Soviet aircraft at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War. USSR Air Force, aviation during the Great Patriotic War
The Great Patriotic War began at dawn on June 22, 1941, when Nazi Germany, violating the Soviet-German treaties of 1939, attacked the Soviet Union. Romania, Italy took her side, and a few days later Slovakia, Finland, Hungary and Norway.
The war lasted almost four years and became the largest armed conflict in human history. On the front, stretching from the Barents to the Black Sea, from 8 million to 12.8 million people fought on both sides at different periods, from 5.7 thousand to 20 thousand tanks and assault guns, from 84 thousand to 163 thousand guns and mortars were used , from 6.5 thousand to 18.8 thousand aircraft.
LaGG-3 was one of the new generation fighters adopted by the USSR just before the war. Among its main advantages was the minimal use of scarce materials in the design of the aircraft: LaGG-3 for the most part consisted of pine and delta wood (plywood impregnated with resin).LaGG-3 - fighter made of pine and plywood
LaGG-3 was one of the new generation fighters adopted by the USSR just before the war. Among its main advantages was the minimal use of scarce materials in the design of the aircraft: LaGG-3 for the most part consisted of pine and delta wood (plywood impregnated with resin).
Il-2 - Soviet "flying tank"
The Soviet attack aircraft Il-2 became the most popular combat aircraft in history. He took part in battles in all theaters of military operations of the Great Patriotic War. The designers called the aircraft they developed a “flying tank,” and German pilots nicknamed it Betonflugzeug — “concrete airplane” — for its survivability.
Junkers-87 - a symbol of fascist aggression
From the first day of the war, "Junkers" took part in the bombing of the USSR, becoming one of the symbols of the blitzkrieg. Despite its low speed, vulnerability and mediocre aerodynamics, the Yu-87 was one of the most effective weapons of the Luftwaffe due to its ability to drop bombs during a dive.
I-16 - the basis of fighter aircraft of the USSR
The I-16 is the world's first serial high-speed low-wing aircraft with retractable landing gear. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the aircraft was outdated, but it was it that formed the basis of the USSR fighter aviation. Soviet pilots called it “donkey”, Spanish pilots called it “mosca” (fly), and German pilots called it “rata” (rat).
A video announcing a series of infographics about military aircraft of the 1940s,
USSR Air Force in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945
The Air Force (Air Force) of any state is intended for independent action in solving operational problems and for joint actions with other branches of the military. The Soviet Air Force was created together with the Red Army. On October 28 (November 10), 1917, the Bureau of Commissioners of Aviation and Aeronautics was formed under the chairmanship of A. V. Mozhaeva. In December, the All-Russian Aviation Collegium for managing the air fleet of the republic was established, and K. V. Akashev was appointed its chairman. The board was entrusted with the management of the formation of aviation units, central and local air force directorates, training of aviation personnel and logistics.
In 1921-1941, the leadership of the Soviet Air Force was carried out by A. V. Sergeev (1921-1922), A. P. Rosengolts (1923-1924), P. I. Baranov (1924-1931), commander of the 2nd rank Ya. I. Alksnis (1931-1937), commander of the 2nd rank a. D. Laktionov (1937-1939), participant in the Spanish events of 1936-1937, Lieutenant General of Aviation, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Y. V. Smushkevich (1939-1940), Lieutenant General of Aviation P. V. Rychagov (1940-1941) .
Before the outbreak of World War II, the USSR government took measures to speed up the production of the best types of aircraft. In 1940-1941, serial production of Yak-1, MiG-3, LaGG-3 fighters, Pe-2, Pe-8 bombers, Il-2 attack aircraft and the re-equipment of aviation regiments with them began. These aircraft were superior to the equipment of the German Air Force, but by the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the rearmament of air units and the retraining of flight personnel had not been completed.
The Soviet Air Force demonstrated high combat qualities in the battles of Moscow, Stalingrad, Kursk, in operations in Right Bank Ukraine, Belarus, Iasi-Kishinev, Vistula-Oder and Berlin.
The aviation industry systematically increased aircraft production. The average monthly production in the second half of 1941 was 1630 units of equipment, in 1942 - 2120, in 1943 - 2907, in 1944 - 3355 and in 1945 - 2206.
In 2015, Russia celebrates the seventieth anniversary of the Victory over Nazi Germany in the Great Patriotic War. On the eve of the holiday, we remember that in December 1941, in the battle of Moscow, the plan of the Hitlerite command for a lightning war was overturned, and in November 1942, the victory of Soviet troops at Stalingrad made a radical turning point in the war. The Battle of Kursk finally broke the resistance of the enemy troops, putting his troops before the catastrophe of complete defeat. The time has come to liberate our territory from the German invaders. At the end of 1944, Soviet troops reached the state border along its entire length, from the Black Sea to the Barents Sea, thereby completely liberating Soviet land from fascist evil spirits, and, having crossed the border, began to liberate the peoples of Europe from fascist enslavement. The country's Air Force played an important role in these victories. It is enough to recall the night ram in the sky of Moscow by the Hero of the Soviet Union pilot Viktor Vasilyevich Talalikhin and the name of the North Sea pilot, twice Hero of the Soviet Union Guard Colonel Boris Feoktistovich Safonov.
