The SPB Project "Zveno": a "flying aircraft carrier" created in the USSR participated in WWII
The "flying aircraft carrier" developed in the USSR isn't the stuff of science fiction, but a very real technology that demonstrated its effectiveness in 1941. This complex, created as part of the "Zveno" project, was named SPB, which stands for "composite dive bomber."
The "flying aircraft carrier," created before the Great Patriotic War, was initially decommissioned but later reinstated. So it saw combat.
The Project Zveno SPB was not unique—similar composite combat aircraft developments were underway in other countries. But only in the Soviet Union did they reach combat use.
The project was based on the idea of creating a vehicle that would have all the advantages of both a fighter and a bomber, but would be free of the disadvantages of each.
At that time, a heavy bomber could cover considerable distances, but was poorly protected from enemy fighter attacks and lacked bombing accuracy. A fighter could accurately hit targets, but it was incapable of reaching targets at great distances. To achieve the desired effect, it was decided to attach several fighters to the heavy bomber, which would detach upon approaching the target, destroy it, and then return to the airfield independently.
The "base" aircraft was a TB-3, and the "payload" were two I-16 fighters. Together, they formed the SPB.
Several such systems were transferred to the Black Sea Fleet fleetThere, they demonstrated remarkable results against Romanian forces. In July 1941, the SPB destroyed an oil storage facility in the port of Constanta (Romania), and in August, they successfully struck a strategic bridge across the Danube.
However, when composite bombers tried to use them against German crossings on the Dnieper, they suffered heavy losses, finding themselves under the blows of fighter aircraft. aviation "Luftwaffe." Therefore, they were abandoned. The Pe-2 dive bomber took over precision bombing duties in their place.
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