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"Victory Parade: Stories and Faces"
MINSK, 9 September (BelTA) - Over a year of combat, pilot Nikolai Frolkin-Chepurnov rose to become a flight commander and ended the war with the rank of Captain, serving as deputy squadron commander. Having carried out 103 combat missions, he destroyed 12 tanks and self-propelled guns, more than 200 Nazis, and a fascist fighter aircraft.
Nikolai Frolkin-Chepurnov completed his studies with highest distinction in May 1944. When the student was offered a job as an instructor to teach young cadets the art of flying, he categorically refused. By August 1944, he had begun crushing the enemy on the ground and in the sky. Almost immediately, the young pilot proved in practice that he was capable of successfully completing any task.
On 9 August, the junior lieutenant was commended by the army commander. That day, as part of a group of six Il-2 aircraft, he flew three times to destroy enemy tanks and infantry. Making between four and seven approaches to the target on each mission, despite heavy anti-aircraft fire and the presence of enemy fighters in the air, he skillfully sought out tanks and artillery and, attacking, destroyed them. That day, he destroyed one tank and one field artillery gun, suppressed the fire of a light anti-aircraft artillery battery, and killed up to ten enemy soldiers.
Once, an aircraft with the number 13 was delivered to the airfield after repairs. Nikolai Frolkin-Chepurnov turned out to be the only one who dared to take its controls. This was his 16th combat mission as part of a group of six to assault enemy tanks. After several approaches and attacks, the aircraft was attacked. The plane caught fire, and acrid smoke filled the cockpit. At that moment, he thought only of how to make it back across the front line. Nearby, he saw red-star escort fighters, who encouraged him by rocking their wings. But the burning plane could have exploded at any moment. As soon as they crossed the front line, Nikolai Frolkin-Chepurnov ordered his gunner-radio operator to jump, and immediately followed himself. The landing was successful, but it took a whole night to reach the airfield. All that time, the crew of aircraft No.13 were considered killed.
The battles near Lida also remained in the veteran's memory. Intelligence reported that a large number of enemy tanks had gathered in one of the districts. A group of six attack aircraft was tasked with finding and destroying the enemy armored vehicles. The attack aircraft made about ten passes until they ran out of ammunition. Almost all of the enemy's armored vehicles were turned into piles of twisted metal.
The veteran recalled with particular pride his participation in the 1945 Victory Parade in Moscow. To the tune of the march played by the combined orchestra, the columns of victors marched in clear formation. In one of them, as part of the 3rd Belorussian Front, marched Nikolai Frolkin-Chepurnov.
The project “Victory Parade: Stories and Faces” is published in the 7 Days newspaper and on the website of the Belarusian news agency BelTA twice a month. During the year we will be narrating the stories of the Belarusians who took part in the legendary Victory Parade. These men fought at Rzhev and Odessa, won the battles of Stalingrad and Kursk, liberated Belarus, and took Berlin. On 24 June 1945 they marched triumphantly through Red Square in Moscow. They are the faces of our great Victory!
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