Lt.Col. Boris Safonov-Russian fighter Ace

[Hobilar]

When on the 29th November 1941 the Royal Air Force's No 151 Wing who had been flying successful combat missions in Northern Russia since September departed for home, the Hurricane fighters that they had been flying were handed over to the Russian 72nd Air Regiment. commanded by Lt. Colonel Boris Safonov.

In the early spring of 1942 the Luftwaffe began to make a determined effort to disrupt the Allied convoys that were bringing vital war supplies to Russia through the northern sea ports of Murmansk and Archangel. The 72nd Air Regiment were in the thick of the fighting, but since March the Hurricanes had been replaced by American Curtis P40 fighters which although marginally faster that the Hurricanes that they had replaced , were not particularly loved by the Russian pilots due to it being prone to sudden engine failure. The Russian pilots dubbed it 'The marvel of engineless flight'.

The unservicability rate among the Curtis fighters was so high that when, on the 30 May 1942, the convoy PQ16 came under attack by 40 German bombers 60 miles offshore, only four fighters led by Safonov could be scrambled. The other three being flown by Lieutenants Kuhanienko, Pokrovsky and Orlov, all former Hurricane pilots.

Soon after takeoff, Lt.Kuhariemko was forced to turn back due to engine troubles, but the remaining three pilots did not hesitate to attack the German bombers. Lt.Col. Safonov personally shooting down two Junker JU88's, and the other two pilots accounting for one each.

Then Safonov's aircraft was hit by return fire from another German bomber; ditching in the sea his fighter was seen to sink immediately, and the gallant airman had no chance to escape.

At the time of his death Lt,Col Safonov was the leading Russian ace with a total of 24 enemy aircraft destroyed to his credit.