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On September 13, 1942, the skies over Stalingrad had been in chaos for over a year. Suddenly, a lone Yak1 fighter, marked with the number "32," darted through a hail of gunfire, pursuing a Junkers Ju 88 bomber.

With precision born of intense training, the Soviet pilot, head obscured within the canopy, opened fire. The pilot's aim was true the bomber's engines erupted in flames, spiraling out of control.

But there was no time to celebrate. A Messerschmitt Bf 109, piloted by Luftwaffe ace Erwin Meier with 11 confirmed victories, dove right into the Soviet squadron commander’s tail; without hesitation, the Yak1 swung around, lining up its sights on Meier's aircraft.

As one of Nazi Germany's most decorated aces and the Yak hurtled towards each other, Meier had no clue he was facing 20yearold female pilot Lydia Litvyak.

And this was only her third mission.


As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Docs sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect. I do my best to keep it as visually accurate as possible. All content on Dark Docs is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.