June 22, 1941 will forever remain in our memory as the day of the greatest tragedy. Soviet aviation suffered heavy losses, but even in conditions of chaos, confusion and outright bungling, Soviet pilots managed to meet the enemy with dignity; in air battles that unfolded from the Baltic to the Black Sea, they managed to shoot down 244 German aircraft in a day. The main blow of German aviation fell on the Belarusian Military District - here German aviation managed to burn more than 500 aircraft at airfields. However, most of the pilots who survived the first strike provided the enemy with such brutal resistance as they had not known even in the days of the Battle of Britain. In the Western Front region alone, the Nazis lost 143 of their aircraft.
From the moment of the invasion, air battles began in the zone from Grodno to Lvov. The lack of air defense systems among our troops allowed German pilots to act as if they were at a training ground. In the afternoon, the surviving personnel of the aviation regiment were evacuated to the east. One of the regiments was preparing to fly aircraft designed by A. S. Yakovlev (Yak-1), who arrived in the regiment and were assembled only on June 19. According to the recollection of one of the plant workers, the assembled aircraft had no weapons and were not provided with fuel, so they could not take off.
To be fair, it should be noted that at the end of the 30s, a powerful research and production base was created in the USSR, capable of designing and producing a large number of aircraft of various types. These institutions were headed by outstanding designers A. N. Tupolev, A. S. Yakovlev, S. V. Ilyushin, S. A. Lavochkin, Artem. I. Mikoyan, aircraft engine designers V. Ya. Klimov and A. A. Mikulin. In addition, during the harsh years of the war, other competent designers showed themselves - it is simply impossible to list all the names. Most of them became Heroes of Socialist Labor, many became laureates of the State Prize (at that time – the Stalin Prize). As a result, by June 1941, a base was created one and a half times larger than the German one.
Unfortunately, there is still no consensus on the quantitative composition of the Soviet Air Force at the beginning of the war. Of the total number of combat aircraft, 53.4% were fighters, 41.2% were bombers, 3.2% were reconnaissance aircraft and 0.2% were attack aircraft. About 80% of all aircraft were old types. Yes, the bulk of our aircraft were inferior in their characteristics to enemy aircraft - a lot has been written about this. But no matter how our “seagulls” and “donkeys” were criticized, it was with them that the records were achieved, so to belittle the importance of our aircraft, which were outdated at that time, means to sin before the truth: the enemy’s losses in the air, if they did not exceed ours, were in no way below.
Comparisons between the Air Force and the Luftwaffe cannot be made based on the number of vehicles alone. The availability of crews and the combat effectiveness of aircraft should also be taken into account. By the summer of 1941, German crews had two years of combat flight training. In the first six months of the war, the Soviet Air Force lost 21,200 aircraft.
Recognizing the courage and valor of the Soviet pilots, admiring their feat and self-sacrifice, it is worth understanding that the USSR managed to revive its Air Force after the disaster of 1941 solely due to its enormous human resources and the relocation of the entire aviation industry to areas inaccessible to German aircraft. Fortunately, it was mainly the equipment that was lost, and not the flight and technical personnel, who became the basis of the revived Air Force.
In 1941, the aviation industry handed over 7081 aircraft to the front. Beginning in January 1942, aircraft production increased steadily due to the commissioning of aircraft factories evacuated in the first months of the war. During 1942, the Soviet aviation industry produced 9,918 fighters, and the German - 5,515. Thus, the Soviet aviation industry began to outstrip the German. The latest aircraft began to enter service with the Air Force: the Yak-76, Yak-9, Yak-3, La-5, La-7, La-9, two-seat Il-2 attack aircraft, and Tu-2 bombers. If on January 1, 1942, the Soviet Air Force had 12,000 aircraft, then on January 1, 1944 - 32,500. In May 1942, air armies were created in front-line aviation - large aviation operational associations; at the end of the year there were 13 of them. C In the fall of 1942, the formation of separate aviation reserve corps of the Supreme High Command began as the most appropriate form of aviation reserves. But even earlier, in March 1942, long-range and heavy bomber aviation was removed from the subordination of the Air Force commander and transformed into long-range aviation subordinate to Headquarters.
The change in the organizational structure and the sharply increased number of air forces made it possible to massively use aviation in the decisive areas of action of the ground forces and to control it centrally.
During the Great Patriotic War, our Air Force was led by Lieutenant General P. F. Zhigarev (April 1941 - February 1942), Chief Marshal of Aviation A. A. Novikov (April 1942 - March 1946). During the Great Patriotic War, our pilots flew about 4 million combat missions and dropped 30.5 million bombs on the enemy; 55 thousand German aircraft were destroyed in air battles and at airfields (84% of all they lost on the Eastern Front).
Soviet pilots also provided great assistance to the partisans. Long-range aviation and civil air fleet regiments alone made about 110 thousand flights to partisan detachments, delivering there 17 thousand tons of weapons, ammunition, food and medicine, and transported over 83 thousand partisans by air.
