--- title: "This Soviet pilot stole the plane of a Nazi pilot who landed to try and kill him" description: "When a Soviet pilot was shot down over Nazi-occupied Russia in 1942, he had to get creative if he wanted to make it back home that day." date: "2021-06-16" modified: "2021-06-17" authors: - name: "Blake Stilwell" job_title: "Editor-In-Chief, Air Force Veteran" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/blake/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/popular/this-soviet-pilot-stole-the-plane-of-a-nazi-pilot-who-landed-to-try-and-kill-him/" categories: - "History" - "War History" - "World War II" tags: - "Russia" --- # This Soviet pilot stole the plane of a Nazi pilot who landed to try and kill him ![Black and white photo of a single-engine, propeller-driven military aircraft with a low wing design, fixed landing gear, and a cockpit canopy positioned towards the front of the fuselage. The plane is on the ground, viewed from a front-side angle.]() In 1942, not long after Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, Soviet pilot S. Kuzniecov was returning to base from a reconnaissance mission over Nazi-occupied Russia. As he flew over Kalinin (modern-day Tver), he was ambushed by German Messerschmidt fighters. He was shot down and forced to crash land his Iluyshin Il-2. --- A [profile publication written by Witold Liss]() of the Il-2's combat record describes what happened next. One of the German pilots landed at a nearby flat strip of land to collect souvenirs from his prey and to kill the Soviet pilot if he was still alive. But Kuzniecov wasn't in the cockpit of the downed fighter anymore. He hid in the nearby woodline waiting for the enemy pilot. ![]() *Soviet Il-2 over Berlin in 1945. Earlier models were single-seat aircraft.* As soon as the German approached Kuzniecov's Il-2, Kuzniecov made a mad dash to the German's waiting Messerschmidt. He took off and headed for home. But his troubles didn't end there. Soviet pilots didn't take kindly to German Me-109 fighters approaching their airbases. The Russian managed to survive getting shot down by the Nazis and almost died trying to avoid getting shot down by his comrades. He did survive and was later awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest honor the USSR could bestow on its fighting men and women. Kuzniecov was blinded by anti-aircraft fire over Poland in 1944. He managed to land his new Il-2 in a wheels-up crash landing, but what happened to him after he left the cockpit is unknown to this day. ![]() *Ilyushin Il-2 fighters at the Battle of Kursk. (Wikimedia Commons)* When the Il-2 first appeared, it was called the "Flying Infantryman" by the Red Army, as beloved by ground troops as the A-10 is for Americans today. When given an inspection and a test flight, American Ace Eddie Rickenbacker called it the "best aircraft of its type in the world" and the "Beast from the East." It lived up to the hype as maybe the most important Soviet airframe of World War II. --- *Feature image: Wikimedia Commons* ## Author Blake Stilwell is We Are The Mighty's Editor-in-Chief, covering military news, entertainment, and history, along with veteran education, employment and entrepreneurship. He is a former U.S. Air Force combat cameraman with degrees in Graphic Design, Television and Film, International Relations, Public Relations, Business Management and Middle Eastern Affairs. After leaving the military, he began working in film and television production in New York and Los Angeles, work that included ABC News, NBC Olympics, and HBO Sports. He then spent two years in Washington with White House Communications, before joining the Near East Foundation. At NEF he served as an International Development Fellow, then Communications Officer, and finally, Media Officer for the Middle East and Africa. Based in the Palestinian Territory, he coordinated strategic communications between eight country offices, international media, and government and NGO partners. He began a career focused on writing and editing in 2015 with We Are The Mighty. He left in 2019 for Military.com, but returned as Editor-in-Chief in 2025. Blake’s work has been seen on CBS News, Fox News, CBC, The Chicago Tribune, Task & Purpose, Military Times, Recoil, Skillset, American History, and was shockingly even used in a Supreme Court argument. He is an avid traveler and small business owner in Ohio, where he spends most of his energy fixing up a very old house. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()