ACE95 Cover.qxd:ACE 81 Cvr UK 21/1/10 10:58 Page 1 A O S P R E Y A I R C R A F T O F T H E A C E S ® (cid:129) 9 5 O S P R E Y A I R C R A F T O F T H E A C E S ® (cid:129) 9 5 i r c r a Polikarpov I-15, I-16 and I-153 Aces f t Polikarpov I-15, I-16 o f t h e A c and I-153 Aces e s ® (cid:129) 9 5 P o The I-15, I-16 and I-153 family of aircraft were the in Polikarpovs. Still more were created in the first li k world’s first mass-produced fighters, with 17,000 months of the invasion, although losses suffered a built between 1935 and 1941. By then they had by the fighter units equipped with I-15bis, I-153s r p seen combat in Spain during the civil war, in and I-16s were astronomical. Despite being o v Chinese service against the Japanese and with outclassed, the Polikarpov fighters constituted the I the USSR’s Red Army Air Force in Mongolia during backbone of the Soviet fighter force for the first six - 1 the Khalkhin Gol incident. Russian-flown fighters months of the war in the east. This title tells the story 5 , also engaged the Finnish air force in 1939-40 of fighter evolution ‘between the wars’, as the I - during the Winter War. By the time the Wehrmacht Polikarpovs effectively bridged the gap between 1 6 launched its surprise attack on the USSR on 22 June the biplane fighters of World War 1 and the 1941, many Soviet pilots had already ‘made ace’ monoplane generation of World War 2. a n d I - O S P R E Y A I R C R A F T 1 5 O F T H E A C E S 3 A · Comprehensive histories of the elite c e fighter pilots, and the aircraft that s they flew · A unique source of information researched by recognised experts, and brought to life by first-hand accounts from the combat veterans themselves · Concise, authoritative text is supported by at least 30 specially commissioned UK £12.99 US $22.95 original colour artworks, new scale CAN $25.95 plans and the best archival photography ISBN 978-1-84603-981-2 5 2 2 9 5 from around the world O OSPREY S P R Mikhail Maslov PUBLISHING 9 781846 039812 EY © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com ACE 95 p1-88CORREX 1.qxd:01-87 Layout Aces 69 21/1/10 09:52 Page 1 OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES (cid:129) 95 Polikarpov I-15, I-16 and I-153 Aces © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com ACE 95 p1-88CORREX 1.qxd:01-87 Layout Aces 69 21/1/10 09:52 Page 2 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com ACE 95 p1-88CORREX 1.qxd:01-87 Layout Aces 69 21/1/10 09:52 Page 3 SERIES EDITOR: TONY HOLMES OS P RE Y A IRC R AF T OF T HE AC E S (cid:129) 9 5 Polikarpov I-15, I-16 and I-153 Aces Mikhail Maslov O SPREY PUBLISHING © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com Frontcover FirstpublishedinGreatBritainin2010byOspreyPublishing TheI-16tookabeatingfromthe MidlandHouse,WestWay,Botley,Oxford,OX20PH Jagdwaffeduringthefirstfew 44-0223rdSt,Suite219,LongIslandCity,NY11101,USA monthsofthe‘GreatPatrioticWar’, E-mail;[email protected] astheobsolescentfighterstruggled tomatchtheperformanceofthe Bf109E/F.Occasionally,however, ©2010OspreyPublishingLimited thenimblePolikarpovfighterhit Allrightsreserved.Apartfromanyfairdealingforthepurposeofprivatestudy,research, back,especiallywhenflownby askilledpilotsuchasLtVasiliy criticismorreview,aspermittedundertheCopyright,DesignandPatentsAct1988, Golubev.Onthemorningof nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmitted 12March1942hehadledhis inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,electrical,chemical,mechanical,optical, 3rdSquadronof4thGIAPinan photocopying,recordingorotherwisewithoutpriorwrittenpermission.Allenquiries attackontherailwaystationat Mga,nearLakeLodoga.Themission shouldbeaddressedtothepublisher. wasbeingflowninsupportofan ISBN13;9781846039812 offensivelaunchedthatdaybythe EditedbyBruceHales-DuttonandTonyHolmes Soviet54thArmyfromthesouthern shoreofthefrozenlake,whichwas PagedesignbyTonyTruscott situatedneartheFinnishborder. CoverArtworkbyMarkPostlethwaite Havingattackedtheirtarget AircraftProfilesandScaleDrawingsbyAndreyYurgenson withoutinterferencefromGerman IndexbyAlanThatcher fighters,theI-16pilotsknewthat theywouldalmostcertainlybe OriginatedbyPDQDigitalMediaSolutions