By the end of 1941 the Soviet Union was near collapse and its air force almost annihilated, leaving large numbers of surviving pilots with no aircraft to fly. At this juncture the United Kingdom put aside its prewar animosities toward the Communists and despatched several hundred Hurricane fighters despite the fact that at this time the British were still struggling to supply the RAF with modern fighters in North Africa and the Far East. A total of 4300 Hurricanes and Spitfires, as well as several hundred Tomahawks, Kittyhawks and Airacobras, obtained from the USA under Lend-lease, were eventually supplied to the USSR in an attempt to present a Russian defeat. After the United States had entered the war, the Americans extended Lend-lease to include direct supply to the Soviets as well as the British, and among the aircraft sent were almost 10,000 fighters - mainly P-39s, P-40s and P-63s. Although many of these aircraft were outdated when they arrived, and some were not particularly suited to Russian operating conditions, they served when they were needed. A number of Russian pilots became Heroes of the Soviet Union flying Lend-lease aircraft, and many more gained their early experience before converting to their own Yaks and Lavochkins. All of these types, including the Hurricane, remained in active units until the end of the war, and even into the post-war period. The Soviet government tried to play down or conceal the importance of Lend-lease fighters until well into the 1980s, and the pilots who flew them were discriminated against as 'foreigners'. Only in recent years have these pilots felt free to admit what they flew, and now the fascinating story of these men and their heroic achievements can emerge.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Soviet Lend-Lease Fighter Aces:
This is in between a reference book and a novel, although the flow of the story is only for a paragraph or a few pages. A slight improvement over other books in this series. The content is somewhat unique since that side of the war is seldom covered.
Great for its limited audience:
OK, maybe 5 stars is a bit extereme. But what a pleasure to read if you have an interest in this pretty obscure subject.
Great Book! Excellent edition to anyone's VVS library:
Split into 4 main sections: Hurricane, P-40, Kobras (P-39), and other lend lease fighters. 80 B&W pictures mainly focusing on pilot portraits with aircraft behind. Hurricane section has more aircraft views and crash photos than others. Other lend lease fighters focus on Spits and P-63 in all of its 7 pages-2 pics of P-47 none of A-20. Nice, as always, art by Jim Laurier features 36 side views of all types covered and an A-20!! Only 1 written page (last one)devoted to A-20(with P-63 photo on it-???!!!),... more info
Soviet Falcons in Action!:
The over 15,000 fighters supplied to Russia by America and Great Britain played a vital role in Russia's survival and ultimate triumph in WW II. That total encompassed Hurricanes, Spits, P-39s, P-40s and P-63s along with small numbers of P-47s and -51s. The exploits of the VVS aces who flew lend-lease fighters are recounted in George Mellinger's latest Osprey volume, #74 in their 'Aircraft of the Aces' series. Of the fighters supplied, Britain's fighters drew a mixed response. The Huricanes were viewed... more info
