Lilyas "white 23", Yak-1b

Lilya Litvyak was born august 18, 1921 in Moscow. She was regarded as a "stunningly beautiful woman", which suited the russian propagandaministerium well, as they trained her to be a fighter pilot. Her active duty started in january 1942, when she started flying with the 586th IAP squadron, which contained only women. There she mostly flew defencive missions until august when she was tranfered to a male squadron, because of her skills as a pilot. First she was transfered to 286th IAD and shortly after that the 437th IAP where she got her first two aerial victories, september 13 1942.

By the end of january 1943, she was tranfered to the 296th along with two other skilled female pilots. Feburary 17 1943 she was awarded "Order of the Red banner". Two days later she was promoted from Junior Liutenant to Senior Liutenant.

On her plane, a Yak-1, she painted a white lily on each of the sides. This was often mistaken for a rose, hence her nickname; "The white rose of Stalingrad". This "white rose" became famous among the Germans and a lot of pilots rather fled the scene than fighting her.

Lilya was injured three times. All three times during the spring and summer of 1943. A period which was very hectic and offered plenty of fighting. After she got back from her first injury, her squadron had been renamed to the 73rd Guard IAP, due to their exploits in battle. The 16th and 18th she was injured yet again. On the 18th, her friend Katya Budanova, was killed in combat.

Lilya was always succesful in combat, but on august 1, everything would go against her. While escorting a unit of Sthurmoviks, Lilya and her comrades was bounced by a gang of Messerschitt 109s. When the 109s reckognized her white rose, eight of them concentrated on bringing her down. Finally she was shot down and the plane was never found, nor the body. A monument was raised in her memory, in the town of Krasy Luch with twelve gold stars. One for each enemy plane she had shot down. Lilya completed 168 missions, shot down twelve planes with another three shared. She was only 22 years old when she died.

1979 they found her plane and body near the town of Dmitriyevka. Ten years later the body was recovered for an official burial and may 5 1990 she was posthomously awarded; "Hero of the Soviet Union", by, then primeminister, Mikhail Gorbachov.