Guest Mike Posted March 17, 2006 Share Posted March 17, 2006 does anyone know of a good online account of Spitfires in Soviet service? I've found a few titbits of V's in service in the Caucasus - especially the Kuban front where they fought after delivery to the Sov's in Iraq - an account of Spitfire Vc's ramming a Fw-189 recce a/c, that teh spits were not regarded as that good due to their narrow undercarriage on rough airstrips, vulnerability of it's cooland system to ground fire, and apparently it resembled a 109 a bit too much ( :confused: :confused: - really? the Germans never sem to have made that error.....) Also that IX's were sent to Leningrad towards teh end of the war (after the end of the war with Finland), a PR unit was equipped with Spit IV's, and apparently at least 1 Guards regiment had V's somewhere near Leningrad too. They weer generally retained by hte PVO - the strategic denfence airforce defending cities & centres of industry - rather than used as "frontal fighters" by the VVS on the front line. [ March 16, 2006, 06:38 PM: Message edited by: Stalin's Organist ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakespeed Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 You might be better off going in reverse, by finding accounts of German pilots that shot them down. I looked through my dad's extensive (1000+ reference books) collection and with the exception of a few blurbs in the Osprey books there's no real info that I have found. Even with the online searches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixxkiller Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 Thats because its like a 300 to 1 ratio as far as sites on German military history as compared to Soviet sites. Its almost like the Soviets weren't there. I suspect as time goes by this will change a little but I guess that doesnt help Stalin in his quest in the present. -Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted March 20, 2006 Share Posted March 20, 2006 Some of the accounts I have read WERE the German side of encounters!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakespeed Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 I think the majority of the problem is that Stalin purged so much from Mother Russia while he was in power (people, history, etc..) that a lot of what we do know is all really just peasant tales passed down from mouth to mouth (oral history) or propaganda that Stalin directed to be made up. There's almost no history known of a lot of the fighter squadrons and infantry divisions that the Germans wiped out, simply because Stalin considered it a disgrace and acted like they never existed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 True. However there does seem to be a lot more info coming out of the fUSSR these days - there were records kept at a level that Stalin probably didn't interest himself in - sadly we'll probably de dead before anything really comprehensive is written, but we can lap up the crumbs mean time! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixxkiller Posted March 21, 2006 Share Posted March 21, 2006 Stalin dont you wish you hadnt done all those nasty little purges? You would have your info you capitalist commie! -Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 And then where would be all the fun in discovering everything?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lakespeed Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Here's one you might find interesting: http://www.bergstrombooks.elknet.pl/bc-rs/batz.htm Here's another one....scroll down a bit to the "Red Stars" book: http://www.aerovintage.com/review.htm#rs4 It does seem like the Finns shot down a lot of Spits.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mike Posted March 22, 2006 Share Posted March 22, 2006 Thanks - I'd seen the 1st one, but not the 2nd. Spitfire V's were apparently used around Leningrad ex-shipment via Murmansk - whereas the IX's in Kuban were delivered via Iraq. There are little titbits about Finns vs Spitfires at http://www.saunalahti.fi/fta/finace012.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sixxkiller Posted March 24, 2006 Share Posted March 24, 2006 Ah I stand corrected comrade, purges are way more fun than Spitfires, even little red ones with the top down! Originally posted by Stalin's Organist: And then where would be all the fun in discovering everything?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musgrove Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 you guys are correct...Spitfires were used, but in limited numbers...Hurricanes were much more common especially in Murmansk area Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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