Swastika in the Gunsight: Memoirs of a Russian Fighter Pilot 1941-45

by Igor Kaberov, Peter Rule (Translator)

Igor Aleksandrovich Kaberov was a World War II Soviet fighter pilot revered for bravery and valour of the highest order. This book contains his graphic account of war on the Eastern Front against the German invaders, based largely on personal diaries he kept while serving with a fighter squadron. Previously unpublished outside the Soviet Union, his story concerns the efforts of his squadron to repel German forces and is focused particularly on the desperate siege of Leningrad, one of the greatest feats of endurance in the history of warfare. There are vivid descriptions of dogfights with German fighters, the dreadful conditions that prevailed in Leningrad during the siege, and a rare insight into how a Soviet fighter squadron lived and fought.

Genres: World War II

224 pages, Hardcover

First published August 13, 2002

Reviews

[Darius Jung · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with any memoir officially approved during the Soviet era, you have to be careful when using Swastika in the Gunsight as research material. Taken at face value, Igor Kaberov’s account of the war is a series of one-sided battles and heroic exploits. Still, as a first-hand account by a fighter pilot for the Soviet Navy during World War II, it offers rare perspective on the air war over the Eastern Front.

Kaberov was already a pilot when the war started. He served through heavy fighting for two years near the Leningrad Front before being reassigned as an instructor for the remainder of the war. He was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union for his contributions.

Kaberov offers many colourful details of his time at the front. Despite Soviet censors, some vivid personal moments and struggles make it through. And there is little doubting the genuine patriotism that frequently motivated many pilots, such as Kaberov. This memoir serves to open a window into the mindset of a wartime Soviet fighter pilot.