with a significant part of one wing missing.
One Soviet fighter was lost during the engagement and Alexey was credited with one Bf 110 and one Bf 109 destroyed and a further Bf 110 and one Ju 87 shared with the four other surviving pilots.
Alexey was killed in action on 13 December 1943, after having been credited with at least 6 individual and 18 shared victories.
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