Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

Hi,

I'm aware that the Luftwaffe flew at least a small number of the two-seat I-16s captured from the Soviets, but were any single-seat I-16s painted with Luftwaffe markings?
If so, are there any details? Photographs? Profiles??
Thanks.

Terry

Re: Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

Unable to confirm the I - 16s. There were 2 Russian Aircraft , A Yak 3 and Yak 9 operated by Luftwaffe 2./ Versuchsverband.
Cheers

Re: Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

According to the magazine "Jet & Prop" issue 5/03, an I-16 that was captured by the Finns during the winter war (registration VH-201) was sent later to Germany for studies. A picture from the plane in Finnish markings is given, however nothing else from the German side.

Re: Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

Hi Terry,
yes there were I-16´s in german markings. I have at least two photographs of different I-16´s with Balkenkreuz and Swastika but
neither with unit emblems nor numbers or letters. Obviously they were used
as "hack" airplanes. I have to search for this photos and scan them.
Remind me via e-mail in about 10 days.

cheers
hihotte

Re: Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

Here are some images:

http://i16fighter.narod.ru/foreign/uti_nem.jpg

http://i16fighter.narod.ru/foreign/dmhdi.jpg

If you will have problems with watching them, move to the following page: http://i16fighter.narod.ru/foreign/foreign.htm.

Re: Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

Indeed. However, please be aware that the repeated Soviet claim that the Germans used captured Soviet aircraft in first-line service still remains unsubstantiated through German records or accounts. I have been asked by several Russian scholars to ask German pilot veterans from the Eastern Front that question, and I think that by now I have asked well over two dozen former Luftwaffe Eastern Front airmen that question, and none of them has ever heard of such an incident.

Re: Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

Hello Christer,

I found:

28.05.1942bei FrankenthalUT I-1615153126NLLd.Kdo. 2/12Fw. Schmitz2 verwNotlandung inf. Brennstoffmangel

near the city of Frankenthal (near Ludwigshafen/Rhine) a I-16 twin seater made a emergency landing in case of low on gas, the pilot Fw. Schmitz and a second person was wounded.

GQM files Training and other units.

Regards
khorat

Re: Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

Very interesting! Great work!

Re: Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

On the other hand there were many captured I-16 but probably never flown by the Luftwaffe.
http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-...6_svastika.jpg

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2006-...BeuteII-16.jpg

Re: Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

Gentlemen -

You may be interested in the photos of Polikarpov I-16s which were captured intact by the Germans during Barbarossa posted on the Luftwaffe Experten Message Board:

http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/fo...showtopic=1084

These either still carry the Russian markings or provisional, field applied Swaztika. I have not yet seen a single seat I-16 in full Luftwaffe markings.

There are also several photos of the two seater trainer version of the I-16 designated the UTI-4 on LEMB:

http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/fo...?showtopic=343

Mike

Re: Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

I know its not luftwaffe markings. But while visting Vantaa Aviation museum in Helsinki I noticed a twin seater I-16 in Finnish colours(sorry no photos). Could this be the one Robert metions?

Re: Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

About Finnish UTI-4:

In September, 8 1941 it was captured by Finns near Svir river. It was practically in flyable condition (propeller and its cowling were slightly damaged). To October, 17 the aircraft was fully repaired. It's received the code VH-22 (in November, 28 changed to UT-1).

UTI-4 served in LeLv 48, and T-LLv 35. In September,11 1942 the plane was removed from service. Its flight time to that moment was 43 h 23 min. Now it's in Helsinki museum.

Re: Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?
 

Some info about casualties with I-16s and UTIs in Luftwaffe:

In July, 15 1941 unter-officer Paul Rot was killed in I-16 crash near Molodechno airfield.

In March, 30 1942 UTI-4 of Ld.Kdo. 2/12 crashed at Manheim-Sandhofen during landing because of running out of fuel.

In March, 31 1942 I-16 of Ld.Kdo. 2/VI crashed at Dunwald. Pilot oberfeldfebel Gustav Koell was killed.

In May, 5 1942 UTI-4 No.15153128 of Ld.Kdo. 2/12 was hardly damaged during taxiing.

In May, 28 1942 UTI-4 No.15153126 of Ld.Kdo. 2/12, how it was already mentioned by Khorat, was damaged during landing while running out of fuel. Pilot feldfebel Heintz Shmidt and unter-officer Erhard Kartsen were wounded.

In June, 14 1942 I-16 type 5 No.521722 of Ld.Kdo. 64 crashed because of the engine problems near Kiel-Holtenau.

In June,14 1942 I-16 type 6 No.60121 of Ld.Kdo. 1/7 damaged the belly while landing at Shongau airfield (the gear retracted).

Source: Polikarpov fighters in action, part 2.