ZA RODINU

The photos were shot by German photographers and show the plane abandoned on a captured airfield on late summer or fall 1941.

Left:

this photo shows the abandoned plane still camouflaged with vegetation, and is probably the first one in chronological order.

Image from Scalemodels.ru

This image with less foliage let see that the plane had the sliding hood and the antenna mast.

Some of its features are relatively rare, probably characteristic of part of the production of July 1941:

• engine cowling and exhaust pipes fairings as the late type (wartime production);
• early type tail wheel doors with slots for the wheel instead of the bulged ones;
• wings apparently without slats and pitot on the leading edge, as prewar production;
• stabilizers and elevators as late standard;
• field painted black camouflage over green background, with unusual pattern;
• glossy finish, probably AII paints;
• the "za rodinu" ("for the motherland") slogan, painted white on the left side, with decreasing character size.

Image from barbarossa Victims, ed. Mushrooms

Left:

This image shows part of the camo.
Note the early type tail wheel doors.
The star looks deleted on this image, but further documents demonstrate that it was present, even if in bit unusual position and size.

Image from barbarossa Victims, ed. Mushrooms

The image below shows clearly the tail star, and hides strangely the fuselage one. This changecould be due to reflections on the gloss paint.

This image shows well the late type engine cowling and the camouflage of the wings.
All the available photos show the left side of the plane with the slogan; this probably means that the right side was less interesting or unrecognizable because without any slogan.

Left and below: two photos of the same man close to plane Za Rodinu. The image below is thought to be the only known one from this side and doesn't show the slogan, a part of which should be visible despite the remotion of the panel on the right side of the cockpit. https://www.modelforum.cz/viewtopic.php?f=875&t=93594

Below: reconstruction of the look of plane "ZA RODINU" of Lt.Grigoriy German, 42 IAP

ZA STALINA

Photos of another similar plane are available on the web: a downed plane with the slogan 'ZA STALINA' on the left side of the fuselage. The style of the inscriptions and all the visible characteristics of the plane are the same of plane 'ZA RODINU' shown above, so we can assume that they are from the same unit, 42 IAP.

Some of its features are relatively rare, probably characteristic of part of the production of July 1941:

• engine cowling and exhaust pipes fairings as the late type (wartime production);
• early type tail wheel doors with slots for the wheel instead of the bulged ones;
• wings apparently without slats and pitot on the leading edge, as prewar production;
• stabilizers and elevators as late standard;
• field painted black camouflage over green background, with unusual pattern;
• glossy finish, probably AII paints;
• the "ZA STALINA" ("PER STALIN") slogan, painted white on the left side, with decreasing character size;
• the radio mast doesn't appear, but given the absence of the cowling panels this don't demonstrate that it wasn't there when the plane was still operational.

Images from Scalemodels.ru

above:

another image of 'Za Stalina' surrounded by German soldiers.

Image from Scalemodels.ru

Above:

This image of the same plane from the other side shows the lack of the slogan on the right side.

The pitot on the leading edge seems vaguely visible, suggesting the old style wing consoles without slats on the leading edge.