Ilyushin Il-4

[k-pp]

(The drawing of the black '11' seems pretty flawed though...)

[Dénes Bernád]

That was a much photographed aircraft.

I have a couple of original photos of the same bird, taken by German soldiers. I have to check if there is anything written on the prints' verso.

Dénes

[k-pp]

Hello Dénes,

Did you find anything? - any chance of posting a photo for comparison?

All the best,
Karl

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

Hi Carl and Karl

and others I have some aditional info about this DB-3F (Il-4 was since 1942)

In early June 1941 the HQ of 13 BAD (Bomber Aviation Division) was located in Bobrujsk, with two of its subordinated regiments also co-located in Bobrujsk: SB-equipped 24 BAP and Su-2 equipped 97 BAP.

The 13. BAD had in fact 6. bomber regiments: there were in Bobrujsk on 22 June 1942: 97., 27., 24. BAPs + you should also add: 25 SBAP, 121. BAP and 130. BAP. It was quite strong bomber air fist on Western Fronts.

These units belonged to the Western Special Military District (ZOVO).
On 19 VI 1941 ZOVO and others Military Distric were transfered into the Fronts (2-3 days before German attacks! oficial orderes had been given by Stalin + others nice guys).
on 21 VI 1941 gen G.Zukow get from the Stalin an order to take the command on the Western-South Front (field undegroud command post was located in Tarnopol - quite near Soviet-German border on Polish toritory ocupied by Sovites).

This photso coming most proably from Bobrujsk, if one remeber that Bobrusj was captured by German in July 1941 (first days) one also should remeber that in this time there were many hetic air movments. On 22 June 1941 there was in fact only 3. BAK on the Western Front which had DB-3 and DB-3F + was also independed special 212. OBAP created for special night and long range duties on DB-3F commanded by coll. soon marshal A. Golovanov (quite soon the unit was subordianted under 3. BAK, commanded by coll. Skripko). Soon after the war broken from the Leningrad were imiedietly relocated the next long range regiments comming from 1. BAK. They were send into the action on 26-28 June 1941 against german "tank and motorised units. The most blody shambles of DB-3, DB-3F was over Berezyna/Bobrujsk on 30 VI 1941. It was a slaughter of Reds bomber force.

So this specific DB-3F could come from one of the regiment of 3. BAK or maybe from even 1. BAK. It aslo could be form 212. OBAP which was then in the streng of 3. BAK.

The next photos (two) of this bomber were first published in Barbarossa Victims. Luftwaffe Kills in the East by Tomasz Kopański in2001 see p.124.
I have also put one photo of this (which I have from Tomek) of nice left side DB-3F "11" in my article "Red Blizkrieg in July 1941" printed in Militaria I Fakty in June 2004 (in: MiF 2/2004).

Reaards,
Mirek Wawrzyński
mirwaw@xl.wp.pl