In late July - early August, the situation on the border territory of the Mongolian People's Republic near the Khalkhin-Gol River was largely similar to June. Against the background of sporadic attacks on the ground and clashes in the sky, both sides were building up forces for new decisive operations.
In the photo: Red Army soldiers and captured Japanese soldiers
Original taken from mayorgb On the Soviet-Japanese military conflicts. Part 3. Fighting at Khalkhin Gol. II.
On August 4, 1939, by a special decree of the emperor, the Japanese-Manchu forces in the conflict area were united into the 6th military group under the command of Lieutenant General Ogisu Ryuhei. Its total number, taking into account all collaborationist formations, reached 55 thousand people, however, there were no more than 35 thousand on Mongolian territory, that is, in the immediate battle zone. On August 24, the headquarters of General Ogisu planned a large-scale offensive in order to cover the right flank of the Soviet-Mongolian troops and defeat them.
However, the command of the Soviet 1st Army Group did not intend to wait for the Japanese strike. The forces of the Red Army in the combat area numbered about 57 thousand people, the total number of two cavalry divisions of the MNRA reached 5 thousand. The Soviet troops had artillery in 542 guns and mortars, armored vehicles of 498 tanks and 385 armored vehicles and an aviation group of 581 aircraft.
Soldiers of the 6th Cavalry Division of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army are observing.
The Soviet command developed a plan of operation, which consisted in encircling the main forces of the Japanese and Manchus with flank converging strikes, followed by the defeat of the encircled enemy without crossing the state border. To implement this plan, the troops of the 1st Army Group were divided into three groups: Northern, Central and Southern. The central group was tasked with tying down the Japanese-Manchurian grouping, depriving the Japanese command of the opportunity to regroup forces through maneuvering and castling; The northern and southern groups delivered flank converging strikes, and the main strike was considered Southern group, which hit the left wing of the enemy. The Soviet command also left a reserve of the 9th motorized armored brigade, a tank battalion, 2 rifle and machine gun battalions and the 212th airborne brigade of Major Ivan Ivanovich Zatevakhin. The Mongolian troops were united under the general command of Marshal of the Mongolian People's Republic Khorlogiyin Choibalsan.
Khorlogiin Choibalsan and Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov.
While the ground-based Soviet-Mongolian and Japanese-Manchurian groups were preparing for large-scale offensives, the pilots of the Red Army Air Force and the armed forces of the Japanese Empire fought for air supremacy.
Red Army soldiers inspect the wreckage of a downed Japanese bomber.
On August 2, 23 I-16s, covered by 19 new I-153 Chaika biplane fighters, attacked one of the Japanese airfields; the result was the burning of 6 Japanese aircraft and damage to several more, and most importantly, the death of the commander of the 15th sentai, Colonel Abe Katsumi. The Red Star planes returned without loss.
On August 3, the commander of the squadron of the 56th fighter regiment Captain Viktor Pavlovich Kustov, who rammed a Japanese bomber at the cost of his life. For his feat, Captain Kustov was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. On August 5, the commander of a SB bomber hit by anti-aircraft fire, battalion commissar Mikhail Anisimovich Yuyukin committed fire ram, sending the plane to the accumulation of Japanese troops, for which he was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union; another Soviet aircraft, an I-16 fighter, was shot down in a dogfight.
Viktor Pavlovich KustovMikhail Anisimovich Yuyukin
The red pilots repaid the Japanese by defeating two aces of the Imperial Air Force on the same day: Kobayashi Taro, who had 10 victories in his asset, and Motojima Mineyoshi, whose score was 26 victories. And this event already clearly testified to the exhaustion of the Japanese aviators at Khalkhin Gol, who were forced to fight for more than two months against the numerically superior forces of the Red Army.
On August 12, 137 Soviet and about 60 Japanese fighters clashed in a large-scale battle; The Red Army Air Force lost 2 aircraft, there is no information about Japanese losses in cars, but it is known that another Japanese pilot died that day high class- Okuda Jiro with 14 wins to his credit. On August 13, a period of non-flying weather began. On August 19, the conditions again became acceptable for flights, which was immediately taken advantage of by the pilots of the 22nd Fighter Aviation Regiment, who burned down two Japanese aircraft at the airfields during the attack, but on the same day one of the SB bombers did not return from a sortie.
The preparations for the offensive required enormous efforts. For the operation, two-week stocks of provisions, fuel and lubricants and ammunition were accumulated; transportation of all this was carried out by more than 4 thousand trucks. At the same time, the troops carefully observed the measures to maintain secrecy - Zhukov was generally distinguished by hypertrophied attention to this side of the preparation of operations. All troop movements were carried out exclusively at night, the enemy's vigilance was dulled by continuous imitation with the help of car noise loudspeakers, artillery tractors and tanks.
Red Army mortars in position.
On August 20, a quarter of an hour before 6 am, 150 red-star bombers rained down a hail of bombs on Japanese positions from a height of 2.5-3 kilometers. At the same time, 46 I-16s, acting in several groups, crushed Japanese anti-aircraft guns. At the same time, not a single Japanese fighter took off into the sky, which the Soviet pilots actively used: after attacking one of the airfields, they destroyed 6 and damaged 9 Japanese aircraft. At 6:15 am, the guns of the Soviet-Mongolian troops opened heavy fire on the enemy lines. After shelling, another 52 SB under the cover of 162 fighters bombarded Japanese troops in the valley of the Khailastyn-Gol River.
Then Japanese pilots still answered. About 50 bombers, escorted by 80 fighters, took off to attack Soviet airfields, but the VNOS posts worked well, and 204 Soviet fighters met them in the vicinity of Tamtsak-Bulak. In the battle that took place, the Japanese were able to shoot down 6 Soviet fighters, and Japanese bombers even broke through to the airfield, but the Red Army pilots did not allow targeted bombing, and only one bomb was able to destroy the SB standing on the airfield. In total, for this day, the losses of the Red Army Air Force amounted to 7 fighters and 4 SBs, the Japanese - 6 fighters.
Soviet soldiers are ready to attack.
The ground forces of the Red Army and the MNRA went on the offensive at 9 am on August 20. Morning fog in a number of areas allowed the Red Army and Cyrics to covertly get close to the first line of enemy positions at a distance that allowed them to immediately rush to the attack. The strikes of Soviet artillery and aviation were so strong that in the first hour and a half the Japanese and Manchus did not fire a single retaliatory artillery shot. The Japanese were also unable to determine the direction of the main attack. It should be noted the successes of the 8th Cavalry Division of the MNRA, which operated in the Southern Group - its soldiers, pushing back the Bargut units encountered on their way, reached the very state border. Meanwhile, by the end of the day, the troops of the Northern Group began fighting for the Fui height, which the Japanese had turned into a powerful stronghold.