bouncedontheirwayhome.Infact, PrintedandboundinChinathroughBookbuilders theMe109Fsof1./JG54waited untiltheSovietpilotswerealmost 1011121314 10987654321 backovertheirairfieldbeforethey madetheirmove.Golubev,whohad seencombatinI-16ssincethestart ©OspreyPublishing.Accesstothisbookisnotdigitallyrestricted.Inreturn,weaskyouthat ofthewarflyingwiththeAirForce youuseitforpersonal,non-commercialpurposesonly.Pleasedon’tuploadthispdftoapeer-to- oftheBalticFleet,haddropped peersite,emailittoeveryoneyouknow,orresellit. OspreyPublishingreservesallrightsto slightlybehindthemainbodyof Sovietfighterssoastoprotect itsdigitalcontentandnopartoftheseproductsmaybecopied,storedinaretrievalsystemor therearoftheformation.Hesoon transmittedinanyformbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,recordingorotherwise(exceptas spottedtwoMe109Fsheading permittedhere),withoutthewrittenpermissionofthepublisher. Pleasesupportourcontinuing towardsthemabovethetreetops; bookpublishingprogrammebyusingthispdfresponsibly. ‘Apairofenemyfightersstayed lowandclosedonus–theyhad swallowedthebait.Theythought FORACATALOGUEOFALLBOOKSPUBLISHEDBYOSPREY wewereeasymeat,butwanted MILITARYANDAVIATIONPLEASECONTACT: toshowoffbyshootingusdown rightoverourownairfield.That OspreyDirect,c/oRandomHouseDistributionCenter, waswhatI’dbeenwaitingfor.I 400HahnRoad,Westminster,MD21157 acceleratedandclimbed.’ Email:[email protected] With13victoriesalreadytohis OspreyDirect,TheBookServiceLtd,DistributionCentre, credit,Golubevknewexactlyhow ColchesterRoad,FratingGreen,Colchester,Essex,CO77DW togetthemostoutofhisI-16,and E-mail:[email protected] hesoonshottheleadBf109down www.ospreypublishing.com inahead-onpass; ‘Igottheleaderinmygunsight whenhewasabout500metres firinghandle,hardlybotheringto ontheedgeoftheSovietairfield.The away.NowIhadjustasecond-and- assessthenecessarydeflection,and Germanpilotextricatedhimselffrom a-halfleft–itwasdeathorglory. launchedallfourunderwingRS-82 thewreckageofhisfighterbut Thefingersofmyrighthand rocketsinhisdirection.Fourblack subsequentlydiedofthewoundshe instinctivelypressedthemachine cloudsfromtheexplosions hadreceivedinthecrash.Thelatter gunfiringbuttonandthreestreaks appearedjustbehindthetailofthe wasalmostcertainly26-victoryace offirepiercedtheslender enemyfighter,butthe“Messer” UnteroffizierHansSchwartzkopf, Messerschmitt’sfuselagelikesome continuedclimbingsteeply.Ihad althoughtheidentityofthefirstpilot magiclightningstrikes.Notwaiting nochanceofcatchinghim.’ remainsamystery.Golubevwould toseetheoutcome,Imadeasharp Afewmomentslater,its eventuallyclaim19victorieswiththe turnandsawthesecond“Messer” elevatorsjammedbydebrisfrom I-16,andsurvivethewarwithatally attemptingtofleeaboveandahead therockets,thesecondBf109hit of39and12sharedkillstohisname ofme.Instinctively,Ipulledthe thetreetopsandcrashedonitsbelly (CoverartworkbyMarkPostlethwaite) © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com ACE 95 p1-88CORREX 1.qxd:01-87 Layout Aces 69 21/1/10 09:52 Page 5 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 6 CHAPTER ONE SPANISH CIVIL WAR 16 CHAPTER TWO SWALLOWS OVER CHINA 33 CHAPTER THREE KHALKHIN GOL 42 CHAPTER FOUR WINTER WAR 62 CHAPTER FIVE GREAT PATRIOTIC WAR 68 APPENDICES 89 COLOUR PLATES COMMENTARY 91 INDEX 95 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com ACE 95 p1-88CORREX 1.qxd:01-87 Layout Aces 69 21/1/10 09:52 Page 6 N INTRODUCTION O I T C U D O R T N This book tells the story of the Soviet aces who flew the I-15, I-16 I and I-153 series of fighters, designed by Nikolay Polikarpov. Production of the different versions of his iconic aircraft exceeded 16,000 examples, and although they were actively deployed by the VVS RKKA (Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily Raboche Krestiyanskoy Krasnoy Armii– Air Force of the Workers’ and Peasants’ Red Army) for more than a decade, their most active years in frontline service spanned 1936 to 1942. During this period hundreds and even thousands of the fighters participated in regional conflicts and in the fighting that followed the German invasion in June 1941 to begin what the Soviets called the Great Patriotic War. But before starting the story