The Petlyakov Pe-2: Stalin's Successful Red Air Force Light Bomber
“The Petlyakow Pe–2 is a must-read for the serious student of World War II’s VVS (Russian Military Air Force). It provides a wealth of information and insights to enrich understanding of this crucial period—and this important air-craft—in military history.” -The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation

During the Second World War, the Soviet Union’s Petlyakov Pe-2 Peshka dive-bomber was unique in that it was as fast as most fighter aircraft. This was in a period when it was considered by the RAF that it was impossible for monoplane aircraft to conduct vertical bombing with any degree of success.

During the war the Pe-2 was the principal dive- and light-bomber of Russia’s air power across the vast Eastern Front and it continued in service until the early 1950s with the air forces of the Warsaw Pact countries and Yugoslavia. Conceived by a team of top aircraft designers whom Stalin had incarcerated in a prison camp on trumped-up political charges, the Pe-2 had originally been designed as a high-altitude twin-engine fighter plane, but, due to the outstanding success of the German Stukas in the Blitzkrieg, its role was quickly changed to that of a fast dive-bomber. The Pe-2 arrived in service around the time of the German attack on its hitherto ally.

Although only a handful had reached front line units by the start of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, the Pe-2 soon became the main dive-bomber in both the Soviet VVS and Naval service. Mass production, by factories hastily moved back beyond the front, meant that numbers increased rapidly, and more than 11,000 of the type, including many variants, were built up to 1945. The Peshka became the mainstay of the Soviet counter-offensive that ultimately resulted in the fall of Berlin. Pe-2s also led the way in the brief but annihilating Manchurian campaign against Japan in the closing days of the war in 1945.

Using official sources, including the official Pe-2 handbook, and numerous colour and black-and-white photographs made available to the author from both official and private sources and collections, this book is the definitive record of the Pe-2 - the dive-bomber supreme!
1132759426
The Petlyakov Pe-2: Stalin's Successful Red Air Force Light Bomber
“The Petlyakow Pe–2 is a must-read for the serious student of World War II’s VVS (Russian Military Air Force). It provides a wealth of information and insights to enrich understanding of this crucial period—and this important air-craft—in military history.” -The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation

During the Second World War, the Soviet Union’s Petlyakov Pe-2 Peshka dive-bomber was unique in that it was as fast as most fighter aircraft. This was in a period when it was considered by the RAF that it was impossible for monoplane aircraft to conduct vertical bombing with any degree of success.

During the war the Pe-2 was the principal dive- and light-bomber of Russia’s air power across the vast Eastern Front and it continued in service until the early 1950s with the air forces of the Warsaw Pact countries and Yugoslavia. Conceived by a team of top aircraft designers whom Stalin had incarcerated in a prison camp on trumped-up political charges, the Pe-2 had originally been designed as a high-altitude twin-engine fighter plane, but, due to the outstanding success of the German Stukas in the Blitzkrieg, its role was quickly changed to that of a fast dive-bomber. The Pe-2 arrived in service around the time of the German attack on its hitherto ally.

Although only a handful had reached front line units by the start of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, the Pe-2 soon became the main dive-bomber in both the Soviet VVS and Naval service. Mass production, by factories hastily moved back beyond the front, meant that numbers increased rapidly, and more than 11,000 of the type, including many variants, were built up to 1945. The Peshka became the mainstay of the Soviet counter-offensive that ultimately resulted in the fall of Berlin. Pe-2s also led the way in the brief but annihilating Manchurian campaign against Japan in the closing days of the war in 1945.

