The devil wears the "Truth." Part of 7
Topic aviation I open with the following quote from Suicide: “The Nazis thought that in the Soviet Union there were poor quality airplanes. They simply could not believe that the MiG-3 surpasses the Messerschmitt-109 in the entire range of flight tactical characteristics. The superiority in speed was especially tangible ”(p. 101).
It is incorrect to compare the MiG-3 with the Messerschmitt, since the first one was a purely high-altitude fighter intended primarily for intercepting bomber aircraft. Agility was sacrificed power. “Messerschmitt” was also a fighter of medium heights and, although in speed and rate of climb, was inferior to the MiG, but was well adapted for maneuvering combat.
It was at mid-altitude that the “Stalin falcons” and the followers of the Red Baron confronted. Such realities struck out the MiG-3 aircraft from among the priority fighters for the Soviet defense industry. During the Great Patriotic War, these winged vehicles basically “covered” the capital and major industrial centers of the country from attacks by enemy bomber aircraft.
Therefore, the overwhelming majority of our fellow citizens in the former USSR have heard much more about the jet "descendants" of the MiG-3, than about him. With this in mind, Viktor Suvorov trumpets trying to shock the reader: “... in the Western Special Military District alone, there were more MiG-3 alone than all Messerschmitt-109 on the entire Soviet-German front” (p. 101) . In the head of a person who mistakenly decided to eliminate ignorance stories The Second World War with the help of the writings of Rezun will instantly sweep: “Even if there were a myriad MiGs, then what about the same“ yaks ”to talk about!” How can you disagree with the author that Zhukov once again blatantly lies (hereafter): “ German intelligence did not know anything about the Yak-1 and LaGG-3. And we will not repeat after Marshal Zhukov that there were few of them ”(p. 101).
The total number of MiG-3 planes in the flight units was much higher than the number of all “Yaks” and “Laggs” in the ranks combined. As of 1 June 1941, in the five western military districts, where the lion's share of the MiG-3 fighters was located, there were 845 of such machines (of these, about 400 units in the Western Special Military District). Before the start of the war with Germany, only 425 “yaks” and 322 “laggs” were built. It is clear that in the parts of the Air Force there were even fewer.
It is necessary to take into account that the newest Soviet fighters were only mastered by our pilots. On 1 June 1941, the MiG-3 aircraft managed to fly around only the 322 pilot well. By the way, the serial production of the MiG-3 began only in December 1940. Approximately at the same time the production of the Yak-1 and LaGG-3 fighters started.
Let's not forget about the Luftwaffe vehicles. In all four air fleets the aggressor numbered over a thousand Bf-109 fighters ("Messerschmitt-109" - Soviet designation). There were, accordingly, more than MiG-3 aircraft in the service of the Red Army Air Force. 60% of all "one hundred and ninth" belonged to modification F, whose representatives were armed with two 7,92-mm machine guns and one 20-mm automatic cannon that fired through the propeller shaft. The Migi had slightly weaker weapons - four machine guns, including two large-caliber ones.
As for the LaGG-3, these fighters at the time of the start of Operation Barbarossa were far from the western borders, and the baptism of the Lagg occurred on July 13 1941, when Lieutenant Bondarenko in the Smolensk region shot down German Do 17, which carried out reconnaissance. The LaGG-3 was a decent medium-height fighter, but it was noticeably inferior to Alexander Yakovlev, a beautiful aircraft designer in all respects, the Yak-1.
The most massive Soviet fighter at the start of Operation Barbarossa was the 16, nicknamed our pilots "donkey". The five western military districts (Leningrad, Baltic, Western special, Kiev special and Odessa), which were to be the first to meet the treacherous enemy, were armed with the 1771 aircraft of this type. This is more than the Bf-109 fighters from the Germans, but the "donkeys" that dominated the civil war of Spain in the sky until the first "one hundred and ninths" appeared there could definitely not be on an equal footing with such a counterpart. Armament And-16 also did not contribute to this: three machine guns, including one large-caliber.
The second most popular fighter of the Red Army Air Force was the Chaika I-153. Serial production of “gulls” started in 1939 year. This is the most perfect biplane of its time and the world's first aircraft of a similar design with a retractable landing gear. But, if in terms of aircraft manufacturing in general, this sample was a step forward, then in military terms, the "reset" of the biplane scheme was no longer very relevant. With all the ensuing consequences in the summer of 1941 ... However, it should be noted that the “seagulls” were very successfully used during the Battle of the Caucasus, when these fighters at extremely low altitudes, maneuvering among the mountains, suddenly attacked the units of Wehrmacht, making their way through Caucasian passes to oil Baku. For this purpose, "seagulls" were attached to the aid of rocket projectiles.
