CHAPTER FIVE
On 6 April 1941, to repulse British troops from the Balkans, the Wehrmacht had to launch a new Blitzkrieg. Marita was an overwhelming success, forcing Yugoslavia and Greece to their knees. But not a single plane could be saved for the Luftwaffe. The Yugoslav Airforce lost its best planes (including Bf 109 Es) in the air fighting or on the ground, while other valuable aircraft (such as Do 17s) escaped to Egypt. The majority of the local aircraft found relatively intact were given to the new Croat Airforce, born from the ashes of the disbanded Yugoslav army. The Greek Airforce had some relatively modern French planes, but transport through the Balkan peninsula was too arduous, and all were probably scrapped.
A Yugoslav Blenheim destroyed by bombs.
Yugoslav Fizir FN burning. The fire was perhaps lit for the benefit of the Kriegsberichter (war correspondent) to make a striking picture. A proof of the low quality attributed by the Germans to the local planes found on the airfields.
Bücker 131 D WNr.482 was one of the German planes sold in 1939 to Yugoslavia. It was ‘liberated’ in Marita and ferried to the north with crude German markings (but still with the Yugoslav national cockade on the wings).
This plane will enter the Luftwaffe with Stammkennzeichen DA+RE.
A symbol of the German victory in the Balkans. On a Greek airfield (probably Larissa), a Ju 87 with the yellow markings of Marita has landed near the wreck of a blown up RAF Hurricane.
A Blenheim of No. 11 Sq. is dismantled in Greece. Its ultimate fate is unknown.
A Greek PZL 11 is examined by Landser (German soldiers).
In this dump, one can see Greek Bloch 152s and Po 63s. All these planes were definitely scrapped.
The same fate befell this beautiful but obsolete Potez XXV (with Hispano-Suiza engine).
On 22 June 1941 the great invasion of the USSR began. In their rapid advance, German troops overwhelmed many airfields dispersed all along the border, covered with planes of different values. The Soviet Airforce was at that time in the process of reorganization, and modern MiGs were found alongside obsolete biplane Polikarpovs. Even though Axis bombs destroyed a lot of those aircraft, hundreds of them were captured. However, only a few of them were used after testing in the Luftwaffe. Old planes were scrapped while modern ones were often sold to the Finnish Airforce. Indeed, accustomed to the cold of the polar winter, the Finnish Airforce specialists had mastered the wood/steel construction typical of a lot of Soviet planes.
June 1941. A Bf 109 of JG 52 has landed on a Soviet airfield near a Jak fighter.
Many flyers wanted to be photographed in front of the modern Soviet aircraft.
But a large number of obsolete planes will also be captured, such as these aligned Polikarpov I-15s.
Sometimes Soviet planes were delivered to the Luftwaffe. This Po-2 landed on a German-occupied airfield, its pilot probably being of Baltic origin.
These campaigns were thus deceiving for a Luftwaffe still desperate for new planes to fill the gaps in its erratic production.
The Soviet defector speaking with German high officers.
A Jak already in German markings photographed at Warsaw-Bilany, perhaps on the way to Germany.
A Tupolev SB-2 captured in relatively good condition.
The SB-2 will play the part of the hack machines initially performed by the Czech Avia B-71s.
Some of the captured Soviet planes will be used for special operations. On 6 July 1941, this Po-2 was found intact on Dünaburg airfield.
Two members of the Brandenburg unit (the so called ‘Reichscommandos’) examine the plane.
On 7 July two men wearing civilian clothes to pass as moujiks board the plane.
The Po-2 takes off to land in the Soviet lines with the two special agents.
A Lithuanian plane employed as a hack machine by the Luftwaffe on the southern part of the Eastern Front (Notice the Romanian liaison plane fleet in the background).
A variety of planes were captured on Soviet airfields. This training Jak may be used as a pleasure plane by some German flyers.
One of the few Polikarpov I-15s used in German flying schools.
A Polikarpov I-16 UTI (two-seater), probably in a Luftdienst unit.
A first type of the famed ground assault plane Ilyouchine Il-2 which probably force landed after a strafing. This sturdy machine seems to be only lightly damaged.
An Il-2 in the Luftwaffe. This plane is also of the first type (without the air gunner post).
German pilots assembled to be informed of and study the renowned Il-2.
A fighter Jak in German markings.
Another Jak used for a time in the Luftwaffe.
This MiG 3 must be the sample tested at Rechlin.
A MiG 3 serving in a Luftdienst unit (as indicated by the triangle).