A group of Red Army soldiers in the battles at Khalkhin Gol.
In the next two days, Japanese resistance increased decisively. Commander of the machine gun company of the 57th Ural rifle division Vasily Ivanovich Davidenko recalled: “In general, we must honestly admit: the fanaticism and selflessness of the Japanese soldier were amazing. There was such a case in my company. The Red Army soldier Tatarnikov, having found a wounded Japanese in the trench, decided to take him prisoner. He put his bayonet to his chest and ordered to surrender. with both hands, drove him into his stomach. Tatarnikov then justified himself: they say, "who knew that this crazy person would do this" ". Zhukov himself described the Japanese soldiers as follows: "The Japanese soldier who fought with us at Khalkhin Gol is well prepared, especially for close combat. Disciplined, diligent and tenacious in combat, especially in defensive combat. Junior command staff prepared very well and fights with fanatical tenacity. As a rule, junior commanders do not surrender and do not stop before hara-kiri"; at the same time, the commander pointed out the following shortcomings in the Japanese Imperial Army: "The officers, especially the senior and higher ones, are poorly prepared, have little initiative and are inclined to act according to the template".
Already after the Great Patriotic War, Zhukov told Simonov about the frenzied stubbornness of Japanese soldiers, citing examples: “The Japanese fought extremely stubbornly, mostly infantry. I remember how I interrogated the Japanese who were sitting in the area of the Khailastyn-Gol River. They were taken prisoner there, in the reeds. I ask them: “How did you let mosquitoes eat you like that?” They answer: "We were ordered to sit on patrol and not move. We did not move." Indeed, they were ambushed, and then they were forgotten. The situation changed, and their battalion was pushed back, but they were still sitting for the second day and did not move until we captured them. They were eaten half to death by mosquitoes, but they continued to follow orders."
A notable event on August 22 was the victory Soviet aviators over another Japanese ace, Motomura Koji, whose number of victories was 14. Red star aircraft firmly held the initiative in the air.
Red Army soldiers and an armored car.
The fierce resistance of the enemy forced Zhukov to commit reserves into battle - the 9th motorized armored and 212th airborne brigades moved to help the Northern Group. The warriors of the latter, having entered the battle for the height of Fui, where the enemy was helped not only by outrageous fury, but also by the most powerful fortifications and the terrain itself, were able to take this stronghold with a decisive attack.
In their baptism of fire, held at the height of Fui, the paratroopers demonstrated excellent combat training. The 9th motorized armored brigade, supported by two companies of border guards and a rifle and machine gun battalion of the 11th light tank brigade, reached the height of Nomon-Khan-Burd-Obo, by the end of August 23, cutting off the Japanese escape routes to the east. At the same time, the Soviet-Mongolian troops of the Southern Group broke into the defensive lines of the Japanese in their offensive zone to the full depth. On August 24, the 8th Motorized Armored Brigade of the Southern Group linked up with units of the 9th Motorized Armored Brigade. Finally, the circle of encirclement finally closed. Of course, it would be premature to consider the battle over at this point, especially given the Japanese fanaticism.
The Red Army is on top.
And on August 25, in the air, the red pilots cut off the lives of two more aces of the Imperial Air Force: Suzuki Eisaku with 11 victories and Yajima Yoshihiku with 16 defeated opponents on account.
The command of the 6th military group tried to break through the steel ring created by the soldiers of the Red Army and the MNRA with strikes from the outside, but these attempts only led to unnecessary losses in the Japanese units. At the same time, battles of unprecedented intensity were going on inside the ring with the surrounded Japanese troops, the main centers of resistance of which were formed in the areas of the Peschanaya hill, Remizov and Zelenaya heights. In the last battles to finish off the Japanese, the Red Army and Cyrics had to face a special bitterness of the enemy, who did not show a shadow of self-pity. According to the memoirs of the reconnaissance platoon commander Nikolai Grigorievich Bogdanov, "Even making sure that they would not be able to escape from the encirclement, the samurai still did not lay down their arms and perished in hand-to-hand combat until last person. All the slopes were littered with their corpses". Finally, at the very end of August, the last center of enemy resistance on the Remizov hill was destroyed. After that, the Japanese made a number of attacks on the ground, but they all did not give any result.
Red Army soldiers inspect the Japanese gun.
But if the battles on the ground practically came to naught, then the Soviet pilots still had a lot of work to do in September. On August 27, a Soviet fighter pilot, Senior Lieutenant Viktor Georgievich Rakhov, who had shot down up to 14 enemy planes, was shot down and died of wounds two days later. The conflict at Khalkhin Gol was the first and last battle for the 25-year-old pilot, who died without knowing that the Kremlin had signed a decree conferring on him the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. But the Japanese Air Force did not bring anything good on August 27 either - the most productive Japanese ace at that time, Shinohara Hiromichi, who had as many as 58 victories, died.
Viktor Georgievich Rakhov.
Hiromichi did not become the last Japanese ace whose life path broke off over the banks of Khalkhin Gol. In these last days war, Soviet pilots reached brilliant results. On September 1, a battle took place between 188 Soviet and approximately 120 Japanese fighters, culminating in the downing of 3 Soviet and 5 Japanese fighters; another Soviet plane made an emergency landing near Tamtsak-Bulak. In this battle, the Red Army Air Force pulled out two more aces from the enemy ranks: Kodama Takayori with 11 victories and Sudo Tokuya with 10.
On September 15, 1939, an agreement was signed between the USSR and the MPR on the one hand and Japan on the other, prescribing the termination of hostilities from 13.00 September 16. And on the same day, the last, largest air battle of this military conflict took place. About 120 Japanese aircraft attacked the Tamtsak-Bulak air hub, where 207 aircraft with red stars rose towards them. In the battle, 6 Soviet and 9 Japanese fighters were shot down, as well as 1 Japanese bomber, and among the 8 dead Japanese pilots there were two more aces: Shimada Kenji with 27 victories and Yoshiyama Bunji, whose asset totaled 20 victories. They became the latest addition to the cemetery of Mikado aces, arranged by Soviet soldiers on the border Mongolian land. In general, in the September battles, the aircraft of the Kwantung Group of Forces lost 24 aircraft, while the irretrievable losses of the Red Army Air Force amounted to 16 aircraft.
The winners are photographed on the wreckage of a Japanese aircraft.
Data statistical study"Russia and the USSR in the wars of the XX century. The book of losses" testify: during the conflict on the Khalkhin Gol military establishment The Soviet Union lost 6472 people who died on the battlefield and died at the stages of sanitary evacuation, 1152 died from wounds in hospitals, 8 died from diseases, 2028 went missing and 43 died in disasters or as a result of other incidents, a total of 9703 people; sanitary losses are estimated at 15,251 people wounded and 2,225 people sick (in relation to the latter, data are incomplete).
