I-153 Soviet white 19/Finnish IT-20

Updated on February 7, 2016

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Drawing by Tapani Tuomanen

 

I-153 M-62 White 19 made a forced landing in Sommarö on October 3, 1941.

The plane, originally with silver/grey livery, was roughly repainted green by brush on its upper and side surfaces.

Nose and rudder looks painted in a solid color; these were interpreted as green and red, in absence of sure informations.

Photos from Maslov's monograph and from Red Stars of Geust, Keskinen, Stenman

Below: photo of a plane similar to white 19 (probably unrelated) in Soviet service.

 

 

The plane was recovered by Finns and was delivered to 3/LLv6 on 23 July 1942 as IT-20, flown by pilot Lt. R.Paltila.

Drawing by Tapani Tuomanen

 

Images from SIH 7 "Venäläiset hävittäjät" of Kalevi Keskinen, Kari Stenman.

 

On 8 January 1943, the plane crashed on the Baltic icecap after an engine failure, being destroyed and causing the death if its pilot.