Nikolay Vasilyevich Sutyagin (May 5, 1923, selo of Smagino, Buturlinskiy District — November 12, 1986, Kyiv) was a Soviet fighter pilot, Major General of Aviation, Hero of the Soviet Union, and Honored Military Pilot of the USSR. A native of the Nizhny Novgorod area and a participant in the Korean War, he is officially recognized as the top jet ace of the 20th century by number of enemy aircraft personally shot down.[1]
Origins and Years in Gorky
He was born into a peasant family, the son of Vasily Alekseyevich and Elena Vasilyevna Sutyagin; there were five children in the family. In 1934 he moved to Nizhny Novgorod (then called Gorky), where he completed eight grades of school and graduated from the Baranov Flying Club.[1] In March 1941 he enrolled in the Chernigov Military Aviation School for Pilots; with the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War the school was evacuated to the rear, and in August 1942 Sutyagin completed his training.[2]
Military Service
After graduating from flight school he was sent to the Far East, to the 582nd Fighter Aviation Regiment; later he served in the 5th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 249th Fighter Aviation Division. In August 1945, as a flight commander, he took part in the Soviet-Japanese War, flying combat sorties to reconnoiter enemy airfields and strafe retreating columns. For his courage he was awarded the Order of the Red Star.[2] According to the recollections of his fellow airman Boris Ivanov, even before the Korean War Sutyagin stood out among his comrades for his piloting skill and accuracy in shooting at aerial targets.
After the war he mastered the Yak-17 and MiG-15 jet aircraft and was assigned to the 17th Fighter Aviation Regiment.[2] In March 1951 the regiment was transferred by rail to China (Mukden airfield); the Soviet pilots were dressed in Chinese volunteer uniforms and operated under the markings of the PRC Air Force.
The Korean War and Combat Record
From June 17, 1951 to February 2, 1952, Sutyagin flew 149 combat sorties and fought 66 aerial engagements with the 17th Fighter Aviation Regiment of the 303rd Fighter Aviation Division, serving as deputy squadron commander for flight operations. He scored his first victory on June 19, 1951, opening the regiment's combat tally.[2] In total he personally shot down 22 aircraft — mostly American F-86 Sabre fighters, as well as British and Australian air force machines.[1] This result exceeded the tally of the enemy's top ace: the American pilot Joseph McConnell shot down 16 aircraft.[2] The 17th Fighter Aviation Regiment became the most successful of the Soviet regiments that took part in the Korean War.[2]
For his combat feats in Korea he was awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, with the Gold Star medal and the Order of Lenin; he was also awarded three Orders of the Red Banner, the Order of the Patriotic War 1st class, the Order "For Service to the Homeland in the Armed Forces of the USSR" 3rd class, a number of Soviet medals, as well as orders and medals of the DPRK, the GDR, Poland, the DRV, and the PRC.[1]
Final years and legacy
From 1978 he was in the reserve with the rank of major general of aviation. He lived in Kyiv, where he died on November 12, 1986, and was buried.[1] Sutyagin left no memoirs; his combat biography has been reconstructed from archival documents and family materials provided by his son.[2]
In Nizhny Novgorod, two commemorative objects have been installed in the pilot's honor. On August 14 (the year is not specified in the sources), a memorial plaque was unveiled on the building of the Main Yarmarka House, with the participation of aviation veterans, representatives of the Region and city administrations, youth organizations, and the consular office of the DPRK.[1] On October 13, 2022, on the initiative of the Russian Military Historical Society, a bust by the sculptor Mikhail Vasilyevich Baskakov was unveiled near building No. 2 on Mira Boulevard.[2]
Sources
- history.ru — Bust of Major General of Aviation N.V. Sutyagin — Read articles on Russian history for schoolchildren and students
- nn.aif.ru — Nikolay Sutyagin: the forgotten ace — AiF Nizhny Novgorod