SOVIET LEND-LEASE FIGHTER ACES OF WORLD WAR 2 (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 74)

George Mellinger

By the end of 1941 the Soviet Union was near collapse and its air force almost annihilated, leaving many surviving pilots with no aircraft to fly. At this juncture the United Kingdom put aside its pre-war animosities toward the communist regime and despatched several hundred Hurricanes to the USSR at a time when they were still struggling to supply the RAF with modern fighters in North Africa and the Far East. Some 4,300 Hurricanes and Spitfires, as well as hundreds of ex-British Tomahawks, Kittyhawks, and Airacobras obtained from America were eventually supplied to the USSR. After the United States entered the war, the Americans also supplied almost 10,000 fighters to the Soviets-mainly P-39s, P-40s, and P-63s. Although many of these machines were outdated and not particularly suited to Russian conditions, they were put to good use. Indeed, more than 100 pilots achieved ace status in lend-lease fighters, and dozens became Heroes of the Soviet Union. 96 pages.