Given the scale of the battle and the almost inevitable error for statistics, including military casualty statistics, the number irretrievable losses should be rounded up to 10 thousand people, and the number of wounded up to 15.5 thousand. Since the number of those captured did not exceed 2-3 hundred people, almost all the soldiers attributed to the irretrievable losses at Khalkhin Gol can be considered dead. It should be noted that it is not known for sure whether the Japanese returned all the prisoners of war of the Red Army to the Soviet side - there is even evidence that some of the prisoners Soviet soldiers used in the experiments of Detachment 731. Mongolian losses, taking into account the victims among the border guards, according to available data, do not exceed a thousand people, of which no more than three hundred are irretrievably lost. However, even if these data are incomplete, it is unlikely Mongolian losses exceed 1.5 thousand people, of which at most 0.5 thousand died and went missing. Soviet losses in the main types of military equipment reached the following values: 249 aircraft, of which 42 for non-combat reasons, 253 tanks and armored cars.
Red Army soldiers inspecting a wrecked Japanese tank.
In turn, regarding Japanese losses, the following data are available: 8629 killed, 1201 missing, 9087 wounded and 2350 sick. Thus, the total Japanese deadweight loss according to these data is 9830 people. However, one should take into account the encirclement of a significant part of the Japanese troops in the final phase of the battles, which almost certainly had a negative impact on the completeness of the reporting. In addition, on the monument in honor of those killed during the "Nomonkhan Incident", opened by the Japanese in Hailar in 1942, 10301 names of soldiers and officers of the Imperial Japanese Army who died at Khalkhin Gol were carved. Considering that during the battles, the Soviet-Mongolian troops captured 226 enemy troops, of which 155 were Japanese, all or almost all of whom served in the Japanese Imperial Army, the irretrievable losses of the Japanese troops in this case almost reach 10.5 thousand people.
Taking into account the error, it is necessary to round given number up to 11 thousand. As in the case of the Red Army, almost all of these people died. Thus, taking into account the 9 thousand wounded and excluding the sick, the total Japanese casualties in the conflict at Khalkhin Gol are about 20 thousand people. In aviation, the Japanese lost 162 aircraft, including 74 written off for various reasons, including combat damage.
As for the Imperial Army of Manchukuo, according to some sources, its losses do not exceed 3 thousand people, but there is no exact certainty in this - it is not even possible to say for sure whether all these 3 thousand are qualified as losses, because many of those recorded as killed or missing in action could well have actually simply deserted.
So, the main participants in the battles at Khalkhin Gol: the USSR and Japan - suffered total losses minus the sick in 25.5 and 20 thousand, respectively. At the same time, it should be noted a very high proportion of irretrievable losses among the Japanese, obviously caused by the encirclement, followed by the grinding of a significant part of the 6th military group. It was this environment that made it possible to practically equalize the final losses of the parties, while in general, during the battles, the Japanese suffered less damage, which is explained by the better training of Japanese soldiers who served a full 2-3-year military service, compared with the then fighters of the Red Army, most of whom military service took place in the form of short-term training fees. The very extensive combat experience they received in China also played into the hands of the Japanese.
Japanese weapons captured by the Red Army
One way or another, but the result of the battles at Khalkhin Gol turned out to be a complete failure for the leadership of the Japanese Imperial Army. By arranging the "Nomonhan Incident", the tenno generals were counting on a not-too-complicated, spectacular victory in a short local conflict without threat full scale war from the USSR. In fact, the Japanese troops suffered a local, but no less painful defeat. Attempts to attribute it to the technical superiority of the Red Army only aggravated the situation - in response to the generals of Yamato, reproaches immediately poured in that they had abandoned people almost from with bare hands fight against armored Soviet armadas. Because of this, in the Japanese elite, the positions of those who called for trying their luck in south seas. And in the end, in 1941, it was the "southerners" who would win.
Former Japanese artillery
However, the turn of the island empire to the south, which was just beginning, had one more reason. On August 23, a non-aggression pact between the Soviet Union and Germany was signed in Moscow. In Japan, which was part of the Anti-Comintern Pact, many considered it a betrayal that the Germans had concluded a treaty with the Russians at the very moment when the armored wedges of the Red Army were about to close the circle around the Japanese troops on the Mongolian border. September 4, 1939 Japanese government declared that it did not intend to interfere in any form in the conflict in Europe, and on April 13, 1941, People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the USSR Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov and Japanese Foreign Minister Matsuoka Yosuke signed the Soviet-Japanese neutrality treaty. The USSR received, albeit shaky, but still a guarantee of Japan's non-intervention in the coming war between the Soviet Union and Germany.
At the beginning of 1939, a series of armed clashes took place on the border of the Mongolian People's Republic and the state of Manchukuo, which was part of the Japanese sphere of influence. Since, under the 1936 treaty, protection Mongolian territories was assigned to parts of the Red Army, then very soon these clashes escalated into a major Soviet-Japanese conflict, which in Russian historiography is usually called the "battles on Khalkhin Gol" (after the name of the border river). fighting took place from April to September 1939 and ended with the complete victory of the Red Army. During the conflict, both sides actively used various military equipment, including the Air Force, whose actions will be discussed in this article.
Highlights of Air Warfare
First dogfights showed the superiority of Japanese aircraft. The Soviet Air Force suffered significant losses. In air battles on May 27 and 28, the 22nd IAP lost 15 aircraft. The Japanese, in turn, lost one car. This situation seriously worried the Soviet leadership. The failures of our Air Force in Mongolia were due to the fact that the Japanese had significant technical superiority, and in terms of training, Soviet pilots were inferior to the Japanese. The command of the Red Army solved this problem by updating the materiel, engaging experienced flight personnel, and also ensuring numerical superiority.
On May 29, a group of pilots was sent to Mongolia, who had experience behind them air combat in Spain and on Lake Hasan. The Soviet command considered them not as an ordinary replenishment, but primarily as instructors for the training of flight personnel. They were led by commander Smushkevich Ya.V., who took command of the air forces of the 1st Army Group. This event had a positive effect on the state of Soviet aviation in this conflict. In the battles of June 22-26, our pilots shot down about 50 enemy aircraft, establishing a balance in the Mongolian sky.