Using official sources, including the official Pe-2 handbook, and numerous colour and black-and-white photographs made available to the author from both official and private sources and collections, this book is the definitive record of the Pe-2 - the dive-bomber supreme!
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The Petlyakov Pe-2: Stalin's Successful Red Air Force Light Bomber

The Petlyakov Pe-2: Stalin's Successful Red Air Force Light Bomber

The Petlyakov Pe-2: Stalin's Successful Red Air Force Light Bomber

The Petlyakov Pe-2: Stalin's Successful Red Air Force Light Bomber

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Overview

“The Petlyakow Pe–2 is a must-read for the serious student of World War II’s VVS (Russian Military Air Force). It provides a wealth of information and insights to enrich understanding of this crucial period—and this important air-craft—in military history.” -The Journal of the Air Force Historical Foundation

During the Second World War, the Soviet Union’s Petlyakov Pe-2 Peshka dive-bomber was unique in that it was as fast as most fighter aircraft. This was in a period when it was considered by the RAF that it was impossible for monoplane aircraft to conduct vertical bombing with any degree of success.

During the war the Pe-2 was the principal dive- and light-bomber of Russia’s air power across the vast Eastern Front and it continued in service until the early 1950s with the air forces of the Warsaw Pact countries and Yugoslavia. Conceived by a team of top aircraft designers whom Stalin had incarcerated in a prison camp on trumped-up political charges, the Pe-2 had originally been designed as a high-altitude twin-engine fighter plane, but, due to the outstanding success of the German Stukas in the Blitzkrieg, its role was quickly changed to that of a fast dive-bomber. The Pe-2 arrived in service around the time of the German attack on its hitherto ally.

Although only a handful had reached front line units by the start of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, the Pe-2 soon became the main dive-bomber in both the Soviet VVS and Naval service. Mass production, by factories hastily moved back beyond the front, meant that numbers increased rapidly, and more than 11,000 of the type, including many variants, were built up to 1945. The Peshka became the mainstay of the Soviet counter-offensive that ultimately resulted in the fall of Berlin. Pe-2s also led the way in the brief but annihilating Manchurian campaign against Japan in the closing days of the war in 1945.

Using official sources, including the official Pe-2 handbook, and numerous colour and black-and-white photographs made available to the author from both official and private sources and collections, this book is the definitive record of the Pe-2 - the dive-bomber supreme!

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781399021333
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Publication date: 07/02/2024
Pages: 456
Product dimensions: 6.25(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)

About the Author

PETER CHARLES HORSTEAD SMITH was born in Norfolk in 1940. After living in London, Kent and Cambridge he and his wife Pat settled in the small Bedfordshire village of Riseley in 1982 where they currently still reside. Peter is a Member of The Society of Authors, London, and has worked as both a book and a magazine editor but has been a full-time historian and author since 1968.

Details of all Peter's books are to be found at: www.dive-bombers.co.uk

Peter C. Smith is well-known to maritime history readers with over 65 previously published books. Amongst these are Skua, Destroyer Leader and Into the Minefields, all published by Pen & Sword.

