“Beat the treacherous enemy as he is being beaten by Rappoport” reads a poster put up today in Russian aviation units, citing the 24-year old Jewish flier Loib Rappoport as an example of heroism in air combat.
Graduated in 1941 from a Russian aviation school, the young Jewish pilot has already participated in forty flights bombing Nazi troops, cities, and military stores. He is also credited with destroying many German tanks units. In combat with Nazi planes he has downed many of them. Although seriously wounded in one of the encounters, Rappoport proceeded to carry out his assignment until he released all his bombs on enemy objectives, and then succeeded in landing his bomber on Soviet territory.
The Soviet press today lauds the heroism of the 17-year old Jewish artilleryman, Chaim Dyskin, who, although suffering from fourteen wounds, fought off many Nazi tanks until he fell unconscious due to loss of blood. The parents of the young Jewish here received a message from the military command reading: “We are proud of you, Soviet patriots, that you have given to our fatherland such a hero as your son, our beloved comrade Chayim Dyskin.”
The exploits of a number of other Jewish heroes are also recorded in the Soviet press today. Among the outstanding fighters decorated for bravery at the front is Lejwik Risin who, after the death of his commander in a bitter fight with German units, took over the command and together with sixty other infantrymen succeeded in capturing a German position, although wounded in the course of the battle.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