On June 27, the Japanese Air Force carried out a massive raid on Soviet airfields. They managed to destroy 19 aircraft, limiting themselves to the loss of two bombers and three fighters. During the air battles on June 22-28, Japan's losses amounted to about 90 vehicles, which was a serious blow to its aviation. The Soviet Air Force lost 36 aircraft. The Red Stars secured air supremacy for the remainder of the war despite fierce Japanese opposition. Numerical superiority and advanced aviation industry gave an undeniable trump card in the hands of the Soviet Air Force. For the Japanese side, with their production volumes, large losses were a disaster.
I-16
On August 20, units of the Red Army launched a large-scale offensive, which was preceded by massive artillery preparation and an air raid. 581 aircraft took part in the operation. Soviet bombers, under the cover of fighters, crushed Japanese positions, thereby facilitating the work of ground attacking forces.
The fighting was stopped on September 15, 1939 at the request of the Japanese side. The victory was for the USSR. In battles, the Soviet Union lost 207 aircraft, Japan - 162 (the figures are controversial, since it is difficult to establish exact data due to propaganda on both sides).
Description of the equipment of the opposing sides
The materiel of the Soviet air group at the time of the outbreak of hostilities consisted of I-15bis, I-16 fighters, SB bombers and multi-purpose R-5s.
The I-15bis, a biplane fighter with a fixed landing gear, was a hopelessly outdated machine that could not compete on equal terms with the latest Japanese aircraft. At one time, he showed himself well in Spain and China. The main advantages of the aircraft were good maneuverability, stability and strong armament for that time (four PV-1 7.62 mm machine guns). The M-25V engine (750 hp) was installed on the machine. In addition to machine guns, the aircraft could carry bomb weapons (150 kg). Until mid-summer, the I-15bis was the main fighter of the Soviet Air Force in Mongolia. Subsequently, it was replaced by the "Seagulls".
R-5
The I-16 type 5 (equipped with the 70th IAP) was a high-speed monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. Unfortunately, the existing aircraft could not be actively used in air battles due to extreme deterioration. They were replaced by fighter modifications. At first it was an I-16 type 10 with an M-25V engine and four 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns. Then there was the I-16 type 17, which was armed with two ShKAS and two 20 mm ShVAK guns. In this modification, the strengthening of weapons led to an increase in mass, which negatively affected maneuverability. For fights with Japanese fighters, he was not very suitable, so he was used mainly as an attack aircraft. The I-16 type 18 had a new M-62 engine (800 hp).
Modernization of the I-16 was also carried out in the field. For example, on type 10, the M-62 installation was carried out. To reduce the weight of the aircraft, various minor equipment, batteries and oxygen cylinders were removed from it. Holders for bombs and unguided rockets were installed. There was a use of missiles against air targets (Captain Zvonarev's group of the 22nd IAP).
The I-153 "Chaika" was massively used. It was a retractable biplane. This aircraft, along with the I-16, was the basis of the fighter aircraft of the Soviet Air Force. prewar period. Despite the fact that the new aircraft was superior to the I-15bis, it was significantly inferior to the Japanese Ki-27 in terms of flight characteristics. Among the shortcomings, it should be noted directional instability, which greatly interfered with aiming, and poor forward visibility, which was caused by the structure of the upper wing.
Bomber aviation of the Soviet side was represented by SB and TB-3 aircraft. By this time, the SB was already outdated and could not use the superiority in speed, the new Japanese fighters easily caught up with it. At the same time, this bomber was distinguished by high reliability and survivability. The TB-3 showed itself well, only one vehicle was lost during the conflict.
The greatest danger to Soviet aircraft represented the Japanese fighter Ki-27 Nakajima. It was an all-metal monoplane with fixed landing gear. He surpassed all Soviet fighters in speed, maneuverability (he was the most maneuverable fighter of his time) and rate of climb. At the same time, the Ki-27 was much inferior to Soviet vehicles in armament (two type 89 7.7 mm machine guns). Weak point there was a reliability of the design, during sharp maneuvers the plane could lose its wings.
In connection with the losses, the Japanese command was forced to use obsolete Ki-10 fighters, which the Soviet pilots coped with without much difficulty.
Ki-30
The main Japanese bomber was the Ki-30 (Army Type 97 light bomber). The advantage of this aircraft was its high speed (432 km / h), which allowed it (without bombs) to get away from Soviet fighters with impunity. Another actively used bomber was the Ki-21 (army heavy bomber type 97), which had the advantage of operating at altitudes inaccessible to Soviet fighters. The Ki-36, Ki-32 and Fiat BR-20 bombers also took part in the conflict, but their use was not massive.
In June, on the sand dunes east of Khalkhin Gol, only occasionally
rifle shots and machine-gun bursts rang out. Both sides, firmly
dug in, temporarily did not conduct active hostilities and accumulated forces.
Only occasionally, usually at night, scouts conducted searches. Then darkness
lit up with the deathly light of rockets, the air shook with a disorderly
shooting, booming explosions of hand grenades.
However, in the high Mongolian sky almost every day
air fights. The first, May ones, were unsuccessful for Soviet aviation ...
By the beginning of the conflict in the Mongolian People's Republic was the 100th
mixed aviation brigade. The 70th Fighter Regiment had 38
fighters, and in the 150th bomber - 29 high-speed bombers.
Almost half of the fighters were out of order, and the bombers were still only
mastered by pilots.
Japanese aviation located on well-equipped airfields in
areas of Hailar. It consisted of 25 - 30 fighters. In addition, there was
up to 40 scouts and bombers. The personnel of the Japanese aviation had
combat experience in China. Long before the attack on the MPR, the headquarters of the Kwantung
army organized a series of flight exercises, the Japanese carried out reconnaissance
field airfields in the area of future hostilities, made up special
aviation cards.
fighters met over Mount Hamar Daba with five Japanese,
breaking the border. On both sides, the losses amounted to one fighter.
On that day, Soviet aviation in the Mongolian People's Republic received reinforcements. From
of the Trans-Baikal Military District, the 22nd Fighter
aviation regiment under the command of N.G. Glazykin, consisting of 63 fighters
I-15 and I-16. Then the 38th high-speed bomber regiment,
with 59 SB aircraft.
three passenger planes took off. A group flew on them to Mongolia
experienced Soviet combat pilots who fought with the enemy in the sky of Spain and
China. Among them were 17 Heroes of the Soviet Union. Deputy was in charge
commander of the Soviet air force commander Ya.V. Smushkevich.
golden star He received the Hero of the Soviet Union for personal courage and
skillful leadership Soviet pilots-volunteers who fought in
ranks of the Spanish Republican army against the Francoist rebels and their
fascist German-Italian patrons. Tam Smushkevich - General Douglas
was a senior aviation advisor.