of the aces who flew and fought in these aircraft, it is necessary to consider some critical background issues. The most important of these centres on the actual number of combat victories attributable to individual pilots, especially those who accumulated five or more kills, thus entitling them to be classified as aces. In the years under review the VVS RKKA, like the rest of Soviet society, was permeated by the desire to subordinate the individual to the collective. The achievements of individual pilots were therefore often ignored, and it was only the scores of entire units that were publicly promoted. Aircraft were not allocated to particular pilots, which in turn meant that they carried no individual markings or personal insignia. Reported cases of easily recognisable machines were therefore the exception rather than the rule. In the frontline pilots often switched between aircraft within the same unit for practical rather than organisational or cultural reasons. Large numbers of aircraft left the factories in sub-standard quality, and frequent failures required on-site repair. This meant regular changes of aircraft for the pilots concerned. Yet no political system or cultural considerations could conceal a truly outstanding talent, so the most skilful – and lucky – pilots clearly stood out from the rest. Paradoxically, there was a tendency to exaggerate the success of such aviators, and to attribute heroic acts and achievements to them for propaganda purposes. This has complicated the process of extracting and verifying actual data and events and, moreover, has also cast doubts on previously published material. Another factor that needs to be taken into account is the vast geographical span of events, their intensive nature and the mass of personalities and facts involved. Obviously, the most important facts to be extracted from this mountain of information should be those with the most historical significance. The narrative should therefore begin with a description of the aircraft flown by the aces, together with their key characteristics and production numbers. The I-15 sesquiplane and I-16 monoplane were developed in the early 1930s by their originator, the aircraft designer Nikolay Polikarpov – a man then at the peak of his creative potential. The author has studied 6 Polikarpov’s designs for decades, leading him to believe that there are © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com ACE 95 p1-88CORREX 1.qxd:01-87 Layout Aces 69 21/1/10 09:52 Page 7 certain important facts about his I N creations that should be pointed T R out. In particular, statements O D concerning the similarity of the I-15 U C to the American Curtiss Hawk T I O family of biplane fighters, which N have circulated for years, are unfounded. This observation has nothing to do with any desire by the author to support his compatriot. The fact is that the I-15 was a logical development of Polikarpov’s earlier 2I-N1, I-3, I-5 and I-6 fighters. During the decade before the emergence of the I-15 and I-16, he had been consistently improving Nikolay Polikarpov, the designer and building upon his basic concept and refining it to suit Soviet aircraft- of the I-15 and I-16 series of fighters, manufacturing techniques. During this time the optimal proportions learns to fly in a Po-2 two-seater were sought between wing area and control surface area and between trainer at the airfield of Factory physical dimensions and weights, taking into account the different types No 39. Standing behind him is M Tarakanovsky, lead engineer of of engine used to power the fighters. the NII (Scientific Research Institute) The creation of aircraft of mixed metal and wood construction had VVS RKKA, while instructor more to do with the fact that rival manufacturer Andrey Tupolev V Bolotnikov occupies the rear seat had patented metal construction methods than to any preference on Polikarpov’s part. He would no doubt have preferred to design all-metal aircraft of duralumin construction, but such methods had already been patented by Tupolev. Some historians have suggested there is a link between the American Gee Bee aerobatic aircraft and the I-16, but this does