The Impact of Barbarossa on the Soviet Air Force and the Resulting Commitment of United States Aircraft June-October 1941
By the time Germany invaded the Soviet Union, the Polikarpov I-153 Chaika (Russian "Seagull") was no longer a serious opponent for German fighters, although it remained a significant aircraft based on numbers alone. On 22 September 1941 there were 1,549 I-153s stationed in the Western Military Districts. More than 50% of these were destroyed on the ground or rendered unusable in the first few days of the conflict. The photograph shows two "Chaikas" found by advancing German forces. The fabric-covered areas of the aircraft were painted silver, while the metal panels were pale gray. Note the early-war version of the Soviet star with a narrow black outline and black circle in the center of the star. The fuselage star has been removed by a souvenir hunter. by Richard C. Lukas On 22 June 1941 Barbarossa — the code name for the German invasion of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics—ended the strained romance that began with the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact and forced...