Allies or allies?
The role of Western supplies during the Great Patriotic War is traditionally hushed up in Russian society. So, in the enchanting book of N. A. Voznesensky, “The Soviet military economy during the Patriotic War”, it was said that all Western supplies amounted to 4% of Soviet production, and the main ally in the anti-Hitler coalition was called: wars the monopoly capitalism of the United States of America. " Other sources indicate that all military equipment “bought for gold of the USSR” was useless stuff with a developed resource, followed by accusations of the United States and Great Britain for refusing to supply the most advanced models of equipment.
In general, there are polar opinions about the role of military supplies in the victory over fascism. There are few objective assessments. We invite the reader to read the facts from the field aviation and draw our own conclusions on the importance of military supplies under the Lend-Lease program during the Second World War.
Cobras
The most famous aircraft of the Lend-Lease was the legendary Bell P-39 Aircobra. In total, during the war years, the Red Army air forces received 5000 fighters of this type.
Aircobra Fire from all trunks
Aircraft coaches were equipped only with guards iap, due to the exceptionally high flight characteristics of the aircraft. Description Airbrocks can be found on any thematic site, I note only a small detail - the main caliber 37 mm. Also one of the important advantages of the aircraft was the original layout - the engine is located behind the pilot's cockpit, thereby protecting the pilot from the most dangerous direction. Oil radiator and crankshaft served as additional protection from the bottom of the cab.
It was on the P-39 fighter with the tail number 100 that Alexander Ivanovich Pokryshkin ended the war.
P-63 are preparing to be sent to the USSR
In addition to the main batch of Bell P-39 Aircobra, the USSR was supplied 2400 Bell P-63 Kingcobra - even more formidable cars.
Under the terms of the Lend-Lease, all military equipment after the end of the war was to be returned to the United States or destroyed on the spot. The Soviet Union, naturally, neglected this clause of the treaty, and the most modern Lend-Lease fighters went to serve in the air defense system until the appearance of the jet Migov. Thanks to the nose strut of the chassis, as on the Mig-15, the Kingcocks were successfully used to train pilots until the end of the 50s.
Бостон
A-20 Havos (Boston) attack aircraft. 3125 delivered machines. The first A-20 appeared on the Soviet-German front in the summer of 1943. “Boston” became in our aviation a truly multi-purpose aircraft, performing the functions of a day and night bomber, reconnaissance, torpedo and mine layer, heavy fighter, and even a transport plane. It was little used only as a ground attack aircraft - by its basic purpose!
Soviet pilots take the American middle bomber Douglas A-20 Boston, transmitted by lend-lease
The American bomber was distinguished by good maneuverability and a large practical ceiling. He was easily given deep turns, he freely flew on one motor. Given the poor training of pilots, accelerated from schools during the war years, the aerobatic qualities of the aircraft became important. Here "Boston" was excellent: simple and easy to manage, obedient and stable on turns. Take-off and landing on it were much easier to perform than on the domestic Pe-2.
The combat value of this aircraft was so great that, even with the advent of jet aircraft, the Northern Fleet before 1956 had a canned Boston set.
Useless trash
In the fall of 1944, upon a special application in the USSR, he began to receive P-47 Thunderbolt. One of the most heavily armed fighters of that time was 8 large-caliber Browning and 1000 kg of outboard weapons. Thunderbolts successfully escorted the Flying Fortresses in the sky over Germany (the range with a PTB is 2000 km), fought with the Focke-Wolves at extreme heights and chased after the German tanks (it is believed that it was the Thunderbolt missile that killed the tank of Michael Wittmann).
However, the paranormal happened: the USSR abandoned this aircraft! Soviet pilots complained that the Thunderbolt was too heavy and clumsy. The deliveries were stopped on the 203 machine, the already accepted Thunderbolts were sent to the assault shelves. After the war, the surviving cars were transferred to the air defense.
Marine Patrol
Consolidated PBY Catalina amphibians became the basis of naval patrol aircraft in many countries of the world, including the USSR. Equipped with radars, the Catalina were actively used for patrols, reconnaissance, search and rescue and anti-submarine operations.
"Catalina" was well known to Soviet specialists. Firstly, before the war in the USSR, a small series produced its licensed version - the GTS flying boat. Secondly, the English "Catalina" since 1942 regularly appeared at the airfields of the North fleet, solving a variety of tasks, including in the interests of the Soviet command. So, for example, in September-October 1942, nine Katalin from the 210th RAF squadron operated from our northern airfields when escorting the PQ-18 convoy.
After the war, no car was returned to the United States. Thus, in September, in the Northern Fleet, 1945 was formed by a separate reconnaissance air regiment fully equipped with Catalina, and in the Baltic a year later, 53, armed with clean flying boats, and amphibians. The reconnaissance regiments of the Black Sea and Pacific Fleets were also staffed, approximately in equal proportions, with the PBN-69 and PBY-1A aircraft.