Soviet pilots showed numerous examples of selfless devotion to the Motherland, true heroism and high combat skill. Unparalleled feats were performed by N. F. Gastello, V. V. Talalikhin, A. P. Maresyev, I. S. Polbin, B. F. Safonov, T. M. Frunze, L. G. Belousov and many others. Over 200 thousand Air Force soldiers were awarded orders and medals. 2,420 aviators were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 71 were awarded this title twice, and two were awarded to Colonel A. I. Pokryshkin and Major I. N. Kozhedub - this title was awarded three times, in the post-war period both rose to the military rank of Air Marshal, in addition, Pokryshkin headed DOSAAF (Voluntary Society for the Assistance of the Army, Air Force and Navy, which prepared young people for military service).
During the war, two thirds of aviation formations and units received honorary titles, more than one third were awarded the title of guards. During the war, women's aviation regiments fought in the ranks of the Air Force, the formation of which was carried out by Hero of the Soviet Union, Major Marina Mikhailovna Raskova, from January 1942 - commander of the women's bomber air regiment. Since March 1942, one of the long-range aviation regiments, later the Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment, was commanded by Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel Valentina Stepanovna Grizodubova.
Recently, the Soviet Air Force has been re-equipped with jet aircraft designed by Mikoyan, Yakovlev, Lavochkin such as MiG-9, MiG-15, Yak-15, La-15 and others. The first jet aircraft was tested in 1942 by pilot Bakhjivanzhi.
In 1968, pilot-cosmonaut G. T. Beregovoi was awarded the title of twice Hero of the Soviet Union, and he received his first Gold Star during the Great Patriotic War. Of the 35 cosmonauts who were twice awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, 19 are former pilots.
From the book The Formation and Collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics author Radomyslsky Yakov IsaakovichThe USSR Navy in the Great Patriotic War The main base of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet was Tallinn. For the immediate defense of Leningrad, all the forces of the fleet were needed, and the Headquarters of the Supreme High Command gave the order to evacuate the defenders of Tallinn and move
From the book History of Public Administration in Russia author Shchepetev Vasily Ivanovich3. Features of public administration during the Great Patriotic War
From the book “Black Death” [Soviet Marines in battle] author Abramov Evgeniy Petrovich2. Development of the Marine Corps during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945. Marine units added stability to the defense and helped repel enemy assaults... In coastal areas, as well as near Moscow, Tikhvin, Rostov, shoulder to shoulder with ground forces
From the book History of Russia. XX century author Bokhanov Alexander NikolaevichChapter 6. The Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War
author Kuznetsov Alexander From the book Award Medal. In 2 volumes. Volume 2 (1917-1988) author Kuznetsov Alexander From the book Award Medal. In 2 volumes. Volume 2 (1917-1988) author Kuznetsov Alexander From the book Award Medal. In 2 volumes. Volume 2 (1917-1988) author Kuznetsov Alexander From the book Award Medal. In 2 volumes. Volume 2 (1917-1988) author Kuznetsov Alexander From the book Award Medal. In 2 volumes. Volume 2 (1917-1988) author Kuznetsov Alexander From the book “For Stalin!” Great Victory Strategist author Sukhodeev Vladimir VasilievichPrevent falsification of the USSR victory in the Great Patriotic War Six and a half decades separate us, contemporaries, from the Great Victory of the Soviet Union over Nazi Germany on May 9, 1945. Preparations for the anniversary celebration are intensified
author Skorokhod Yuri Vsevolodovich5. Direct and potential opponents of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War Information publicly available until the 90s about who, when, how and what goals they pursued when fighting against the USSR in 1941–1945 can now be significantly clarified and supplemented .From the outside
From the book What we know and what we don’t know about the Great Patriotic War author Skorokhod Yuri Vsevolodovich15. Human losses of the USSR during the Great Patriotic War One of the most speculative questions when falsifying the history of the Second World War is the question of the human losses suffered by the USSR during its course. Through the media it is drummed into the people that the USSR won the war by “filling the enemy with corpses.”
From the book What we know and what we don’t know about the Great Patriotic War author Skorokhod Yuri Vsevolodovich16. Direct organizers of the victory of the USSR in the Great Patriotic War Currently, one of the most controversial is the question of who the USSR owes for the victory in the Second World War. The media offer a patriotic-sounding answer - to the people! The people and victory are, of course, inseparable, but
From the book Lend-Lease Mysteries author Stettinius EdwardThe role of Lend-Lease in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. B. Sokolov The role of Western supplies during the Great Patriotic War has traditionally been belittled by Soviet historiography since the beginning of the Cold War. Thus, in the book by N. A. Voznesensky “The Military Economy of the USSR in
From the book Rehabilitation: how it was March 1953 - February 1956 author Artizov A NNo. 39 DECREE OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE SUPREME COUNCIL OF THE USSR “ON THE AMNESTY OF SOVIET CITIZENS WHO COOPERATED WITH THE OCCUPERS DURING THE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR 1941–1945.” Moscow, Kremlin September 17, 1955 After the victorious end of the Great Patriotic War, the Soviet people
Combat aircraft are birds of prey in the sky. For more than a hundred years they have been shining in warriors and at air shows. Agree, it’s difficult to take your eyes off modern multi-purpose devices filled with electronics and composite materials. But there is something special about World War II airplanes. It was an era of great victories and great aces who fought in the air, looking into each other's eyes. Engineers and aircraft designers from different countries have come up with many legendary aircraft. Today we present to your attention a list of the ten most famous, recognizable, popular and best aircraft of the Second World War according to the editors of the [email protected].
