Bayonets & Brushes

Bayonets & Brushes

The Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily

The Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily

The Soviet Airforce in Spain

Polikarpov I-15 'Chata'

Fighter

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First flown in 1933, the I-15 was a stout, extremely manoeuvrable fighter that  featured a gull-shaped upper-wing. It proved to be unpopular with many Soviet pilots. Development of the design continued because given their manoeuvrability  would still play a significant role in air-to-air combat.

Polikarpov I-15bis

Fighter

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First flown in 1933, the I-15bis was a stout, extremely manoeuvrable fighter that  featured a conventional upper-wing. Development of the design continued because given their manoeuvrability  would still play a significant role in air-to-air combat.

Polikarpov I-16 Type 5

Fighter

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The first I-16s appeared in Spanish skies in November 1936. The Polikarpov monoplanes had their baptism of fire on 13 November 1936, when twelve I-16s intercepted a Nationalist bombing raid on Madrid claiming four air victories and two German Heinkel He 51 pilots killed.

Polikarpov I-16 Type 10

Fighter

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The four-gun Type 10 was nicknamed “Super Mosca” or simply “Super”. The total number of I-16s delivered to Spain from 1936 to 1938 amounted to 276. When the war ended on 1 April 1939, 187 Ratas had been lost in Spain

Polikarpov R5 'Rasante'

Light Bomber

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31 R-5’s arrived in November 1936, and were quickly deployed on combat operations. Seven R-5s remained in good condition by March 1939. Known as “Rasante” (roughly translated as “Low flying”) in the Spanish Republican Air Force they were found to be slow and were relegated to night bombing.

Polikarpov R-Z 'Natacha'

Reconnaissance/ Light Bomber

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The Polikarpov R-Z was a Soviet reconnaissance bomber aircraft of the 1930s.  61 R-Z’s were heavily used, flying in tight formations and using co-ordinated defensive fire to defend against fighter attack, while returning individually at low levels.

Tupolev SB2M 100 'Katiuska'

Light Bomber

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An initial batch of 31 SBs arrived in Cartagena in October 1936, flying their first bombing raid by four SBs against Tablada airfield, Seville on 28th. The SBs were used to equip Grupo 12 of the Spanish Republican Air Force, which at first was mainly manned by Soviet volunteers and under Soviet control.