Biplane fighter aces

Soviet Union

General Polkovnik Aleksandr Alekseyevich Mironenko HSU

19 April 1918 – 17 July 1999

Mironenko was born on 19 April 1918 in Yakhniky, a Poltava region settlement.

In 1937 he entered the navy, attending the Yeysk Military Air School for Naval Pilots.

On graduation in 1940 he was posted to the Air Force of the Baltic Sea Fleet.

When the war stared in June 1941, he served as a leitenant in 5 IAP-KBF flying Polikarpov I-15bis.

On 7 July, the I-15bis from 5 IAP-KBF intercepted Ju 88s north of Vormsi Island. Sergey Belyayev claimed one shared with another pilot while leytenant Mironenko claimed a second shared with two other pilots.

In August 1941, he was posted to 71 IAP-KBF, still flying Polikarpov I-15bis.

He was decorated with the Order the Red Banner on 29 September 1941.

He was posted to 11 IAP-KBF in March 1942 as an eskardriliya commander. This unit was also equipped with Polikarpov I-15bis.

On 1 May 1942, seven Polikarpov I-15bis from 11 IAP-KBF reconnoitred the Vitele and Uuksu area.
At 16:55, they engaged two Fokker D.XXIs in combat at 1,800 metres. Firing in an opposite direction, three pilots (including Mironenko) claimed one Fokker shot down with RS-82 rockets and machine-guns while the other broke off to Olonets direction. At the same time two more Fokker D.XXIs took off from Nurmoila and a fruitless 20 minute combat followed. The Finnish broke off by climbing.
It seems that they had been in combat with Brewsters from LLv 24 where kapteeni Eino Luukkanen’s (in BW-390) pair of 1/LLv 24 took off for interception in the Haapanova-Monastirskaya area (16:25-18:55) and he claimed a probable I-153. The two scrambling fighters were luutnantti Joel Savonen (BW-392) and kersantti Reino Malin (BW-382) who both claimed a damaged I-153 each between Uusi-Laatokka at 17:00-19:50.

He was decorated with the Order of Lenin on 24 November 1942.

In January 1943, kapitan Mironenko was posted to 12 OIA-KBF before being posted to 13 IAP-KBF in June 1943.
With this last unit, he flew Yak-7Bs and Yak-9s.

Major Mironenko served as CO of 13 IAP-KBF from 7 June 1943.

On 29 July 1943, 13 IAP-KBF became a guard’s unit and renamed to 14 GIAP-KBF.

He was decorated with a second Order the Red Banner on 3 November 1943.

14 GIAP-KBF was in combat with FW 190s over Udria on 18 February 1944. Two was claimed shot down, one each by major Mironenko and Nikolay Repin (2./14 GIAP-KBF).

By May 1944 he had flown 629 sorties and claimed 16 victories (12 and 4 shared).

On 16 May 1944, the Yak-9s from 14 GIAP-KBF was in combat with FW 190s over Narva Bay. Three was claimed shot down, two by major Mironenko and one by Anatoly Lashkevich.

He was decorated with a third Order the Red Banner on 22 June 1944.

On 22 July 1944, he was decorated with the Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union and a second Order of Lenin.

In August 1944, 14 GIAP-KBF was re-equipped with Yak-9s, and he was promoted to naval podpolkovnik.

The Yak-9s from 14 GIAP-KBF was in combat with FW 190s over Libava on 22 October 1944. Three was claimed shot down, one each by major Mironenko, Nabiyuilla Khanbekov and Anatoly Lashkevich.

During 1945 he led his unit on attacks on convoys crossing the Baltic Sea.

Mironenko ended the war with 4 shared biplane victories and a total of 6.
These were claimed during around 750 sorties.

He was decorated with the Order of Ushakov 2nd Class on 23 May 1945.

Mironenko left the command of 14 GIAP-KBF in December 1945.

After the war he continued the service, graduating from the Naval Academy in 1948 and from the General Staff Academy in 1969.

Ultimately, he reached the rank of general polkovnik.

Postwar he was decorated a third Order of Lenin (31 October 1967), twice the Order of the Red Star (26 February 1953 and 9 March 1956), the Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class (11 March 1985) and the Order of the October Revolution (21 February 1978).

Mironenko passed away on 17 July 1999.

Claims:
Kill no. Date Time Number Type Result Plane type Serial no. Locality Unit
  1941                
  07/07/41   1/3 Ju 88 Shared destroyed I-15bis   N Vorsmi Island 5 IAP-KBF
  23/08/41   1/3 Bf 109 Shared destroyed I-15bis   Raasiku 71 IAP-KBF
  1942                
  04/04/42   1/4 Bf 109 Shared destroyed I-15bis   Shepelev lighthouse, Seiskari 11 IAP-KBF
  01/05/42 16:55 1/3 Fokker D.XXI (a) Shared destroyed I-15bis   Vitele-Uuksu 11 IAP-KBF
  1944                
1 18/02/44   1 FW 190 Destroyed Yak-9   Udria 14 GIAP-KBF
2 26/03/44   1 FW 190 Destroyed Yak-7B   NE Azeri 14 GIAP-KBF
3 16/05/44   1 FW 190 Destroyed Yak-9   Narva Bay 14 GIAP-KBF
4 16/05/44   1 FW 190 Destroyed Yak-9   Narva Bay 14 GIAP-KBF
5 05/08/44   1 FW 190 Destroyed Yak-9   Haralahti 14 GIAP-KBF
6 22/10/44   1 FW 190 Destroyed Yak-9   Libava 14 GIAP-KBF

Biplane victories: 4 shared destroyed.
TOTAL: 6 and 4 shared destroyed.
(a) Claimed in combat with LLv 24, which claimed 1 probable I-153 and 2 damaged without losses. 11 IAP-KBF claimed 1 Fokker D.XXI without losses.

Sources:
All aces of Stalin 1936–1953 – Mikhail Bykov, 2014
Chato Polikarpova - samolet i model - Alexandr V.Kotlobovskii and Alexandr V. Shupigunov, 2000 Aviatsia i Vremya 2/2000 index 22792, Ukraine, kindly provided by Tomáš Polák
Suomen Ilmavoimat part IV – 1942 – Kalevi Keskinen and Kari Stenman, 2007, ISBN 978-952-99743-2-0
Soviet Aces 1936-1953
Stalin's Falcons - Tomas Polak and Christhoper Shores, 1999 Grub Street, London, ISBN 1-902304-01-2




Last modified 10 February 2022