Immediately upon arrival at Tamtsag-Bulak, the pilots of the Smushkevich group
dispersed to the airports. Here they began to teach the young by personal example,
not fired upon air fighters. Instilled in them the need to fight
compact group, in close interaction, again and again reminded of
the need for mutual benefit. The number of airfields was sharply increased
and landing sites. Most of them were located much closer to
battlefield than before. Almost from scratch was organized
clear air surveillance, warning and communication service. All this was done in
extremely tight deadlines.
made reconnaissance flights.
The results of the great job were not slow to take their toll. In
places started a fight with 120 Japanese fighters. Here for the first time the enemy
used its latest I-97 fighter. At first, accustomed to win,
The Japanese were pushing hard. However, having met a skillful rebuff, they were somewhat confused.
When, leaving black ribbons of smoke, about two dozen
enemy vehicles, the Japanese began to withdraw from the battle. Soviet fighters
rushed to pursue them. In total, the enemy lost more than 30
aircraft. Soviet aviation- 14 fighters and 11 pilots. In the same fight
the commander of the 22nd died heroically fighter regiment Major N.G. Glazykin.
Here is what the writer V. Stavsky wrote about this battle:
over 200 aircraft participated (95 of them ours). Our heroes shot down 34
Japanese fighter; this victory is the result of a new spirit and new methods,
which appeared in our aviation here with the arrival of a group of experienced
hero pilots led by commander Smushkevich.
Orlov's unit met with seven samurai who had violated
MPR border. The commander shook his wings, and the pilots, gathering closer to
him, rushed at the enemy ... Orlov, aiming the entire body of the aircraft at
samurai, gave full fire from all his machine guns. And the samurai instantly
curled up...
unparalleled battle that lasted three hours and twenty minutes ... And that was his
the first air battle ... Catching a samurai in sight, Yudaev fired a burst and
I saw how the wings of an enemy aircraft caught fire ... But another samurai was already
went into the tail of Yudaev's plane ... Only on the ground, after the battle, Yudaev found out
that he was saved by the Hero of the Soviet Union Gerasimov ... "
For the first time in the battles at Khalkhin Gol, victory in the air remained with the Soviets.
pilots.
16 Japanese vultures, losing only two I-15 fighters.
air battle. It shot down 10 Japanese fighters and three Soviet ones.
Major S.I. Gritsevets, Hero of the Soviet Union, especially distinguished himself. He planted
his single-seat fighter in Manchurian territory and took out
commander of the 70th Fighter Regiment, Major V.M. Zabaluev, who jumped out of
parachute from a burning plane.
Carrying heavy losses in air combat, Japanese aviation
the command decided to defeat the Soviet aviation at the airfields. Was
captured the order of the commander of Japanese aviation operating in the area
said: "In order to finish with one blow the main air
Outer Mongolian forces, who are behaving defiantly, I order sudden
attack by all means to destroy enemy aircraft at airfields in
Tamtsag-Bulak area, Bain-Tumen, Bayn-Burdu-Nur lake".
regiment in the Tamtsag-Bulak area, 23 bombers and about 70
enemy fighters. Due to the delay in alerting the Soviet
fighters took off disorganized, singles and units. Same way
disorganized, they entered the battle. Two Japanese were shot down
bomber and three fighters. Our losses are three fighters and two
The commander of the 22nd regiment did not return to the airfield Hero of the Soviet Union
Major G.P. Kravchenko. He came only three days later, swollen from bites
mosquitoes. He shot down his enemy already over the territory of Manchuria. Because of
lack of fuel had to land sixty kilometers from the airfield and
get on foot...
Things were much worse in the 70th Fighter Regiment. Enemy
took him by surprise, as the saboteurs managed to cut the telephone
wires from observation posts. About seventy Japanese fighters
attacked the airfields of the regiment. Soviet pilots took off already under enemy fire and
were forced to engage in battle without gaining sufficient height. Was shot down
fourteen Soviet cars Yes, two are burned on the ground. Enemy losses are not
This was last success Japanese aviation during the battles over
Khalkhin Gol. And yes, it's pretty relative. In July, the initiative and
air superiority was firmly transferred to Soviet aviation. tense
air battles took place in the first half of the month almost every day.
Soviet pilots shot down 24 Japanese fighters, losing only one
car. On the 8th they shot down 21 enemy fighters, losing two of their own. After two days
70 Soviet fighters stormed enemy positions on the right bank
Khalkhin Gol. They were attacked by about a hundred I-97s. Still arrived to help our
30 cars. In the air in a relatively small space at the same time
fought 180 aircraft! In this battle, the Japanese lost 11 fighters. Was
shot down and one Soviet ...
The Japanese fought stubbornly, but the sky of the battle was left to the Soviet pilots.
The success was greatly facilitated by the clear interaction between
high-speed, but relatively low-maneuverable I-16 fighters and
maneuverable, but more "low-speed" I-15 biplanes. The enemy has already fought
not as skillfully as in previous battles, it was felt that his best pilots
already disabled.
Then there were no air battles for 10 days. Enemy no activity
showed...
As it became known, the Japanese command was hastily pulling up new
again tried to hit our airfields. The border was violated by about 150
fighters. They were met by about the same number of ours. The enemy fought
skillfully. Good use of clouds. It was evident that in its ranks again
experienced pilots appeared. However, the courage and skill of Soviet pilots
won this time too. The enemy lost 12 fighters. Our losses
amounted to five I-15s.
The success of air battles was largely facilitated by the arrival of a new
aviation technology. New fighters appeared on Mongolian airfields
I-16. By appearance they almost did not differ from their predecessors.
However, their weapons were much more powerful: if the "old" had two
machine gun, then these had two more 20-mm ShKAS cannons.
The newest fighters attracted special attention of Soviet pilots.
biplanes I-153 "Seagull". The new planes were superior to the Japanese ones both in terms of
speed as well as maneuverability.
Major S.I. Gritsevets was appointed commander of the first squadron "Seagulls". AT
first battle, he decided to use military stratagem. Taking off, "Seagulls" did not
remove the chassis. In this form, they resembled obsolete I-15 fighters, with
which the Japanese willingly entered into battle.
Approaching the Japanese, Gritsevets slightly shook the wings of his car,
and "Seagulls", picking up the chassis, quickly rushed to the bewildered enemy.
One after another, cars with red circles began to fall. rising sun"
on the wings. The rest began to hurriedly leave the battle ...
In the July air battles, the victory always remained with the Soviet
SB bombers. The fighters covering them entered the battle. Was shot down
eight Japanese planes and two of ours. The next day in three big
air battles, 25 fighters, two bombers and one
enemy scout. Soviet aviation lost seven aircraft, four of them
your first fight.
cars. On the last day of July, four I-97s were shot down without suffering losses.