Supermarine Spitfire
The list of the best aircraft of World War II opens with the British Supermarine Spitfire fighter. He has a classic look, but a little awkward. Wings - shovels, heavy nose, bubble-shaped canopy. However, it was the Spitfire that helped the Royal Air Force by stopping German bombers during the Battle of Britain. German fighter pilots discovered with great displeasure that British aircraft were in no way inferior to them, and were even superior in maneuverability.
The Spitfire was developed and put into service just in time - right before the start of World War II. True, there was an incident with the first battle. Due to a radar malfunction, the Spitfires were sent into battle with a phantom enemy and fired upon their own British fighters. But then, when the British tried out the advantages of the new aircraft, they used it as soon as possible. And for interception, and for reconnaissance, and even as bombers. A total of 20,000 Spitfires were produced. For all the good things and, first of all, for saving the island during the Battle of Britain, this aircraft takes an honorable tenth place.
The Heinkel He 111 was exactly the aircraft that the British fighters fought against. This is the most recognizable German bomber. It cannot be confused with any other aircraft, thanks to the characteristic shape of its wide wings. It was the wings that gave the Heinkel He 111 its nickname "flying shovel".
This bomber was created long before the war under the guise of a passenger aircraft. It performed very well back in the 30s, but by the beginning of World War II it began to become outdated, both in speed and maneuverability. It lasted for a while due to its ability to withstand heavy damage, but when the Allies conquered the skies, the Heinkel He 111 was “demoted” to a regular transport aircraft. This aircraft embodies the very definition of a Luftwaffe bomber, for which it receives ninth place in our rating.
At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, German aviation did whatever it wanted in the skies of the USSR. Only in 1942 did a Soviet fighter appear that could fight on equal terms with the Messerschmitts and Focke-Wulfs. It was La-5, developed at the Lavochkin design bureau. It was created in great haste. The plane is designed so simply that there are not even the most basic instruments in the cockpit, such as an attitude indicator. But the La-5 pilots immediately liked it. In its first test flights, it shot down 16 enemy aircraft.
"La-5" bore the brunt of the battles in the skies over Stalingrad and the Kursk Bulge. Ace Ivan Kozhedub fought on it, and it was on it that the famous Alexei Maresyev flew with prosthetics. The only problem with La-5 that prevented it from rising higher in our ranking was its appearance. He is completely faceless and expressionless. When the Germans first saw this fighter, they immediately gave it the nickname “new rat.” And all because it was very similar to the legendary I-16 aircraft, nicknamed “rat”.
North American P-51 Mustang
The Americans used many types of fighters in World War II, but the most famous among them was, of course, the P-51 Mustang. The history of its creation is unusual. Already at the height of the war in 1940, the British ordered aircraft from the Americans. The order was fulfilled and in 1942 the first Mustangs entered combat in the British Royal Air Force. And then it turned out that the planes were so good that they would be useful to the Americans themselves.
The most noticeable feature of the P-51 Mustang is its huge fuel tanks. This made them ideal fighters for escorting bombers, which they did successfully in Europe and the Pacific. They were also used for reconnaissance and assault. They even bombed a little. The Japanese especially suffered from the Mustangs.
The most famous US bomber of those years is, of course, the Boeing B-17 “Flying Fortress”. The four-engine, heavy Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, hung on all sides with machine guns, gave rise to many heroic and fanatical stories. On the one hand, the pilots loved it for its ease of control and survivability, on the other hand, the losses among these bombers were indecently high. In one of the flights, out of 300 “Flying Fortresses”, 77 did not return. Why? Here we can mention the complete and defenselessness of the crew from fire from the front and the increased risk of fire. However, the main problem was convincing the American generals. At the beginning of the war, they thought that if there were a lot of bombers and they were flying high, then they could do without any escort. Luftwaffe fighters refuted this misconception. They taught harsh lessons. The Americans and British had to learn very quickly, change tactics, strategy and aircraft design. Strategic bombers contributed to the victory, but the cost was high. A third of the Flying Fortresses did not return to the airfields.
In fifth place in our ranking of the best aircraft of World War II is the main hunter of German aircraft, the Yak-9. If the La-5 was a workhorse that bore the brunt of the battles during the turning point of the war, then the Yak-9 is the aircraft of victory. It was created on the basis of previous models of Yak fighters, but instead of heavy wood, duralumin was used in the design. This made the aircraft lighter and left room for modifications. What they didn’t do with the Yak-9. Front-line fighter, fighter-bomber, interceptor, escort, reconnaissance aircraft and even courier aircraft.
On the Yak-9, Soviet pilots fought on equal terms with German aces, who were greatly intimidated by its powerful guns. Suffice it to say that our pilots affectionately nicknamed the best modification of the Yak-9U “Killer.” The Yak-9 became a symbol of Soviet aviation and the most popular Soviet fighter of the Second World War. Factories sometimes assembled 20 aircraft a day, and during the war almost 15,000 of them were produced.
