A Soviet ace of MiG Alley
“I am certain of twelve, absolutely certain. If you stretch it, perhaps fifteen.”
Yevgeny Pepelyayev was a Soviet fighter pilot and regimental commander who carried experience from the Second World War and the Far East into the Korean War’s jet combat. He led the 196th Fighter Aviation Regiment from bases in Manchuria against United Nations air forces, becoming one of the war’s leading Soviet aces with 19 officially credited victories. Sources place his total between 19 and 23 because he reportedly assigned some victories to wingmen, leaving the ranking disputed alongside Nikolai Sutyagin. Awarded Hero of the Soviet Union in 1952, he later served in air-defence command and research before retiring in 1973.
Career Timeline
- 1938Graduated from the 8th Military Pilots School; posted to the Far East
- 1943Training and operational flying with the 162nd Fighter Aviation Regiment on the Belorussian Front
- 1945Deputy commander of the 300th Fighter Aviation Regiment; served in the war against Japan
- 1949–1952Commander of the 196th Fighter Aviation Regiment
- 1951–1952Served in the Korean War, commanding MiG-15 formations
- 1958–1960Commander of the 133rd Fighter Aviation Division
- 1960–1973Chief of aviation of the 78th Air Defence Fighter Aviation Corps; served at the central command post, then retired