Ivan Lakeev's I-16 Type 10

[Imatos12]

Hello all, from a new forum member.  I've been a reader of these forums for some time and am glad to be a member.

I've started working on Eduard's I-16 Type 10 kit, and would like to build Ivan Lakeev's mount as it's portrayed in the instructions.  Unfortunately I've been unable to find any information or pictures on this particular aircraft.  Would anybody out there happen to have any info? 

Thanks for the help.

Izaias   

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi Izaias,
could you show a drawing from the painting instructions, please?
Regards
Massimo

[Imatos12]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/111228873@N07

Hopefully I inserted the image correctly.

[Massimo Tessitori]

Unfortunately I can't see it.

[Imatos12]

[imghttp://
Lakeev I-16 by izaias_matos, on Flickr][/img]

Ok, think I got it right this time...

[Massimo Tessitori]

Hi,
very well. I've edited your previous post and replaced the tag img with a link to the page. Anyway now I can see it well.
Regards
Massimo

[KL]

The text in Eduard's painting instruction is a typical Pilawskii:  very poetic and very undetermined.  Supposedly it's 46th iap, Vasilsk airfield (never heard  ) in early 1940es (sic! could be 1940 before the GPW, or any year between 1941 and say 1943).

Lakeev's biography can be pieced together from various internet sources:
- in 1938-39 after Spain, as a major, Lakeev commanded 16th iap
- in 1939 during Halkin-Gol conflict, Lakeev as a colonel, was a deputy commander of the fighter aviation of the 1st Army Group
- 1940 was a peak year in his early carrier:  he became an inspector of fighter aviation, led "Krasnaya Pyaterka" aerobatic team, became a general
- in April 1941 Lakeev was demoded and became deputy commander of 14th sad (mixed aviation division).

14th sad consisted of 3 fighter regiments:  17th iap, 46th iap and 89th iap.  Division was based around the city of Lutsk, then in the part of Poland occupied by Soviets, now in Ukraine.
on june 22nd, all 16th sad airfields were heavilly bombed by Luftwaffe and soon the area was tken by Germans.  Thanks to this, there are many German photos of VVS planes destroyed ataround Lutsk!

46th iap I-16 recognizable by tail "pilotka"



89th iap I-16 with typical lightning regiment recognition markings



Lutsk airfield graveyard



HTH,
KL

    

[KL]

I've started working on Eduard's I-16 Type 10 kit, and would like to build Ivan Lakeev's mount as it's portrayed in the instructions.

May not be clear from my previous post:  Eduard's instruction most likely shows a fictional markings.  No sources/references, impossible to find any photographic evidence and it probably comes from Pilawskii. Several details in this color scheme are very suspicious.

- red noses, red rudders and red trims were not as common as Pilawskii want us to believe
- tailfin red star were extremely rare before the GPW.  Only appeared as personal/special markings
- who is M.M. Lenin???

[Imatos12]

Thank you for the information KL.  You've reinforced my suspicions regarding the markings.  It is interesting to note that Mikhail Maslov presents the same aircraft profile in his Polikarpov I-15, I-16 and I-153 Aces book.  He dates the plane from late 1941, on the Kuban front.  

[KL]

Hi Izaias,
late 1941 makes more sense, at that time tailfin stras were a standard.  Does Maslov relates this I-16 to Lakeev?

In 1941, even before the German attack, Spanish Civil War veterans ("Spaniards") on high command positions were blamed for the poor training record and poor technical rediness of VVS units.  After German attack the "Spaniards" were blamed for heavy loses.  Some  were shot (Smushkevich, Richagov, etc); Lakeev was lucky to stay alive.  Between June 1941 and April 1943, Lakeev's biography looks incomplete, with long blank periods - check here:  http://www.peoples.ru/military/hero/ivan_lakeev/

22.06.41 г. полки дивизии, базировавшиеся под Луцком, потеряли на земле 46 самолетов.

В конце 1941 г. Лакеев участвовал в контрударах под Волховом и Тихвином, сражался под Ростовом-на-Дону.

29.04.43 г. он был назначен командиром 235-й истребительной авиационной Сталинградской дивизии, которой командовал до конца войны.

Yes, in late 1941 Lakeev fought in Rostov area (ie close to Kuban area).  On the other hand, 46th iap was at the Leningrad front in late 1941.

HTH,
KL

[Imatos12]

Maslov does relate this I-16 to Lakeev, saying that he flew it as commander of the 235th IAD.  If I read the information in the link you provided correctly, however, he was not a part of the 235th IAD until 1943.

[KL]

235th iad (fighter division) was formed in May 1942... and never fought in Kuban area.
Check here  http://www.allaces.ru/cgi-bin/s2.cgi/sssr/struct/d/iad235.dat

[Imatos12]

Very interesting.  Definitely some conflicting information.  Would be nice to know what Maslov's sources are concerning not just Lakeev, but the 235th IAD as well.

[KL]

Hi Izaias,
This page sheds some light on period July 1941 to April 1943:  http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=1172

С первого дня Великой Отечественной войны генерал-майор авиации И.А. Лакеев на фронте. Его дивизия попала под удар немецкой авиации и понесла большие потери в первый день войны, но проявив личное мужество и хладнокровие сумел организовать отпор врагу уцелевшими самолётами. Тем не менее, за большие потери был ещё раз понижен в должности и с осени 1941 по март 1943 года в генеральском звании командовал 524-м истребительным авиационным полком. В должности командира полка воевал на Волховском фронте, затем полк переброшен на Южный фронт. С апреля 1943 года командовал 235-й истребительной авиационной дивизией

Hope you can handle Russian 

Cheers,
KL

[Imatos12]

More good information.  I had to ultimately use auto-translate, but I think I wrapped my head around it. Thanks again