Junkers Ju-87 (Junkers Ju 87)
Junkers Ju-87 Stuka is a German dive bomber. Thanks to their ability to fall vertically onto a target, the Junkers placed bombs with pinpoint accuracy. When supporting a fighter offensive, everything in the Stuka design is subordinated to one thing - hitting the target. Air brakes prevented acceleration during a dive; special mechanisms moved the dropped bomb away from the propeller and automatically brought the plane out of the dive.
Junkers Ju-87 - the main aircraft of the Blitzkrieg. He shone at the very beginning of the war, when Germany was marching victoriously across Europe. True, it later turned out that the Junkers were very vulnerable to fighters, so their use gradually came to naught. True, in Russia, thanks to the Germans’ advantage in the air, the Stukas still managed to fight. For their characteristic non-retractable landing gear they were nicknamed “laptezhniks”. The German pilot ace Hans-Ulrich Rudel brought additional fame to the Stukas. But despite its worldwide fame, the Junkers Ju-87 ended up in fourth place on the list of the best aircraft of the Second World War.
In honorable third place in the ranking of the best aircraft of World War II is the Japanese carrier-based fighter Mitsubishi A6M Zero. This is the most famous aircraft of the Pacific War. The history of this aircraft is very revealing. At the beginning of the war, it was almost the most advanced aircraft - light, maneuverable, high-tech, with an incredible flight range. For the Americans, Zero was an extremely unpleasant surprise; it was head and shoulders above everything they had at that time.
However, the Japanese worldview played a cruel joke on the Zero; no one thought about protecting it in air combat - gas tanks burned easily, the pilots were not covered by armor, and no one thought about parachutes. When hit, the Mitsubishi A6M Zero burst into flames like matches, and the Japanese pilots had no chance to escape. The Americans, in the end, learned to fight the Zeros; they flew in pairs and attacked from a height, escaping the battle on turns. They released the new Chance Vought F4U Corsair, Lockheed P-38 Lightning and Grumman F6F Hellcat fighters. The Americans admitted their mistakes and adapted, but the proud Japanese did not. Obsolete by the end of the war, the Zero became a kamikaze plane, a symbol of senseless resistance.
The famous Messerschmitt Bf.109 is the main fighter of World War II. It was he who reigned supreme in the Soviet skies until 1942. An exceptionally successful design allowed Messerschmitt to impose its tactics on other aircraft. He picked up speed well in a dive. A favorite technique of German pilots was the “falcon strike,” in which a fighter dives at the enemy and, after a quick attack, goes back to altitude.
This aircraft also had disadvantages. His short flight range prevented him from conquering the skies of England. Escorting the Messerschmitt bombers was also not easy. At low altitude he lost his speed advantage. By the end of the war, the Messers suffered greatly both from Soviet fighters from the east and from allied bombers from the west. But the Messerschmitt Bf.109, nevertheless, went down in legends as the best fighter of the Luftwaffe. In total, almost 34,000 of them were produced. This is the second most popular aircraft in history.
So, meet the winner in our ranking of the most legendary aircraft of World War II. The Il-2 attack aircraft, also known as the “Humpbacked”, is also a “flying tank”; the Germans most often called it the “Black Death”. The Il-2 is a special aircraft; it was immediately conceived as a well-protected attack aircraft, so it was much more difficult to shoot it down than other aircraft. There was a case when an attack aircraft returned from a mission and more than 600 hits were counted on it. After quick repairs, the Hunchbacks were sent back into battle. Even if the plane was shot down, it often remained intact; its armored belly allowed it to land in an open field without any problems.
"IL-2" went through the entire war. In total, 36,000 attack aircraft were manufactured. This made the “Humpback” a record holder, the most produced combat aircraft of all time. For its outstanding qualities, original design and enormous role in World War II, the famous Il-2 rightfully takes first place in the ranking of the best aircraft of those years.
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Soviet military aviation at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War
When the Nazis attacked the USSR, Soviet aviation was destroyed at the airfields. And the Germans dominated the skies in the first year of the war, as well as in the second. What kind of fighter aircraft were in service with the Soviet army at that time?
The main one, of course, was I-16.
There were also I-5(biplanes) received by the Nazis as trophies. Modified from I-5 fighters I-15 bis, which remained after the attack on the airfields, fought in the first months of the war.
"Seagulls" or I-153, also biplanes, lasted in the skies until 1943. Their retractable landing gear made it possible to increase flight speed. And four small caliber machine guns (7.62) fired directly through the propeller. All of the above aircraft models were outdated before the start of the war. For example, the speed of the best fighter
I-16(with different engines) was from 440 to 525 km/h. The only good thing was its weapons, two ShKAS machine guns and two cannons SHVAK(latest issues). And the range that the I-16 could fly reached a maximum of 690 km.
Germany was in service in 1941 Me-109, produced by industry since 1937, of various modifications, which attacked the Soviet borders in 1941. The armament of this aircraft was two machine guns (MG-17) and two cannons (MG-FF). The fighter's flight speed was 574 km/h, which was the maximum speed that the 1,150 hp engine could achieve. With. The highest lifting height or ceiling reached 11 kilometers. Only in terms of flight range, for example, the Me-109E was inferior to the I-16, it was equal to 665 km.