In July, the Soviet bomber began to operate actively.
aviation, in May - June its flights were banned. For the first time high-speed
of the 150th and 38th bomber regiments bombed the rear of the enemy in
area of Yanhu lake, Udzur-Nur lake, Namon-Khan-Burd-Obo heights. During
seven bombers were shot down. Such relatively large losses
were explained by the lack of anti-aircraft maneuver and poor interaction with
cover fighters.
This mistake was taken into account, and the very next day, losses from fire
anti-aircraft artillery was not at all. In aerial combat, the Japanese managed to shoot down
two bombers. However, with the fire of their machine guns, Soviet navigators and
shooters destroyed five I-97s.
In the future, Soviet bombers in large groups made
raids on enemy rear lines, railway stations, concentrations of troops, firing
artillery positions. The flights were made at an altitude of 7000 - 7500 meters, and
due to the fuzzy actions of cover fighters, the Japanese shot down five Soviet
bombers, while losing 11 of their fighters.
Soviet heavy bombers TB-3. They usually flew alone.
and bombed from a height of one and a half - two kilometers. Enemy aircraft at night
flew. Usually did not open fire and his anti-aircraft artillery. Therefore, for
during the hostilities, a group of night bombers consisting of 23 vehicles
TB-3 had no losses.
In the skies of Mongolia, Soviet pilots showed selfless courage and
V.F. Skobarihin noticed that two
Japanese fighters. One of them has already entered the tail of the Soviet car.
Saving a friend, Skobarihin decided to go for a ram. left plane
the "hawk" cut through the chassis, and the propeller through the tail and fuselage of the enemy vehicle.
Skobarihin lost consciousness. When he came to himself, he saw how from the ground, from the place
the fall of a Japanese plane, a column of fire and smoke rose.
With great difficulty, Skobarihin managed to bring the crippled car to
airfield. Fellow-soldiers pilots were surprised a lot when they examined the plane: propeller
bent, the wing is damaged and part of the wheel of a Japanese fighter sticks out in it.
Senior Lieutenant Skobarihin repeated the immortal feat of the Russian
pilot Nesterov, who was the first to make an aerial ramming. However, now he
was made on a collision course and on aircraft that approached
at a speed of about 900 kilometers per hour - this is three times faster than in 1914
56th Fighter Regiment Captain V.P. Kustov. On this day, the enemy wanted
inflict a powerful air strike on the positions of the Soviet troops. Japanese armada
bombers and fighters were intercepted by Soviet aircraft. Already
several enemy vehicles fell to the ground in flames. However, part
bombers stubbornly rushed forward. One car was attacked by the captain
bushes. At the decisive moment, the Soviet pilot ran out of ammunition.
In a few seconds, bombs could fall on Soviet soldiers ... with a screw
his fighter captain hit the fuselage of a Japanese bomber,
it flared up and, falling apart, collapsed down ... In the event of a collision
Viktor Kustov also died, the first in the history of aviation to destroy a ram
by an enemy bomber.
fighter pilot A.F. Moshin. In the air over Mount Hamar-Daba
In combat, Soviet pilots shot down eight enemy planes. One of them destroyed
Lieutenant Moshin. Chasing the second car, he went into her tail. However,
Moshin ran out of ammunition. Skillfully maneuvering, he came close to
enemy aircraft and hit the stabilizer with a propeller. Japanese fighter
hit the ground!
Moshin landed safely at his airfield. Except a little
bent screw, his I-16 had no damage.
bomber regiment, pet of the Military-Political Academy named after
V.I. Lenin, battalion commissar M.A. Yuyukin.
For execution combat mission the regiment was led by its commander, major
M.F. Burmistrov. Dropping bombs on the target, the regiment turned around and lay down on the back
well. Suddenly, the commissar's plane shuddered: under the left engine it exploded
anti-aircraft projectile. With great efforts, Yuyukin tried to keep the plane in
level flight, but the altitude fell rapidly. Pilot friends saw how
Yuyukin's bomber, engulfed in flames, went into a steep dive and
crashed into a Japanese artillery battery.
The Motherland highly appreciated the exploits of the pilots who rammed the enemy in battles
at Khalkhin Gol. Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to Captain Viktor
Pavlovich Kustov, lieutenant Alexander Fedorovich Moshin and senior
Lieutenant Bit Fedorovich Skobarihin was awarded the high title of Hero
Soviet Union. Battalion Commissar Mikhail Anisimovich Yuyukin posthumously
awarded the order Lenin.
Unparalleled courage of Soviet pilots, high quality
domestic aircraft made it possible to firmly maintain air supremacy.
However, the Japanese aviation command did not want to put up with defeat.
According to our aviation reconnaissance, by the beginning of August, on the nearest to the Mongolian People's Republic
airfields in Manchuria, the enemy concentrated a large number of aircraft
various types.
Ahead were new fierce battles.
“And I, if you want to know,” said a member of the Military Council, when the frustrated Shmelev left, “I don’t believe at all in the near future in a big war on Far East.
- Why?
- Because, by beating them here, we are doing this to them common sense called out!
Do you think they called? - ironically interrupted the commander.
“I think they did, to some extent. Even sure.
Konstantin Simonov. "Comrades in Arms"
With late XIX century, Japan desperately sought to establish itself in the rank of powers of the "first magnitude". But the claims of the Japanese to complete equality with the "white people" aroused a smile in Europe and the United States at best. Therefore, Japan expanded its sphere of influence step by step, cautiously but adamantly, at every opportunity. By the end of the 1930s, such a policy brought Taiwan, Korea, Port Arthur, Qingdao, and Manchuria to Japan. Finally, in 1937, an open invasion of Japanese troops into central China began.
The European powers did not approve of such a war, but they were too far away and preoccupied with other problems - as was the United States. Although the US press regularly appeared descriptions future war on the pacific ocean, the Japanese even got away with accidentally sinking the Panay gunboat on the Yangtze.
The Soviet Union, on the contrary, saw troops hostile to itself nowhere closer - in the south of Sakhalin, in the Kuril Islands and in Manchuria - Manchukuo. Plus, there was already the sad experience of Japanese intervention in the Far East. Some Japanese were not averse to "coloring the waters of the Amur in the color of blood," but Japan as a whole has been cautious so far. Naturally, the USSR, without waiting big war took steps to prevent these dreams from becoming a reality. Since 1936, in the Mongolian People's Republic (MPR), under a mutual assistance agreement, there was the 57th Special Corps with headquarters in Ulan Bator, which had about 20 thousand people, 109 guns, 364 tanks, 365 armored vehicles, 113 aircraft. Since 1938, Soviet T-26 tanks have been unloading in the ports of China, and Soviet pilots have been fighting in the Chinese sky. However, clashes regularly took place near the border of the USSR, and in 1938, near Lake Khasan, there was a serious conflict. The region of the Khalkhin-Gol River in the east of the Mongolian People's Republic became a new place for a test of strength on the part of Japan.
