[researcher111]

Gabor

I agree and disagree with you, first of these were long range flights mainly from
Moscow Oblyasty rather of a distance for Soviets to raid Budapest , Bucharest and Warsaw
given the Luftwaffe's & enemy fighters deployment enroute , in addition you forget
that in 1942 most of the Soviets were still with their pants down as into organisation and
the absorbed shock of the invasion added the devastating Stalinist repressions against
own Armed Forces staff, personnel and Aviation Industry .

Also unlike Americans and Brits they were not experienced,properly equipped nor
developed any proper long range air doctrines post the Spanish and Mongolian conflicts.

Therefore, I agree that in 1942 their long range fleet was not efficient rather
more of a propagandistic tool and a daily candy for Stalin. As an example,a pilot (major )
who along his crew had to bail at night out over Budapest in order to discover that in fact
they were in Belarus .Generally speaking and something I agree with , their long range missions were
nothing but a catastrophy