Soviet aircraft I-16(type 29) made it possible to reach a ceiling of 9.8 kilometers with a 900-horsepower engine. Their range was only 440 km. The take-off run length of the “donkeys” was on average 250 meters. German fighters have designer Messerschmitt the takeoff run was approximately 280 meters. If we compare the time it takes the plane to rise to a height of three kilometers, it turns out that the Soviet I-16 of the twenty-ninth type loses to the ME-109 seconds 15. In terms of payload weight, the “donkey” is also behind the “Messer”, 419 kg versus 486.
To replace "donkey" was designed in the USSR I-180, all metal. V. Chkalov crashed on it before the war. After him, tester T. Susi fell to the ground on the I-180-2 along with the plane, blinded by the hot oil ejected from the engine. Before the war, the serial I-180 was discontinued as a failure.
Polikarpov OKB also worked on the creation I-153, a biplane with an engine power of 1100 hp. With. But its maximum speed in the air reached only 470 km/h, it was not a competitor ME-109. Other Soviet aircraft designers also worked on the creation of modern fighters. Produced since 1940 YAK-1, which can fly at a speed of 569 km/h and has a ceiling of 10 km. A cannon and two machine guns were installed on it.
And Lavochkin’s fighter LAGG-3, with a wooden body and a 1050 hp engine. s, showed a speed of 575 km/h. But it, designed in 1942, was soon replaced by another model - LA-5 with a flight speed at six-kilometer altitudes of up to 580 km/h.
Arrived under Lend-Lease "Aerocobras" or P-39, which had the engine behind the cockpit, were all-metal monoplanes. On turns they went around "Messers", getting behind them. It was on the Airacobra that ace Pokryshkin flew.
In flight speed, the P-39 also exceeded the ME-109 by 15 km/h, but was inferior in ceiling by one and a half kilometers. And the flight range of almost a thousand kilometers made it possible to carry out deep raids behind enemy lines. The foreign aircraft was armed with a 20-mm cannon and two or three machine guns.
- Tupolevs: father, son and airplanes
1. Aircraft technicians of the Leningrad Front of the 1st Mine Torpedo Regiment of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet preparing the bomber for the next flight. 1941
Filming location: Leningrad region
Photo by: Kudoyarov Boris Pavlovich
TsGAKFFD SPb, units. hr. Ar-145181
2. Muscovites on Sverdlov Square inspect a German plane shot down over the capital. 1941
Filming location: Moscow
Photo by: Knorring Oleg Borisovich
RGAKFD, 0-312216
3. Air unit commander Korolev (left) congratulates Captain Savkin on the excellent performance of his combat mission. 1942
Filming location: Leningrad
Photo by: Chernov D.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-177145
4. The soldiers are attacking a copse occupied by the Germans. In the foreground are the wreckage of a downed German plane. 1943
Filming location: Leningrad Front
Photo by: Utkin
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-95081
5. Assembling combat aircraft in the workshop of one of the defense plants. 1942
Filming location: Moscow
Author of the photo: unknown
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-154837
7. Professor Predchetensky A.M. inspects military vehicles collected at the expense of the workers of the Ivanovo region. October 7, 1944
Photo by: Karyshev F.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-256694
8. Exterior view of the workshop of the N-sky aviation plant. 1943
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Shaikhet Arkady Samoilovich
RGAKFD, 0-143832
9. Interior view of the aircraft assembly shop at an aircraft factory. March 1943
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Baidalov V.
RGAKFD, 0-154846
10. Suspension of test bombs to the aircraft at the aircraft manufacturing plant No. 18 named after Order of Lenin. Voroshilov. 1942
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Petrov
RGAKFD, 0-295669
11. Participant of the All-Union Socialist Competition, student of a vocational school, Komsomol member A. Fedchenkova, finishing the armored glass of the pilot’s cockpit. 1942
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Nordshtein A.S.