On Japanese maps, the border between the MPR and Manchukuo ran along the river, on Chinese, Manchurian and Mongolian maps - 12-18 km east of the river.
The area to the east of Khalkhin Gol was flat, but crisscrossed with solid sandy mounds - places of future stubborn battles. If the Japanese could quietly, without great effort, take possession of the area east of the river, then they could control the entire surrounding area.
Such a plan had a chance of success - stations railway, from which ammunition for the Soviet troops was unloaded, were at a distance of up to 700 and even 800 km from the battlefield. And then the steppe began with directions instead of roads.
A machine gunner of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Army covers his troops
On May 11, a group of "Japanese-Manchurians" (according to the latest data, the Manchurian cavalry) with mortars and light machine guns attacked the post of the Mongolian border guards. May 14 happened new fight- Japanese aviation went into action. Due to the remoteness of the clashes and the "criminal" state of the communication lines in Mongolia, even the command of the Special Corps only learned about the first battles on May 14 - almost simultaneously with Moscow.
On May 20–21, Soviet units and Mongolian cavalry were able to push the Japanese back into Manchuria.
New forces were drawn up to the battlefield on the east coast - in total, the grouping of Soviet-Mongolian troops numbered about 2300 people (of which 1257 Mongols), 24 towed and 4 self-propelled guns, 8 T-37 light tanks, 5 KhT-26 flamethrower and 39 FAI armored cars and BA-6. There was a lack of operational communications and intelligence.
Therefore, on May 28, the units, repelling new Japanese attacks, fought "on their own", looking at the situation on the spot. A squadron of Mongolian armored vehicles (9 BA-6) went on the attack six times a day, losing two armored cars burned out and three stuck in the sand.
By the end of May, the Soviet Air Force had 203 aircraft at Khalkhin Gol against 76. But Soviet fighter pilots did not study the experience of fighting their colleagues in Spain and China. Therefore, the first air battles took place, in fact, "one-way" - instead of actions by squadrons of I-15 and I-16, they took off one by one, and, not having time to gain altitude, they fell under the attacks of compact groups of Japanese fighters - from the sun or from the clouds. Japanese aviation dominated the air, inflicting heavy losses on ground troops, especially cavalry. However, according to the Soviet assessment, the Japanese had practically no artillery until the end of the May battles.
Briefing of Japanese tankers at the tank "Yi-Go" (Type 89) during the offensive in the Mongolian steppe. In the background is a tank "Chi-Ha" (Type 97)
On May 29, they managed to restore at least some order, the Soviet units went on the offensive. The trump card was a platoon of flamethrower tanks, which defeated the Japanese reconnaissance detachment, its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Azuma, died.
Both sides, taking a break, began to prepare for new battles. Serious problems were revealed in the preparation and equipment of the Soviet troops. It happened that units arrived at the battlefield, leaving machine guns on same place. Many soldiers and even officers were untrained. Cars and tractors came from civilian organizations on the principle of "take what they give" - often faulty and without spare parts. With intolerable summer heat water had to be transported 20–70 km or more from the Khalkhin Gol River, the only source.
A major battle took place on July 2–3, when two Japanese tank regiments, supported by artillery and infantry, attempted to cut off and destroy Soviet units at Khalkhin Gol with a blow from the north. On the night of July 3, the Japanese crossed the river unnoticed and in the morning reached Mount Bain-Tsagan. Delay in response threatened to encirclement and destruction Soviet group or at least securing the Japanese on lines favorable for defense.
From morning to evening on July 3, hastily transferred Soviet tanks and armored cars (about 200 vehicles in total) rammed Japanese positions. The tankers were advancing separate battalions, without any reconnaissance and communications, naturally, having suffered heavy losses. However, the Japanese were simply stunned by the sight of the rolling shaft of Soviet armor, counting a thousand tanks - when in China they were rarely attacked by a dozen tanks at the same time. The Japanese group was evacuated across the bridge back to the east coast.
Soviet Douglas DC-3 aircraft at the Ulaanbaatar airfield
The protracted and dangerous conflict had to end. New tank units were driving across the Mongolian steppes. The vehicle has done an incredible job. For ground forces, 6 ammunition and fuel refills were concentrated, for SB bombers - 5, fighters - 12-15 refills. Tankers learned to interact with the infantry, the noticeable handrail antennas of command vehicles were changed to whip ones. False radiograms were sent about preparations for defense. Therefore, the Japanese were calmly preparing to launch an offensive on August 24, when they were suddenly taken by surprise Soviet attack on the morning of 20 August.
The commander of the Soviet T-26 tank instructs the crew
Training Japanese army was very specific. “As long as you are alive, you must be shaken by the great mercy of the emperor. After death, you must become the guardian angel of the Japanese Empire, ”the memo to the soldiers said. Propaganda described how a badly wounded soldier, whose arm and leg had been cut off, “rose, prayed to the imperial palace in the distance, proclaimed the triple “Banzai!” and died. What a truly beautiful end." The Soviet military praised the high proficiency of the Japanese infantry, who fought stubbornly at night and even in the environment. The Japanese quickly and skillfully dug in, perfectly camouflaged, managing to secretly build fortifications from concrete bricks and beams in the open steppe. Ahead of the main forces were solo snipers, suicide bombers with bottles of gasoline and mines on poles - to fight tanks. Despite the dunes and bushes, the entire space in front of the trenches was shot through. At night, the Japanese had time to understand about the impending attacks by the great noise raised Soviet units when moving.
Red Army Air Force officers S. I. Gritsevets, I. A. Prachik, G. P. Kravchenko, P. M. Korobov, A. I. Smirnov, who participated in the battles at Khalkhin Gol
But the small experience of the Japanese army in modern war. Accustomed to destroying the brave, but disorganized and poorly equipped Chinese units, the Japanese placed their guns in such a way that Soviet observers could easily see the flashes of shots from most of the batteries. Moreover, lovingly equipping firing positions, the Japanese artillerymen were then very reluctant to change them. Such behavior would have been unthinkable even on the fields of the First World War, not to mention the war in Spain. Therefore, the Soviet artillerymen shot themselves a few days before the decisive offensive, knowing for sure that the enemy guns would not go anywhere. And so it happened - on August 20, after the Soviet artillery preparation, the enemy artillery was almost completely silent, and the Japanese anti-aircraft guns did not fire a single shot at the attacking aircraft at all. After the end of the fighting on Japanese positions many "very successful hits" were found, most of the captured guns were cut by fragments, and often had direct hits from shells. Already in the July battles, the fire of Soviet heavy artillery terrified the Japanese.
