The Soviet pilot who never lost a dogfight and shot down a jet

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Ivan Kozhedub remains the highest-scoring Allied fighter ace of World War II, credited with over 60 solo victories. Remarkably, he survived the entire conflict without ever being shot down. His career spanned from the propeller-driven battles of the Eastern Front to the dawn of the jet age in Korea.

Born in 1920 in the village of Obrazhiivka, Kozhedub joined the Red Army in 1940. He did not reach the front until March 1943, but he quickly established himself as a master of the Lavochkin La-5 and La-7 fighters. His combat style was defined by extreme aggression; he favored a high-risk technique of darting at targets from below and opening fire only at point-blank range. This maneuver was so dangerous that it was never formally taught to other pilots, yet it helped him achieve an unsurpassed 18 shootdowns of the Ju 87 dive bomber.

Kozhedub’s tactical brilliance earned him the title Hero of the Soviet Union three times. In February 1945, he became the first Soviet pilot to shoot down a German Me 262 jet. His wartime record is not without controversy; he claimed to have downed two American P-51 Mustangs during a friendly fire incident in April 1945, though historical analysis of the available gun camera footage suggests the film may have been captured using German equipment, casting doubt on the origin of the evidence.

After the war, Kozhedub transitioned into leadership. Despite mastering the MiG-15 jet in 1949, he was strictly forbidden from flying combat missions while commanding the 324th Fighter Aviation Division during the Korean War. Under his leadership, the division claimed 216 victories while losing only 27 aircraft. He continued his service in various high-ranking administrative and training roles, eventually reaching the rank of Marshal of Aviation in 1985. He retired that same year, concluding 45 years of service, and lived in Moscow until his death in 1991.

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