not stand up to close analysis. Granted, both types were stubby, radial-engined monoplanes that were quite demanding to fly. However, the Gee Bee, which was The second I-15 prototype (TsKB-3), with enlarged vertical tail and designed for racing and beating speed records, had a dangerously small modified Townend ring engine wing area that resulted in it suffering a number of accidents during cowling, was photographed at its relatively short active life. The I-16’s wing area was strictly in line Kacha Flying School airfield, in with Polikarpov’s target weight of 100 kg per square metre, the Crimea, during State testing in April 1934 although the position of the aircraft’s centre of gravity resulted in poor in-flight stability but a high level of manoeuvrability. The latter meant that the first I-16 Type 5 could complete a barrel-roll in an unrivalled one to one-and-half seconds, although the rates of g associated with such manoeuvres were almost too much for even the strongest of pilots. There were obvious parallels between Soviet and US fighters of the period since aircraft designers in both countries favoured radial powerplants, although it is true to say that at the time of the I-15’s appearance aero-engine design in 7 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com ACE 95 p1-88CORREX 1.qxd:01-87 Layout Aces 69 21/1/10 09:52 Page 8 N the Soviet Union lagged behind O I that of western countries. This T C situation had been inherited from U D tsarist Russia and aggravated by O R the 1917 Revolution and the T N subsequent Civil War, which I caused the USSR’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities to fall further behind those of leading European nations and the USA. The gap would take decades to overcome, and the result was that until the Soviet Union could catch up, all engines had to be imported. As a professional aircraft designer, The first I-16 prototype fitted with Polikarpov was well aware of both the difficulties faced by Soviet the M-22 engine was known as the aero-engine manufacturers and the advances being made abroad. His TsKB-12, and it too is seen at the first fighters were powered by imported Liberty, Napier and BMW Kacha Flying School during State liquid-cooled inline engines, but in the 1920s the prevailing opinion testing in April 1934 among aircraft designers was that fighters should be powered by air-cooled radials. In the USSR, therefore, the British 480 hp Bristol Jupiter was put into production as the M-22. Between 1926 and 1928 Polikarpov produced several designs incorporating the M-22, but his The second I-16 prototype requests for access to the engine were denied due to the manoeuvrings (designated the TsKB-12bis), fitted of Tupolev, who was able to persuade the CAHI (Central Aero- and with a Wright Cyclone F-2 engine and skis rather than a conventional Hydrodynamics Institute) to grant him exclusive entitlement to the unit. wheeled undercarriage, commenced However, by the early 1930s Polikarpov was able to gain access to the flight-testing in January 1934. M-22, allowing early I-16s to be equipped with this powerplant. But the Seated in the cockpit of the aircraft most successful versions of his famous fighter were the later ones fitted is Valeriy Chkalov, who had recently been transferred from the NII VVS with American engines, the first examples of which were imported RKKA to Polikarpov to join its team in 1930. In 1932-33, after a series of negotiations, Soviet representatives of factory test pilots. Although acquired the necessary tooling and a licence from Curtiss-Wright he later earned fame following his to manufacture the 625 hp Cyclone R-1820-F3 engine in a new factory Arctic flight from the Soviet Union to North America in an ANT-25 in built in Perm, in the Ural region. 