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Leningrad, the Soviet Union, 1941
The Soviet Union, summer 1941
Genmjr. Ivan A. Lakeev, 46 IAP, Vasilkov, the Soviet Union, 1941
Some I-16s survived in the war for a surprisingly
long time. For example, this “red four”, which is
a somewhat mysterious aircraft. No details are
known, but it is thought it served as a liaison
aircraft or possibly as a training one for some
unit in the northern sector of the front in 1944.
The livery was typical of the first half of the Great
Patriotic War. Thus, the upper surfaces were
in AII green and AII black (AMT-6), the lower in
AII blue. The band in front of the tail surfaces
is sometimes given as yellow, however, yellow
stripes were not used by the Soviet Air Force
for obvious reasons, and it is very likely that the
stripe was in fact white.
Among the many aircraft that fell into the hands
of the advancing Germans during the summer
of 1941 were a large number of I-16s of various
versions. This one is probably the most famous
one captured during Operation Barbarossa.
The aircraft sported an unusual camouflage,
which can best be interpreted as a brush-on
green paint (probably AE-7) over the original
light gray livery of AE-9. This camouflage
was apparently hastily applied shortly after
the surprise German attack on June 22, 1941.
The VVS RKKA (Soviet military air force) emblem
on the VOP was a fairly popular feature on Soviet
aircraft in the early years of the Great Patriotic
War.
Ivan Alexeyevich Lakeev was a member of the
first group of Soviet airmen to arrive in Spain in
November 1936. With ten kills achieved with I-16
Type 5, he became one of the most successful
fighters of the Spanish Civil War. Some sources
even give 12 individual kills and another 16 in
cooperation. Lakeev left Spain in August 1937
and was awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of
the Soviet Union. He later fought over Khalkin-
Gol, where he is credited with another kill. Some
sources, however, list four kills, while others
none. During the Great Patriotic War, he achieved
three more individual kills and four in cooperation.
Here too are discrepancies in the documents and
only one kill is reported. Lakjeev’s I-16 Type 10 is
a nice example of a personal aircraft of a high
VVS officer. The typical Soviet camouflage of the
early 1940s with the upper surfaces in AII green
and the lower in AII blue was complemented by
red accessories, a highly polished steel band
and ideological slogans on the fuselage sides.
It is uncertain whether these slogans were also
on the other side of the fuselage – probably not.
The aircraft was serving with 46 IAP at Vasilkov
airfield. It was very carefully cared for and kept
in perfect condition.
KITS 02/2024
INFO Eduard
61
February 2024