For several years, the American technology has become the basis of domestic hydroaviation. Only from 1952, first to the Northern, and then to other fleets, new domestic flying boats Be-6 began to arrive. However, sea pilots warmly recalled the comfort, reliability and high quality of the manufacture of American seaplanes. Gradually replaced by the Be-6, the “Catalina” were used by sea pilots until the end of 1955.
Mosquito bite
When the DeHavilland Mosquito star rose, the USSR showed keen interest in a promising bomber. The British side provided one copy for review, Mosquito was distilled to Moscow and dismantled to the screw. The experts' verdict was categorical: the production of a Mosquito in the USSR is impossible, and the operation is associated with great technical difficulties, due to the lack of high-quality consumables and qualified specialists. Most of all doubts were caused by professionally glued trim and high quality Rolls-Royce Merlin motors.
Despite these findings, the Soviet Union ordered 1500 Mosquitoes as much. The order was canceled, in return, the USSR received Spitfires - the British decided that the fighter was more necessary to the Soviet Union than a bomber.
Apple of discord
Delivery of the fighter P-51 Mustang on the "Lend-Lease" is clearly not included in the American plans. An outstanding aircraft of his time was the basis of the US Air Force fighter fleet. Naturally, America did not want to share these machines with anyone. The only exception was the Royal Air Force - the most loyal allies of America, the Anglo-Saxons by blood. In total, over the years of mass production from 1940 to 1950, the 8000 Mustangs were produced for the year - an amount sufficient only to meet the needs of the US Air Force.
Objectively, the USSR had no need for Mustangs, for this aircraft there were no suitable tasks on the Eastern Front. The fights were fought at low and medium altitudes, where the Airbuns did an excellent job. Nevertheless, the Soviet mission managed to get 10 machines for review. All "Mustangs" went to TsAGI for detailed study.
trifle
Lend-Lease supplies also included:
- 4400 Tomahokov, Kittihokov and Hurricane (total)
- 1300 Spitfire
- B-870 Mitchell front bomber 25
- 700 C-47 "Skytrain" (the most common transport aircraft of the anti-Hitler coalition)
- AT-6 “Texan” combat training, AW41 Albemarle transport, Handley Page HP.52 Hampden bombers in quantities unworthy of mention
Freebie
A certain amount of aircraft was received by the USSR bypassing the Lend-Lease agreement. According to the Soviet-Japanese neutrality agreement in force at the time, all damaged American bombers that had landed on the territory of the Far East were interned. This practice applied to all American aircraft, starting with B-25 E. York from the Doolittle group, who landed on Unashi airfield in April 1942. In this way, a significant number of B-25 and B-24 of which the 128-I mixed air division was formed subsequently fell into the hands of Soviet pilots.
Aircraft crews were placed in a special assembly camp in Central Asia. Although representatives of the Japanese embassy observed the camp, the American pilots were periodically staged an “escape” and they were announced at US bases in Iran.
Petrol arithmetic
One of the bottlenecks of the Soviet economy before the war was the production of aviation gasoline. So, in 1941, on the eve of the war, the need for aviation gasoline B-78 was satisfied by only 4%. In 1941, the USSR produced 1269 KT, in 1942 - 912, in 1943 - 1007, in 1944 - 1334 and in 1945. - 1017 KT
In total, over the years of the war in the United States, Lend-Lease supplied 628,4 thousand tons of aviation gasoline and 732,3 thousand tons of gasoline of light fractions. In addition, from the Abadan oil refinery, the United Kingdom supplied 14,7 thousand tons of aviation gasoline and 902,1 thousand tons of light gasoline to the USSR (these supplies were offset by the United Kingdom of Great Britain). To this must also be added 573 thousand tons of aviation gasoline supplied to the USSR from the refineries of Great Britain and Canada. In sum, all this gives 2850,5 thousands of short tons of aviation gas and light gasoline fractions obtained by the USSR from the USA, Great Britain and Canada, which is equal to 2586 thousands of metric tons.
More than 97% of imported gasoline had an octane number of 99 and higher, whereas in the USSR there was even a huge shortage of B-78 gasoline in the USSR. In the Soviet Union, imported aviation gasoline and light gasoline fractions were used almost exclusively for mixing with Soviet aviation gasoline in order to increase their octane number. Therefore, aviation gasoline actually supplied under the Lend-Lease was included in the Soviet production of aviation gasoline and, therefore, (together with the light gasoline fractions), 51,5% of the Soviet 1941-1945 production. If we subtract from the total Soviet production of aviation gas for the first half of 1941, estimating it to about half of the annual production, then the share of lend-lease deliveries will rise to 57,8%.
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