Viktor Suvorov did not even casually mention in his essay either “donkeys” or “gulls”. As if these winged cars were not at all ...
To be continued ...
It is incorrect to compare the MiG-3 with the Messerschmitt, since the first one was a purely high-altitude fighter intended primarily for intercepting bomber aircraft. Agility was sacrificed power. “Messerschmitt” was also a fighter of medium heights and, although in speed and rate of climb, was inferior to the MiG, but was well adapted for maneuvering combat.
It was at mid-altitude that the “Stalin falcons” and the followers of the Red Baron confronted. Such realities struck out the MiG-3 aircraft from among the priority fighters for the Soviet defense industry. During the Great Patriotic War, these winged vehicles basically “covered” the capital and major industrial centers of the country from attacks by enemy bomber aircraft.
Therefore, the overwhelming majority of our fellow citizens in the former USSR have heard much more about the jet "descendants" of the MiG-3, than about him. With this in mind, Viktor Suvorov trumpets trying to shock the reader: “... in the Western Special Military District alone, there were more MiG-3 alone than all Messerschmitt-109 on the entire Soviet-German front” (p. 101) . In the head of a person who mistakenly decided to eliminate ignorance stories The Second World War with the help of the writings of Rezun will instantly sweep: “Even if there were a myriad MiGs, then what about the same“ yaks ”to talk about!” How can you disagree with the author that Zhukov once again blatantly lies (hereafter): “ German intelligence did not know anything about the Yak-1 and LaGG-3. And we will not repeat after Marshal Zhukov that there were few of them ”(p. 101).
The total number of MiG-3 planes in the flight units was much higher than the number of all “Yaks” and “Laggs” in the ranks combined. As of 1 June 1941, in the five western military districts, where the lion's share of the MiG-3 fighters was located, there were 845 of such machines (of these, about 400 units in the Western Special Military District). Before the start of the war with Germany, only 425 “yaks” and 322 “laggs” were built. It is clear that in the parts of the Air Force there were even fewer.
It is necessary to take into account that the newest Soviet fighters were only mastered by our pilots. On 1 June 1941, the MiG-3 aircraft managed to fly around only the 322 pilot well. By the way, the serial production of the MiG-3 began only in December 1940. Approximately at the same time the production of the Yak-1 and LaGG-3 fighters started.
Let's not forget about the Luftwaffe vehicles. In all four air fleets the aggressor numbered over a thousand Bf-109 fighters ("Messerschmitt-109" - Soviet designation). There were, accordingly, more than MiG-3 aircraft in the service of the Red Army Air Force. 60% of all "one hundred and ninth" belonged to modification F, whose representatives were armed with two 7,92-mm machine guns and one 20-mm automatic cannon that fired through the propeller shaft. The Migi had slightly weaker weapons - four machine guns, including two large-caliber ones.
As for the LaGG-3, these fighters at the time of the start of Operation Barbarossa were far from the western borders, and the baptism of the Lagg occurred on July 13 1941, when Lieutenant Bondarenko in the Smolensk region shot down German Do 17, which carried out reconnaissance. The LaGG-3 was a decent medium-height fighter, but it was noticeably inferior to Alexander Yakovlev, a beautiful aircraft designer in all respects, the Yak-1.
The most massive Soviet fighter at the start of Operation Barbarossa was the 16, nicknamed our pilots "donkey". The five western military districts (Leningrad, Baltic, Western special, Kiev special and Odessa), which were to be the first to meet the treacherous enemy, were armed with the 1771 aircraft of this type. This is more than the Bf-109 fighters from the Germans, but the "donkeys" that dominated the civil war of Spain in the sky until the first "one hundred and ninths" appeared there could definitely not be on an equal footing with such a counterpart. Armament And-16 also did not contribute to this: three machine guns, including one large-caliber.
The second most popular fighter of the Red Army Air Force was the Chaika I-153. Serial production of “gulls” started in 1939 year. This is the most perfect biplane of its time and the world's first aircraft of a similar design with a retractable landing gear. But, if in terms of aircraft manufacturing in general, this sample was a step forward, then in military terms, the "reset" of the biplane scheme was no longer very relevant. With all the ensuing consequences in the summer of 1941 ... However, it should be noted that the “seagulls” were very successfully used during the Battle of the Caucasus, when these fighters at extremely low altitudes, maneuvering among the mountains, suddenly attacked the units of Wehrmacht, making their way through Caucasian passes to oil Baku. For this purpose, "seagulls" were attached to the aid of rocket projectiles.
Viktor Suvorov did not even casually mention in his essay either “donkeys” or “gulls”. As if these winged cars were not at all ...
To be continued ...
Information