The story
Russian fighter ace Grigori Rechkalov received his second Hero of the Soviet Union award when his score stood at 48 individual and six shared victories. Rechkalov would be relieved of his command by General Utin shortly after for "lack of leadership" but would eventually be officially listed as the Soviet Union's third highest scoring ace of all time with 57 aerial victories credited to his name.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.