Drawing by Tapani Tuomanen

This drawing represents the Tomahawk Mk.IIA AH965, supplied to Soviets from British stocks. It was flown by Lt. S.G.Ridniy, flight leader of 126 IAP PVO (Air de fence), Moscow region, December 1941.

Ridniy was made Hero of the Soviet Union on August 9, 1941, and was killed in action on February 17, 1942.

128 IAP was the first regiment equipped with Tomahawk in SSSR; the first mission with this type was made on October 12, 1941.

The plane was painted in British dark green-dark earth camouflage. The undersurfaces were painted Sky (duck egg green) apart for the left wing, that was black. The British markings were probably repainted with British colors, apart for the band on the fuselage that was overpainted with Soviet colors. The plane was later overpainted with white winter finish on its upper and side surfaces.

Below: an image of the same plane before the winter finish. The black doors of the left landing gear are evident.

Below: similar planes of the same unit. Again, the left wing is recognizable as black, although partially masked by snow reflection. The British roundel was deleted with a light paint, probably sky as on the other wing.

Images from Red Stars 4, ed. Apali.