Table of Contents

Introduction xiv

About the Author xvi

Dedication xvii

Acknowledgements xviii

Chapter 1 Inspiration Imprisoned 1

The Dive-Bomber in the Soviet Air Force 2

Tupolev Tu-2 4

The I-16 SPB 5

The OKB 10

STO=100 10

PESHKA MEN - Vladimir Mikhailovich Petlyakov 12

Chapter 2 Many Starts, Many Endings 15

The Perceived Threat 15

Design commences 16

Modifications to Proposals 17

First Flight Problems 19

The Second Prototype destroyed 21

Evaluation resumed 23

May Day Fly-past 25

Comparison with other types 25

Change of requirement 26

Chapter 3 Sotka becomes Peshka 28

Dive-Bombing 28

ThePB-100 28

Pe-2 31

Petlyakov restored to favour 36

Shift to Kazan 36

The death of Petlyakov 38

Friction at Kazan 39

Problems with 14-11 41

Summons from Moscow 42

Rushed decisions 43

Disaster 44

Verdict 45

Chapter 4 The Pe-2 Described 47

Structure 48

Diving brakes 48

Engine installation 49

Undercarriage 50

Armament 50

Bomb load 52

Entry 53

Crew positions and duties 53

Cockpit layout 54

Flying the Peshka 56

Taxiing 56

Take-off 56

Climb 56

Level flight 56

Diving 57

Single-engined performance 58

Approach and landing 58

View 58

Emergency exits 59

Technical data 59

Statistical Data 59

Chapter 5 The Pe-3 fighter variant 67

The One-Week Wonder! 67

The Modifications 68

Performance, Problems and Production 70

The Flight Testing 70

Combat experience modifications 71

Night Fighter 72

The Pe-3bis 73

Specification 74

Production Changes 75

Armament 75

Pe-3 - Production Re-started 77

False Dawn 78

Front-line allocation 79

Pe-2 Tow-tugs 79

Korolev's Rocket proposals 80

Experimental Fighter Projects 81

The Pe-2I (1941) 82

Pe-2VI (1941) 83

Pe-2VI (1942) 84

Chapter 6 First Combat 86

Early Peshka operations 90

Operation TYPHOON 97

Formation Leaders 101

Other winter battles 102

Chapter 7 Counter-Attack 104

Fresh German assaults 105

Transfer to the Arctic Theatre of War 106

Changes of organisation 106

Navy Pe-2s 108

Stalingrad's air defence re-organised 110

Spanish Pe-2 pilot 110

Polbin's command 111

Penal Squadrons 115

Chapter 8 New Tactics, New Defences, New Confidence 117

Polbin's Experiments 118

Pe-2 and -3 Operations in Norway 119

Strengths 125

More Actions 131

Southern Operations 133

Northern Fleet combat 133

Baltic operations 134

Chapter 9 Tilting the Scales - Stalingrad to the Donets 135

New thinking 135

Progress on other fronts 136

Failure of the Kharkov offensive 137

Kuban air fighting 137

Peshka Men - Aleksei Fedorov 139

Radar-equipped night fighters 140

Pe-2 Tactics 141

Bloodletting on the Western Front 143

Photo-reconnaissance missions 145

Chapter 10 Heroines of the Sloes 147

Bombs fall on target 150

July 1943, Western Front. The airfield of Ezovinia Yezovnia 151

October 1943. Leomdovo airfield (near Elna) 154

Still October 1943, Leomidovo airfield 155

The Right Stuff 156

Peshka Women - Colonel Nadezhda (Nadya) Nikifozovna Fedutenko 159

Women Flyers - their place in history 162

Peshka Women - Mariya Ivanovna Dolina-Mel'Nikova 163

Chapter 11 The Fighting Finns 169

Finnish Test Pilots' reports 171

Cockpit arrangement 171

Electrical Systems 172

Take-off Procedure 175

Flying Characteristics 177

Finnish Test Pilots view of the Pe-2 178

Captured Pe-2s transferred by Germany to Finland 179

Finnish Pe-3 182

PESHKA MEN - Captain Aimo Olavi Pietarinen, FAF 184

Chapter 12 Production Line Progression 185

Series Modifications History 188

Front-Line Demand 190

Air Cushion undercarriage 193

Retractable skis 193

Pe-2M (1941) 194

Pe-2Sh 194

Other Modifications 194

Pe-2 fighter 194

In-the-Field modifications 195

Reconnaissance 195

Chapter 13 The Great Offensive - June 1944 197

The Campaign in White Russia 197

The Bobruysk Cauldron 201

Ukrainian Front 203

Peshka Men: Abdiraim Izmailovich Reshidov 203

Further actions 209

