On August 5, 1939, Soviet pilot Mikhail Yuyukin carried out the first ground-based ram in the history of world aviation during the Soviet-Japanese conflict in Khalkhin-Gol. Having accomplished the feat, he died.

Man of the people

Yuyukin was born on August 10, 1911 in a poor family in the village of Gnilusha, Voronezh Province. Since childhood, he had to perform heavy peasant work on an equal basis with adults.

“It was a man of the people, a characteristic representative of his era, one of those boys who, born in simple families, got a chance to become outstanding military men, scientists or managers,” said Andrei Koshkin, academician of the Academy of Military Sciences, in an interview with RT.

From his youth, Michael showed a penchant for social work. After he joined the Komsomol, fellow villagers entrusted him with the management of the mill. With these responsibilities, the young man did an excellent job.

Yuyukin was noticed by local authorities. He was entrusted by the district executive committee to control the work of all the mills in the area, and then elected secretary of the Komsomol district committee.

In 1933, Mikhail filed documents at the Stalingrad Military Aviation School. Three years later, when he graduated, Yuyukin’s characteristic noted that at the time of admission he showed not the best knowledge of mathematics and Russian - the time spent in childhood in field work made itself felt. However, during his studies, the cadet was able to fully catch up. For his successes, Uyukin was encouraged by the command six times.

In the future, Mikhail graduated from the Military-Political Academy. IN AND. Lenin and served in the bomber regiment.

Feat on Khalkhin Gol

In the 1930s, the Japanese militarists occupied Manchuria and started a war against China. In parallel, they created bridgeheads for aggression against Mongolia and the Soviet Union — they built military transport infrastructure and tried to move the state borders where they considered necessary. In Japan, slogans were heard about the need to expand the borders of the empire to Baikal itself.

Between Mongolia and the USSR acted on a protocol of mutual assistance. In 1937, the 57th Special Corps was deployed on the territory of the Mongolian People's Republic. The following year, Soviet troops repelled the aggression of militarists in the area of ​​Lake Hassan.

In May 1939, the Japanese army, having made a series of provocations and attacks, launched military operations on the territory of Mongolia, known in modern historiography as battles on the Khalkhin Gol. Both Japanese and Soviet aviation, including units of the 150th Bomber Aviation Regiment, in which Uyukin and his famous follower Nikolai Gastello served, actively participated in them.

On August 5, 1939, the crew of a Soviet SB bomber under the command of battalion commissar Yuyukin struck airstrikes on enemy logistical positions near the town of Khalun-Arshan. Dropping bombs, the plane was returning back, but was hit by the enemy anti-aircraft fire.

  • Mikhail Yuyukin
  • © Wikimedia commons

“Yuyukin tried to return to the territory controlled by Soviet troops, but he soon realized that he would not make it because the plane was on fire,” military historian Yury Knutov told RT.

Assessing the situation, the pilot ordered the crew to jump out of the plane with parachutes, and he sent the flaming car to the place where the enemy troops had gathered. Navigator Alexander Morkovkin landed successfully, escaped captivity and a day later got to his. Yuyukin and the gunner-radio operator Peter Rogues died.

For his feat, the battalion commissar was posthumously awarded the highest state award of the Soviet Union - the Order of Lenin. And the members of his crew were awarded the Orders of the Red Banner.

“Yuyukin’s exploit was talked about in military units and military schools, his heroism was taken as an example to other servicemen,” Knutov said.

  • Monument to Mikhail Yuyukin in the village of Gnilusha
  • © Wikimedia commons

In turn, Koshkin said that the brave deed of the battalion commissar had a strong influence on other Soviet soldiers.

“It so happened that later Uyukin was in the shadow of his fellow soldier Gastello, who rammed enemy vehicles in the first days of World War II. However, Gastello, most likely, accomplished the feat, being under the impression of Yuyukin's actions, ”the expert said.

On June 26, 1941, the commander of the 2nd Squadron of the 207th Long-Range Regiment, Gastello, sent a shot down and burned aircraft to the transport column of the Nazi troops in the area of ​​the Belarusian city of Molodechno.

  • Soviet military pilot Nikolai Gastello
  • © Wikimedia commons

According to Koshkin, Yuyukin's heroic deed played an important role in shaping the atmosphere of self-sacrifice in the Soviet troops for the sake of victory. Two years later, it allowed them to repel the Nazi aggressors.

“It is no exaggeration to say that Yuyukin literally made history. He set the example for brothers in arms that the enemy must be beaten at any cost. When the Japanese were faced with the heroism and dedication of the Red Army soldiers, they realized that war with the Soviet people could cost them too much, and, despite all Hitler’s requests, they refused to attack the USSR in 1941, ”Koshkin concluded.