Were any I-16s flown in Luftwaffe markings?

[Radish]

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

[shooshoobaby]

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

[robert_schulte]

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.

[hihotte]

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

[i16stealth]

Here are some images:





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

[Christer Bergström]

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.

[Khorat]

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

[Christer Bergström]

Very interesting! Great work!

[Yves Marino]

On the other hand there were many captured I-16 but probably never flown by the Luftwaffe.

[Mike Murphy]

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