Chapter 14 On to Berlin! 211

North Prussian Operations 212

Peshka Men - Major General Ivan Semyonovich Polbin 215

The fall of Berlin 222

Chapter 15 Action in the Far East 225

Operation AUGUST STORM 225

Ship Targets 228

Soviet Navy Pe-2 missions 229

Peshka Men - Major General Pavel Artem'evich Plotnikov 230

Chapter 16 Variations on a Theme 232

Pe-2F 232

Speed as defence 233

Re-design and Mock-up 234

Resumption of development 235

Disappointing Results 236

Pe-2D 237

The saga of the M-107A 238

NKAP alternatives 239

19-78 240

16-163 240

2-187 240

19-205 240

The August Programme' of 1943 241

The Pe-2A 242

The Pe-2B 242

Delays, delays and yet more delays 243

The Pe-2V 245

The Pe-4 245

Radial-engined Peshka 245

The Experimental 19-31 247

Air trials 248

Limited Production 250

Combat Evaluation 251

End of the Experiment 252

The Pe-4A 252

Pe-2VI. (1943) 252

Pe-2 No. 19/223 253

Pe-2 No. 14/226 253

Pe-4 (1944) 256

Pe-2R 257

Pe-2P 257

Pe-2K 257

Pe-2 Paravan 257

Rocket-powered Peshka 258

Prototype 15-185 Built 259

Propulsion method 260

The trials 260

Double-rocket proposal for the Pe-3 fighter 261

Results 262

RATOG 263

Ejector-seat trials 263

Pe-2 UT (UPe-2) 264

Chapter 17 Pe-2 Colour Schemes 265

The Background 265

The Reality 268

The Scheme of Aircraft Camouflage Finishes - July 1943 269

Interiors and Components 271

Chapter 18 The Final Developments 272

Pe-2I 272

Myasishchev's compromise - the Pe-2I 274

The engine problem 275

Armament 276

Re-design 277

Selyakov's memoirs 279

Official vetting 279

First air trials 279

Second prototype 280

Trials resumed 281

Air-to-air combat simulation 283

Conflicting Priorities 284

The Plans … and the Reality! 284

Solutions … and yet more Problems 286

Special Armament Recommendations 286

Jet-propelled Peshka? 288

The Pe-2M (1945) 288

The Prototype 289

The evaluation programme 289

Termination 290

DB-108 290

Delays and Interruptions 291

Disaster! 291

DB-108 abandoned 292

New long-ranger fighter and high-altitude bomber concepts 293

The DIS (12) escort fighter 293

The VB-109 high-altitude bomber 294

PESHKA MEN - Vladimir Mikhailovich Myasishchev 298

Chapter 19 The Peshka in Foreign Service 301

Polish Peshkas 301

Bulgaria 306

Czechoslovakia 307

Hungary 311

Yugoslavia 312

France 314

Red China 314

Chapter 20 The Survivors 315

Russia 315

Bulgaria 317

Poland 317

Yugoslavia 318

Norway 318

Preserved Peshka at Morino Air Museum 320

Hungarian Site Reclamation Project 321

Appendix 1 Pe-2 Units 323

Abbreviations 323

Air Armies 324

Bomber Aviation Army 325

Bomber Air Corps (BAC) 325

Bomber Air Division (BAD) 326

Bomber Air Regiments (BAR) 328

Long-Range Reconnaissance Regiments (DRAP) 342

Reconnaissance Regiments (RAP) 343

Naval Aviation units 344

Polish Air Force 345

Appendix 2 Pe-2 Unit Commanders 347

Appendix 3 Pe-2 Pilot Biographies 354

Appendix 4 Glossary 410

Appendix 5 Some Pe-2 Aces 417

Appendix 6 Further reading 418

Notes 419

Map:

1 The Western Soviet Union 1941-45 46

Diagrams:

1 Pe-2 General Layout 47

2 Pe-2 Disposition of Gun Armament 50

3 Pe-2 Disposition of fuel tanks and external bomb load 52

4 Pe-2 Layout/Location of Fuel & Hydraulic fluid distribution 63

5 Pe-2 Pilots control stick and transmission layout 60

6 Pe-2 Undercarriage arrangements 62

7 Pe-2 Electric Motor distribution and detail 64

8 Pe-2 Engine-cooling system 65

9 Pe-2 Hydraulic system 53

10 Pe-2 Composition of Wing 61

11 Pe-2 Wing Flaps and Access 57

12 Pe-2 Remote control Mozharovsky & Venevidov (MN) mounting 66

13 Pe-2 Frontovoe Zadani (FZ) mounting 66

14 Belgorod-Kharkov battles -2nd Pe-2 attack 3 August 1943 238

15 Belgorod-Kharkov battles - 3rd Phase Pe-2 attacks 238

16 Belgorod-Kharkov Battles - 1st Pe-2 attack 3rd August 1943 144

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