Having assembled a powerful air group (376 fighters, 181 SB bombers and 23 TB-3s - 580 aircraft), deploying experienced pilots from all over the country, Soviet aviation achieved a turning point in the air. On August 20, 166 tons of bombs hit the Japanese. On August 25, fighters reported 48 Japanese aircraft shot down - no losses on their part.
The crew of a Soviet SB bomber at his plane at an airfield in Mongolia. In the photo from left to right: pilot senior political officer K.S. Shvetsov, minder A.N. Kovalev, navigator senior lieutenant S.B. Isaev, gunner-radio operator A.Ya. Mylnikov, technician K.N. Balakin
The Japanese army was sorely lacking in armored vehicles. Although Soviet intelligence counted 150 tanks and 284 armored vehicles from the enemy, the Japanese used only about 70 tanks, losing more than half of them in just a couple of battles and bringing the survivors to the rear. Major Ogata's grim joke came true that the coffins of the tankers cost a hundred thousand yen each - so the fate of the tankers is much better than that of ordinary infantry receiving the cheapest box. As a result, at the decisive moment, the Japanese troops simply did not have tanks.
Servicemen of the 8th Motorized Armored Brigade at the BA-20 and BA-10 armored vehicles during the battles at Khalkhin Gol
In long and hard battles against a stubborn but much less equipped enemy, Soviet troops gained invaluable combat experience and a lot of food for thought. But an even more important result was that Japan in subsequent years did not dare to try the USSR for strength again - even in the most difficult years of the Great Patriotic War.
A Soviet officer and soldiers inspect the remains of a Japanese aircraft during the battles at Khalkhin Gol
A modification appeared with two ShKAS synchronous machine guns mounted in the upper part of the fuselage. Designated Type 10, this four-machine-gun I-16 became known in Spain as "Super Mosca" or simply "Super". The urgency of the order led to the fact that this type continued to be refined in the process of serial construction and in its final form with the forced M-25V engine, landing flaps and retractable skis, it passed state tests at the Air Force Research Institute only in February 1939.
Type 10 entered Spain for the first time in March 1938 in the amount of 31 copies. During the summer, another 90 of these four-machine guns arrived. These aircraft took part in air battles during the summer-autumn of 1938. During this period, 24 "smuggled" American high-altitude Wright "Cyclone" F-54 engines came to Spain. These engines were equipped with aircraft of squadron No. 4, consisting of 12 I-16 type 10, commanded by one of the most successful Spanish pilots, Antonio Arias. "Supers", equipped with an engine that developed maximum power at 7000 meters, got an excellent opportunity to recoup on German fighters Bf.109. It must be said that already the first combat clashes between the I-16 and Bf.109 in the spring of 1937 showed approximately equal capabilities of these machines. However, this continued only up to a 3-kilometer altitude, where the power of the I-16 engine began to fall, and the Bf.109 engine retained power until it climbed to a height of 5000 meters. This advantage allowed the Messerschmitt pilots to almost always take a more advantageous position.
This aircraft was a major modification of the I-16 after three years serial production and had the following main differences:
- the M-25V engine of increased power was supplied;
- the armament was supplemented by two upper synchronous machine guns "ShKAS", enclosed in protruding fairings;
-sliding lantern replaced by a fixed canopy with a stainless steel frame;
-optical sight OP-1 (a copy of the British Aldis sight) was replaced by the PAK-1 collimator sight (a copy of the French Claire sight).
The airframe of the aircraft has undergone significant changes. The lining of the wing console with duralumin has been increased to 44.5% from above and to 14.5% from below. The number of ribs on the upper surface of the wing is increased.
Removed aileron hover mechanism. Landing speed reduction is achieved by installing landing flaps. In this regard, the scope of the ailerons has decreased. Most Type 10 aircraft were produced with air-operated landing flaps. Starting from the spring of 1939, aircraft No. 102175 was equipped with a mechanical release of landing flaps.
The strengthening of the airframe of the aircraft in accordance with the strength standards of 1937 affected the strengthening of the aircraft control. A new, stronger control knob has been installed.
The oil system was changed, an oil cooler with a diameter of 6 inches was installed. In this regard, in the lower part of the hood there was a supply pipe for dynamic pressure for cooling the radiator.
Modification: I-16 type 10
Wingspan, m: 9.00
Length, m: 6.07
Height, m: 3.25
Wing area, m2: 14.54
Weight, kg
- empty: 1327
- takeoff: 1716
Engine type: 1 x PD M-25
- power, hp: 1 x 750
Max Speed, km/h
-at the ground: 398
-at height: 448
Practical range, km: 525
Climbing capacity, m/min: 882
Practical ceiling, m: 8470
Crew: 1
Armament: 4 x 7.62 mm ShKAS machine guns.
Fighter I-16 type 10 from the 70th Fighter Aviation Regiment during the fighting at Khalkhin Gol. July 1939.
Fighter I-16 type 10 on a ski chassis.
Fighter I-16 type 10 of the naval aviation.
Squadron commander of the 7th Fighter Aviation Regiment Fyodor Ivanovich Shinkarenko (1913-1994, third from right) with his comrades near the I-16 type 10 fighter at the airfield. In the photo from left to right: junior lieutenant B.S. Kulbatsky, lieutenant P.A. Pokryshev, captain M.M. Kidalinsky, senior lieutenant F.I. Shinkarenko and junior lieutenant M.V. Borisov.
Fighter I-16 type 10. Mongolia 1939
Fighter I-16 type 10 from the 1st squadron of the 70th IAP after an emergency landing in the Bain-Tumen region.
Soviet pilots play dominoes near the I-16 fighter at the Mongolian Tamsag-Bulak airfield. 1939
A group of Soviet pilots in flight uniforms (leather raglans, helmets and goggles) against the background of an I-16 type 10 fighter aircraft standing in the steppe. From left to right: lieutenants I.V. Shpakovsky, M.V. Kadnikov, A.P. Pavlenko, captain I.F. Podgorny, lieutenants L.F. Lychev, P.I. Spirin. Airfield near the Khalkhin-Gol River.
Republican pilots at the I-16 type 10 "Supermoska".
Fighter I-16 type 10 VVS Republican Spain in the parking lot.
Fighter I-16 type 10 of the Republican Spanish Air Force in the parking lot.
Fighter I-16 type 10 of the Republican Spanish Air Force in the parking lot.
Starting the engine on the I-16 type 10 of the Republican Spanish Air Force in the parking lot.
Fighter I-16 type 10 of the Chinese Air Force.
I-16 pilot's instrument panel type 10.
I-16 type 10 Air Force of the Red Army. Picture.
