From 15:00 GMT (7:00 PST) February 26th to 15:00 GMT (7:00 PST) February 27th

+30% RP gain for Yak-1B

-20% discount on purchase of P-39K-1 Airacobra (USSR)

Nikolay Gulaev, one of the best Soviet aces of World War II, awarded twice with the Gold Star of Hero of the Soviet Union , was born near Rostov on 26th of February 1918.

He started working after 7 years of school, learning in a flying club at the same time. He decided to become a pilot and graduated from the Stalingrad Military Flying School in 1940.

When the War broke out, Gulaev was assigned to an anti-aircraft unit stationed near Mogilev. He took part in his first battle near Stalingrad in 1942, and instantly achieved his first air victory, destroying a He.111 bomber on a night raid.

The whole story of Gulaev appears to be a sequence of remarkable deeds. For instance, on May 14th 1943 he engaged 3 Ju.87 bombers covered by 4 Bf.109 fighters. After shooting two of the Stukas down and depleting his ammunition Gulaev rammed and destroyed the third one, managing to land his own aircraft near an allied unit’s position.

In July Gulaev attacked a formation of approximately 100 German aircraft with a group of just 4 fighters, shot down 4 enemy bombers and 2 other planes without losing a single aircraft. His flight’s victory count reached 16 by the end of the day.

Nikolay Gulaev is known as “the best sniper pilot of the 20th century” - in 69 fights he destroyed 57 aircraft personally and 4 in group. So his efficiency rate is incredible - 0.82. It should also be noted that he never took part in “free hunt” which allowed him to get significantly more aerial victories. His wing’s main task was to cover ground targets - airfields, railway junctions etc.

In 1944 over the Prut river, a group of 6 P-39N-0 “Airacobras” lead by Gulaev attacked 27 enemy bombers which were covered by 8 fighters. 11 enemy aircraft were destroyed in 4 minutes, he destroyed 4 of them personally and one more in the group. On the 1st of July 1944 he became  twice Hero of the Soviet Union.

After the end of the war Gulaev served in the airforce, he was a commander of a regiment and then - of a division. He was one of the first to test new jet fighters and until 1967 was flying a MiG-21 fighter.

War Thunder team