A-20J/K in Soviet service

Updated on February 8, 2022

back to Sovietwarplanes Pages index
back to A-20/Boston index

 

A-20J and K

Starting from late 1944, U.S. supplied some A-20 J and K with glazed nose for a navigator/bomber. A-20J was similar to late production A-20G, but with a glazed cockpit of new design for the navigator; A-20K was similar to A-20J except for the engines R-2600-29s instead of -23s.

In total, 48 A - 20J, (s/n 43 - 21858 to - 21875, - 22028 to - 22057) and 110 A-20K (s/n 44 - 116 to - 155, - 371 to - 384, - 393 to - 406, - 545 to - 559, - 583 to - 608, and - 717 to - 718) are known to be delivered through the ALSIB route, nearly all in late 1944.

 

 

 

 

 

A-20K 44-718, still at the ALSIB intermediate airfield of Edmonton (Canada). It could have been the last A-20 delivered to the Soviet Union. It had the tank under the fuselage for the ferry flight to S.U. It shows the US camouflage in OD and NG, with medium green blothes on the tail, wings, nacelles and apparently on the fuselage sides. The profile of the glazed nose is different from that of earlier versions. Surprisingly, the camouflage of the cowling appears black, and it was not a Soviet repainting. Pity that Soviet unit numbers weren't painted on yet.

The most part of A-20J and K, visually identical, was assigned to the Navy.

Image from 'Bostony v Sovetskom Soyuze' of Vladimir Kotelnikov

 

 

Right: Plane 44-134 with the ventral tank for the ferry flight to Siberia.

Note the Soviet insignias painted in USA, over a white disk. The plane seems to show a uniform OD uppersurface, but blotches of Medium green can't be excluded.

Besides the glazed nose, visual differences with A-20G include the drop fairing of the radio compass.

Image from 'Bostony v Sovetskom Soyuze' of Vladimir Kotelnikov

 

A-20J of 970 Night Light Bomber Aviation Regiment, 1944. On the left is the regiment commander M. Karpenko.

http://ava.org.ru/bap/970.htm

 

 

 

The photo shows the commander of the 108th orae (reconaissance squadron) guards Major Vasily Ivanovich Donchuk (1910-1944, Hero of the Soviet Union, awarded posthumously, is the tallest man in the photo) and his crew in front of their A-20J/K on the Afrikanda airfield.

The top of a number 3 or 5 seems visible on the rudder.

http://ava.org.ru/rap/108e.htm

The squadron commander Donchuk and the chief of staff Major Semyonov Grigory Semyonovich, probably in front of the same plane of the photo above. The plane still preserved the red stars over white circles painted by the Americans before the ferry flight from Alaska.

http://ava.org.ru/rap/108e.htm

 

Aircraft of the 1st squadron of 51 MTBAP over the suburbs of Berlin on May 28, 1945.

No. 1: A-20J / K (plane of the squadron commander Guryanov);

No. 3: A-20G (plane of Schegolev);

No. 5 (43-9561): A-20G-30-DO with redesigned nose.

http://ava.org.ru/bap/51m.htm

 
   

 

Disclaimer: this work collects a lot of photos and drawings from many sources, not always identified and mentioned.
If someone has rights on the images reproduced here, please don't feel hurted, email to me and I shall provide to remove or to credit them.