Last flight of pilot Alexander Mamkin

The soviet partisans being in the back of the German armies, could take away children from the remained orphanage whom the German authorities intended to use as donors. Children brought in the beginning in the woods, from where organized the air bridge on the Soviet territory. In the night of April 11, 1944 pilot Alexander Mamkin made the ninth flight with ten children, their teacher and two wounded guerrillas by R-5 plane when the German night fighter intercepted the plane and could line it. Front line of R-5 crossed already with burning motor, and the flame started getting into a cabin of the pilot. Alexander Mamkin had a parachute, but he couldn't throw children on death, and, actually burning down, managed to put the plane on a safe platform. His feet scorched to bones, and the only thing, what he managed to ask before fainting, whether it "children are live?"  He was delivered in hospital, but on April 17 died from burns.