Sovietwarplanes

hello,
does anyone could remind me were could be found or shear with us pictures of Mig-1/-3 of 19 IAP? I can not track any.
As it become clear the Migs of 19 IAP had Red tails in the first stage of GPW. Would be interesting to observe that on the pictures.

BR Audrius

Hi, :)
maybe! What is the source that says so? The memories of some veteran?
Massimo

hi Massimo,
yes, it is an interview with a veteran of 19 IAP: Kukin Aleksey. Meanwhile his interview is published in Russian on: I remember  http://iremember.ru/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=514&Itemid=20

(http://www.iremember.ru/pilots/kukin/kukin.jpg)

Our dear fella Oleg is involved in it. So perhaps in near future we could have an english translation for your site Massimo.

BTW, last week to S.Petersburg's defense museum were given the wrackages of Kukin's Mig-3 that he has lost in combat with Me-109 on 23 July 1941. He survived a harsh landing with a parachute and serve burns of the body. He spent almost two month in the hospital. After what he was not allowed to return to active service in front.

So, in June 2003 the wrackages of the Mig-3 were found. According to the serial number Nr.3008 on the cowling of engine. According to it in the archive TsAMO was identified that this is exactly that Mig-3 that was lost by Kukin.  With an engine AM-35 serial 41181.

Here comes a picture of the wreckage with serial number on it:

(http://vif2ne.ru/nvi/forum/files/Olkor/(070701204745)_Mig-3_Kukin_A_1_.A._02_iyulya_2007_002_resize.jpg)

Note the colors!

And pilot Kukin at the age of 92 years!!!

(http://vif2ne.ru/nvi/forum/files/Olkor/(070701204703)_Mig-3_Kukin_A_1_.A._02_iyulya_2007_032_resize.jpg)

Pictures taken from AIF site's forum.

BTW, Kukin notes that there was  MiG with the lightningbolt on the fuselage in the 19 IAP!


So , any picture of Migs from 19 IAP?

BR Audrius

Do not mix I-16's of Finnish war era with MiG-s from early GPW (they got their MiGs on 22 of june and first combat mission on them was flown on 23-d)... Kukin Returned to active duty after that fight, and was shot down second time in october of 1941. The man in jacket sitting near him is a Strizhi piloting group commander.

Hi,  :)
very very interesting.  Thank you for posting it.

About MiG-3 no 3008: the numbers start with 2001 (I-200 n.1, a MiG-1), so 3008 haws to be the 1008th plane built. Is it known if this was an early type or late type MiG-3? I'm uncertain on the number on which they switched to the late version.

Colors... what part is this?

Note the symbol drawn on the suit of the man on the background: has it anything to do with the symbol on the tail of the recently seen I-16?

Massimo

This was actually MiG-3 with interesting story - it was recieved about may 41, but it was still in the box on 22 June.The batch was supposed to be given to some other unit, but it did not collect the planes. 19 IAP was about to be transferred to LaGG's, but no planes were available.If you will look closer, you will se two colours interlaping - blue belly and green top - it was a side cowling. The men in suits are all from Russian Knights and Swifts, and their sbacks are naturally bearing VVS symbols.

From the information on the page below, it appears they didn't have the MiGs for very long - by the end of 1941, they had re-equipped with LaGG-3s. Although under the circumstances of war, six months must have seemed like an eternity!
http://avia-hobby.ru/publ/soviaps/1_50iap.html

John

This IAP had two-type constitution - 3 squadrons flew MiG-1 and MiG-3, 2 flew I-16.
in 1941 19 IAP commited 3145 combat missions, participated in 415 dogfights and claimed 116 enemy aircraft as shot down 17 pilots lost their lives and 13 "did not return". Also 57 planes were lost.

Hi, :)
this looks interesting. If planes were delivered in may 1941, probably they were early type with classic green/blue painting. Is it possible to know more to draw a profile? Red tails... all the tail, or some flashes only?
Is it possible to see further photos of the wrecks, please?
Massimo

This particular aircraft was torn apart by midair explosion at first, and then the remains were ripped by metal scavengers. There were NO red tails on MiGs, but they were on I-16's. One I-16 had white tail.

Well, why are you so sure? Reading the interview there is no clearly stated that exactly I-16 had Red tails. (let me bring those lines: Меня выручило, что у наших самолетов были красные кили. А вдоль самолета капитана Роботкина по всему фюзеляжу была нарисована белая стрела. Это и помогло найти свой полк.-"It helped me to find a place for landing the fact that the tail's direction surface was painted in red of our a/c. Additionally the a/c of capt. Rabotkin has a white lightning bolt over all fuselage. That helped me to find my regiment")

It could be both and I-16 and Mig-3. I got an idea that it was Mig-3. If anyone could tell us what a/c was piloted by Rabotkin at that time it would be more clear.

BR Audrius

Read carefully - it happened during liberation of western Ukrain. Should I remind the year?
????? ??????? ????, ??????? ??????. ??? ??????-?? ??? ????? ???????????, ?? ? ???????, ??????. ?? ??????? ?????. ? ??? ????????, ??? ??? ???? ???????.

? ?????? ??? ????? ?? ???????? ???????.

?? ??????????????? ?????? ?? ???????? ???????? ???? ??? ?????, ??????? ? ???? ?????????, ??? ??? ????.

Most difficult target was "Rama" it had a small cabin, and it was very nimble, but i'll describe how i shot it dow later.

Now i want to tell you how we liberated western Ukrain (meaning 1939). It is little known about it, so iwould like to remember how it happened.

Hi,? :)
sorry, it's not clear for me. What happened in Ukrain in 1939?
Massimo

At the time western ukraine belonged to Poland (it was annexed by poles in the end of WWI), and in 1939 it was Liberated (annexed) by SU. That was called the Operation for Liberation of Western Ukrain. There were no serious fights there, since poles were rather occupied with German invasion.

Thank you.  :)
So you mean that the episode of red rudders happened in 1939, when MiG-3s didn't exist?
Massimo

Yes. This IAP (at least 2 squads) flew painted I-16's in the beginning of GPW, but MiG's had no distinct recognition features - there simply was no time this in 1941.