IL-2

This is coolbert:

"YOU HAVE LET DOWN OUR COUNTRY AND OUR RED ARMY. YOU HAVE NOT MANUFACTURED IL-2S UNTIL NOW. THE IL-2 AIRCRAFT ARE NECESSARY FOR OUR RED ARMY NOW, LIKE AIR, LIKE BREAD . . . IT IS A MOCKERY OF OUR COUNTRY AND THE RED ARMY. I ASK YOU NOT TO TRY THE GOVERNMENT'S PATIENCE, AND DEMAND THAT YOU MANUFACTURE MORE ILS. I WARN YOU FOR THE LAST TIME. STALIN."

"I WARN YOU FOR THE LAST TIME!!!!"

Surprisingly, the Soviet IL-2 [Ilyushin-2] was the most widely manufactured aircraft during World War Two. About 36,000 of these ground attack aircraft saw service during the war.

This number of 36,000 is astounding considering the number of aircraft of different types manufactured in the U.S. during the same period. More IL-2's were made than say P-51 Mustangs, ME-109 [Germany], B-17's, etc.

The Soviets during WW2 DID NOT have a strategic air force that conducted a bombing campaign against Germany as say did the US Army Air Corps or the British RAF. The Soviet concentrated on military aircraft that could support the ground forces. In this manner the Soviets shared the same basic doctrine as the Germans. An Air Force was primarily to support the ground forces.

The IL-2, nicknamed the "Shturmovik" [meaning unknown], was a most robust aircraft. Possessing a large engine, an armored cockpit, a tail gunner, having bombs, rockets, machineguns, and cannon for armament. Was a formidable GROUND ATTACK low flying aircraft.

The IL-2 was up to a "M" version by the end of the war. Each version an improvement upon the prior design.

Widely respected and feared by the Germans for it's ability to take a lot of damage and keep on flying and DOING damage.

"The armored tub [surrounding the engine and cockpit] ranging from 5 to 12 mm (0.2 to 0.5 in) in thickness and enveloping the engine and the cockpit could deflect all small-arms fire and glancing blows from larger-calibre ammunition. There are reports of the armored windscreen surviving direct hits from 20 mm rounds."

Resembled a flying TANK in some regards.

The concept for modern low flying ground attack aircraft, such as the American A-10 "warthog", is based upon the "Shturmovik".

Interestingly enough, NOT ONE of these famous flying machines survived the war. All were scrapped. Every last one. NOT EVEN ONE museum piece remains. It is reputed that at the bottom of some lake in Russia is a downed or crashed IL-2. Waiting rebirth. ONLY TIME will tell.

"In recent years several Il-2 wrecks have been located and recovered from Lake Balaton, a large, shallow lake in Hungary, which is located near the historic site of a large WWII tank battle."

[those tail gunners were quite often Soviet troops sentenced to penal battalions with a ten year sentence. Often forced to work off the sentence as a tail gunner of an IL-2. For each flight the convict would have one year taken off his sentence!! Ten successful missions and the sentence of death [a ten year sentence in a Soviet penal institution was equivalent to a sentence of death!!] would be expunged!!!]

"it does appear the Soviet Air Force did use "Penal squadrons" in some situations."

coolbert.