RGAKFD, 0-72488
12. Aerologist-sounder of the Tbilisi airport Krasnikova E. with instruments after a high-altitude flight. 02 February 1945
Filming location: Tbilisi
Photo by: Lutsenko
RGAKFD, 0-274703
13. R.L. Carmen in a group near an airplane on one of the fronts of the Great Patriotic War. 1941
Filming location: not established
Author of the photo: unknown
RGAKFD, F. 2989, op. 1, units hr. 860, l. 1
14. One of the aircraft of the squadron, built at the expense of the staff of the State Academic Maly Theater of the USSR, at the airfield before being sent to the front. June 1944
Filming location: Moscow
Author of the photo: Tikhonov
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-163735-v
15. Artists of the State Jazz Orchestra under the direction of L. Utesov inspect the “Jolly Fellows” fighter aircraft, purchased with funds from the musical group. 1944
Filming location: Moscow
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-79801
16. Honored Artist of the RSFSR L.O. Utesov speaks at a rally on the occasion of the transfer to representatives of the Red Army command of aircraft built at the expense of the State Jazz Orchestra. 1944
Filming location: Moscow
Author of the photo: Trakhman Mikhail Anatolyevich
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-91935
17. The Gorky Worker fighter squadron, built at the expense of the workers of the Gorky region, at the airfield. 1944
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Mozzhukhin
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-84196
18. Yak-9 fighter, built at the expense of collective farmer F.P. Holovaty. 1944
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Arkhipov A.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-363668
19. F.P. Golovaty and Guard Major B.I. Eremin near the 2nd plane, purchased with F.P.’s personal funds. Golovaty and handed over to the Soviet pilot. June 1944
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Parusov
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-255910
20. Guard Major B.N. Eremin in the cockpit of an airplane built at the expense of F.P. Holovaty. January 1943
Location: Stalingrad Front
Photo by: Leonidov L.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-178698
21. Komsomol members of the Yaroslavl region at the airfield hand over to Soviet pilots a squadron of aircraft built with funds raised by the youth of the region. 1942
Filming location: not established
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-121109
22. Member of the Krasny Luch agricultural association A.M. Sarskov and Hero of the Soviet Union, Major F.N. Orlov near the plane built with the personal savings of A.M. Sarskova. July 10, 1944
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Sitnikov N.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-256904
23. Guard Lieutenant I.S. Pashayev near the plane, built at the expense of the workers of Kyiv. September 13, 1944
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Zaitsev G.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-256304
24. Hero of the Soviet Union, Aviation Major General V.I. Shevchenko thanks the representative of collective farmers of the Ivanovo region E.P. Limonov for the planes built at the expense of the region's workers. October 10, 1944
Filming location: Ivanovo region
Photo by: Karyshev F.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-256908
25. Attack aviation pilot G. Parshin thanks Evgenia Petrovna and Praskovya Vasilievna Barinov for the plane built with their personal savings. June 3, 1944
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Konovalov G.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-256899
26. Squadron of “Chapayevtsy” aircraft, built at the expense of the workers of Chapaevsk, and transferred to the 1st Belorussian Front, at the airfield. September 12, 1944
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Avloshenko
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-256911
27. Aircraft of the “Moscow” squadron, built at the expense of the workers of the Kyiv district of Moscow, at the airfield. October 16, 1944
Filming location: Moscow
Photographer: Less A.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-256703
28. A squadron of fighters built with funds raised by Komsomol members of Novosibirsk. 1942
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Shagin Ivan Mikhailovich
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-121104
29. A squadron of fighters built with funds raised by the youth of the Khabarovsk Territory. 1942
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Shagin Ivan Mikhailovich
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-121106
30. Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant General Ryazanov, Marshal of the Soviet Union I.S. Konev and Colonel General S.K. The Goryunovs inspect the planes built at the expense of the workers of Znamensk. 1944
Filming location: not established
Author of the photo: unknown
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-77880
32. Hero of the Soviet Union, captain I.N. Kozhedub in the cockpit of an airplane built at the expense of collective farmer V.V. Koneva. June 1944
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Navolotsky Ya.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-191840
33. Collective farmer of the agricultural artel “Gudok” K.S. Shumkova talks with Guard Lieutenant Colonel N.G. Sobolev, who received the Krasnoyarsk Komsomolets plane, built with her personal savings. 1943
Filming location: Krasnoyarsk
Photo by: Malobitsky S.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-66084
34. Loading ammunition onto transport aircraft for sending to the front. March 1943
Photo by: Chernov D.
RGAKFD, 0-164550
35. Loading ammunition at the airfield. 1944
Filming location: Romania
Author of the photo: Trakhman Mikhail Anatolyevich
RGAKFD, 0-366841
36. Transport aircraft that delivered ammunition to forward positions. April 29, 1944
Location: Active duty army
Photo by: Chernov D.
RGAKFD, 0-180804
37. Fighter aircraft pilots N.F. Murashov, A.G. Shirmanov and technician N.P. Starostin for the release of the Battle Leaflet. July 1941
Filming location: Southern Front
Photo by: Zelma Georgy Anatolyevich
RGAKFD, 1-104649
39. Junior Sergeant A.V. Smirnov, senior sergeant G.M. Ter-Abramov and military commissar S.I. Yakovlev loading leaflets onto the plane. 1942
Filming location: Western Front
Author of the photo: unknown
RGAKFD, 0-153749
40. Commander of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force N.A. Ostryakov (left), military commissar of the Black Sea Fleet Air Force, brigade commissar N.V. Kuzenko and the head of the flight inspection, Hero of the Soviet Union, Lieutenant Colonel N.A. Naumov (right) at the airfield near the plane. 1942
Filming location: Sevastopol
Author of the photo: unknown
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-56951
41. Captain I.I. Saprykin (left) assigns a combat mission to a fighter flight at the Khersones Lighthouse airfield. 1942
Filming location: Sevastopol
Photo by: Asnin N.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-157855
42. Fighter pilot, captain Balashov V.I. tells his combat friends about his experience in air combat. August 1942
Filming location: Northern Fleet
RGAKFD, 0-54994
43. The flight commander of the guard squadron, Captain V.I. Balashov, explains the combat flight course to the torpedo bomber navigator A.S. Umansky. 1943
Filming location: Northern Fleet
Photo by: Kovrigin V.