1937, his true calling was flight- Arkady Shvetsov, chief designer in charge of adapting the Wright testing fighters. Chkalov flew many Cyclone for manufacture in the USSR, had personally participated in Polikarpov aircraft up until he was the acquisition of the first engines and the tooling. Initially, in 1934, killed on 15 December 1938 during the first flight of the I-180 fighter the Perm Cyclones were assembled from American-made parts, but the following year, the plant, now designated Aircraft Factory No 19, mastered the entire process and was able to start turning out a completely Soviet product. By the end of 1935 660 engines, now designated the M-25 in compliance with the Soviet system, had been completed. The TsKB-3 (I-15) sesquiplane and TsKB-12 (I-16) monoplane were developed for this engine, both 8 fighter prototypes having been fully © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com ACE 95 p1-88CORREX 1.qxd:01-87 Layout Aces 69 21/1/10 09:52 Page 9 flight-tested by the end of 1933 and I N put into production the following T R year. During state tests, the I-15 O D demonstrated an ability to reach U C a maximum speed of 230 mph and T I O to climb to 16,250 ft in 6.2 minutes. N The fighter could also complete a 360-degree turn in just eight seconds. The new aircraft was duly acknowledged as having better performance than any existing Soviet fighter. Indeed, from the standpoints of manoeuvrability and rate of climb, the I-15 was far ahead of any of its contemporaries, while its speed at 16,250 ft almost matched The TsKB-12 fitted with the M-22 the best foreign machines. All these factors led to the M-25-powered I-15 engine was put into production with the designation I-16 Type 4 in 1934 being recommended for series production at Moscow-based factories at Factory No 21 at Gorkiy, now Nos 1 (where 384 were subsequently built) and 39. Nizhniy Novgorod. This particular The first series-produced I-15s began to reach VVS RKKA units example does not feature the towards the end of 1934, although they did not enter frontline service normal drop-down panel on the left side of the cockpit to facilitate entry until mid-1935. The first units to deploy the new fighters included the Special Purpose Air Brigade at Lyubertsy (Moscow region) and TsKB-12 prototype construction fighter squadrons based in Kiev, Bryansk, Bobruysk and Spassk Dalniy, number 123954 was photographed in the Far East region. near the hangar doors at Factory Although pleased to be flying such modern fighters, I-15 pilots No 39 shortly after it was rolled out on 25 April 1935. Sometimes routinely had to endure mechanical failures and breakdowns. There were referred to in documents as ‘aircraft frequent reports of poor assembly and quality of materials. The powerful No 54’, its distinctive features M-25 engines were mounted in the airframe without any dampers, included an improved engine resulting in serious vibration overstressing the entire machine. Fuel tanks cowling with adjustable cooling shutters, modified aileron often leaked and sometimes caused in-flight fires. The propeller’s starting mountings and flap-type fairings gear tended to break off, and the propellers themselves demonstrated very on the tail control surfaces. During short lives. Grass cut by the wheel spats tended to become wrapped factory testing ‘aircraft No 54’ had a take-off weight of 3194 lbs around axles until it produced a sudden braking effect, which sometimes and reached a maximum speed resulted in nose-overs on landing. Suffice it to say the I-15’s introduction of 283 mph at 9750 ft. This aircraft into service was accompanied by many difficulties. became the prototype for the highly In 1935 those problems even resulted in production being halted while successful I-16 Type 5, which was the first version of Polikarpov’s the more serious faults were eliminated. The latter included poor monoplane fighter to be fitted longitudinal stability at speeds in excess of 155 mph caused by the with the more powerful 625 hp M-25 gull-shaped upper wing centre section, which resulted in the fighter’s engine, rather than the 480 hp M-22 unofficial name of Chaika(Seagull). Efforts to improve the I-15 were conducted in parallel with the delivery of the first I-16s to military units. Inevitably, commanders favoured the more modern aircraft, and the decision was taken to cease I-15 production in 1935. Quantity production of the I-16 was started in 1934 at Aircraft Factory No 21 at Gorkiy, now Nizhniy Novgorod. Initially, the 9 © Osprey Publishing • www.ospreypublishing.com