RGAKFD, 0-64681
44. Captain I.E. Korzunov at the damaged aircraft. In the background is the main Soviet long-range aviation aircraft - DB3F (IL-4). 1941
Filming location: not established
GARF, F.10140. Op.5. D.6. L.14
45. German fighter "Messerschmidt", which made an emergency landing. 1942
Filming location: not established
Photo by: Temin Viktor Antonovich
GARF, F.10140. Op.5. D 7. L.10
46. An American aircraft in service with one of the flying units of the Northern Marine Fleet. 1942
Filming location: Northern Fleet
Photo by: Khaldey Evgeniy Ananyevich
RGAKFD, 0-107826
47. Naval aviation bombers at the airfield. October 1942
Filming location: Northern Fleet
Photo by: Khaldey Evgeniy Ananyevich
RGAKFD, 0-155013
48. Suspension of a torpedo on a torpedo bomber at the airfield of a mine-torpedo air regiment. 1943
Filming location: Northern Fleet
Photo by: Kovrigin V.
RGAKFD, 0-154110
49. Return from a combat flight to the naval reconnaissance seaplane base. June 1943
Filming location: Northern Fleet
Photo by: Kovrigin V.
RGAKFD, 0-3935
50. Hurricane fighters at the field airfield of one of the air units. 1942
Filming location: Northern Fleet
Author of the photo: unknown
RGAKFD, 0-63665
51. The commander of the Northern Fleet Air Force torpedo bomber, which sank four transports and one enemy patrol ship, Guard Captain Bolashev V.P. talks with crew members: navigator, Guard Captain Umansky A.S., gunner, sergeant Emelianenko V.A. and Gunner-radio operator M.M. Biryukov is at the plane. 1943
Filming location: Northern Fleet
Photo by: Kovrigin V.
RGAKFD, 0-156896
52. Soviet fighter pilot Maksimovich V.P. learning to drive an English Hurricane fighter
under the leadership of the English pilot Vocevis Paul. 1941
Filming location: Northern Front
Photo by: Khaldey Evgeniy Ananyevich
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-109848
53. English fighter pilot Sergeant Howe, who fought on the Northern Front,
awarded the Order of Lenin, near his plane. 1941
Filming location: Northern Front
Author of the photo: unknown
RGAKFD, units hr. 4-24056
54. Captain Druzenkov P.I. introduces a group of pilots to “Fighting France”
(squadron "Normandie-Niemen") with the route of the upcoming combat flight. 1942
Location: Active duty army
Author of the photo: unknown
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-107266
55. French pilots of the military unit of Fighting France “Normandy” leave the airfield after completing a combat mission. 1943
Location: Active duty army
Photo by: Chernov D.
RGAKFD, 0-110134
56. Major A.F.Matisov. talks with the pilots of the Fighting France "Normandy", operating as part of the air force of the Red Army. 1943
Location: Active duty army
Photo by: Chernov D.
RGAKFD, 0-110133
57. A group of aces “Normandy” of part of Fighting France is developing a plan for the next flight. 1945
Location: Active duty army
Photographer: Less A.
RGAKFD, 0-109082
58. The crew of the American “Flying Fortress” bomber, upon returning from a combat mission, talks with Soviet pilots. 1944
Filming location: not established
Author of the photo: Tikhanov
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-107383
59. Senior Lieutenant N.I. Dobrovolsky (left) and captain A.G. Machnev - medal-bearing pilots of the attack aviation unit, who distinguished themselves in battles in the Oryol direction at the field airfield near the aircraft. 1943
Filming location: Oryol region
Author of the photo: unknown
SAOO, units hr. 9763
60. View of a damaged U-2 communications aircraft in the Oryol-Kursk direction. 06 July 1943
Filming location: Oryol-Kursk direction
Photo by: Kinelovsky Viktor Sergeevich
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-285245
61. Soviet attack aircraft in the sky near Berlin. 1945
Filming location: Berlin
Photo by: Mark Stepanovich Redkin
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-294780
62. One of ten gliders captured by Yugoslav partisans at one of the German airfields near Belgrade. 1944
Filming location: Yugoslavia
Author of the photo: unknown
RGAKFD, 0-77856
63. A meeting at one of the airfields near Berlin before the departure of the Victory Banner to Moscow for the Victory Parade. 1945
Location: 1st Belorussian Front
Photo by: Grebnev V.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-291452
64. Soldiers carry the Victory Banner through the Central Moscow airfield on the day of its arrival in Moscow from Berlin. June 20, 1945
Filming location: Moscow
Photo by: Chernov D.
RGAKFD, units hr. 0-99993
65. The crew of flight commander M. Khazov before departure at the airfield. 1945
Filming location: 2nd Far Eastern Front
Author of the photo: unknown
RGAKFD, 0-81819
66. Female calculation of “listeners”. 1945
Filming location: Manzhouli
Photo by: Stanovov Alexander I.
RGAKFD, 0-331372
67. Military photojournalist V. Rudny with the crew of the Catalina aircraft. The year of filming is unknown
Filming location: China
Author of the photo: unknown
RGAKFD, 0-329245
