Weapons 27/02/20 the Worst weapons of lend-lease: what did the soldiers of the red Army
during the great Patriotic war in the USSR from the USA and the UK were delivered a lot of weapons and military equipment. However, of critical importance, in comparison with the amount produced in the Soviet Union, had the supply of food, industrial raw materials, clothing, medicines, vehicles, and explosives. But the total number of weapons and military equipment was decent. So, the aircraft was delivered to 18.4 million – 11.7% of the manufactured in the USSR during the war, tanks and other armored vehicles to 18.6 million (16.3 per cent), anti-aircraft guns caliber 40 mm – 5.5 million (29,2% of the number of same type guns).
Not all shipped samples of weapons possessed comparable quality. Some of them were sent to the USSR only because it was considered outdated at home. Superior to any other analogues, produced in the Soviet Union. Some could be difficult to manage, some are poorly suited for the theater of operations in WWII. The fighting qualities of them all has already been revealed in the course of the battle.
Fighters
it was Probably the only kind of military equipment under lend-lease, the use of which has never been denied even in Soviet times. Although it had its pros and cons.
Thanks to the exploits of Alexander Pokryshkin, famous American fighter P-39 “Cobra” (“Cobra”). Until 1943, when he moved to the aircraft, Pokryshkin recorded on your personal account of three downed enemy aircraft, and in 1943, fighting on the Airacobra, he shot down 38 enemy aircraft. Sometimes referred to other figures, but the proportion is in any case about this. Another Soviet ACE – Gregory Rechkalov from the end of 1942, also fought on the Airacobra and destroyed it 53 or 59 German aircraft in person and 6 or 4 in a group. Prior to that, he had three downed German fighter. So in the famous victories of Soviet pilots was large and the merit of American technology.
The “Cobra” had its shortcomings, as does any weapon. For example, the aircraft is easily thrown into a tailspin when the magazine is empty of all ammunition – disrupted alignment. These shortcomings would not be without and its sequel – P-63 “king Cobra” (“Kingcobra”). Colonel Ibrahim Dzusov, according to Pokryshkin, said to him, introducing Cobra: “the Plane is good. The speed is not inferior to “Messershmitt” and has strong arms”. It was true, and very important for the Soviet pilots. During the war the Soviet Union was delivered 4423 “Airacobra” 2397 the “Kingcobra”.
In another case with the British fighter “hurricane”. During the battles over England in 1940, he was inferior to the German “Messerschmitt-109”. However, in 1941-44, the allies supplied to the USSR 3082 units of these aircraft.
In his memoirs, the aircraft designer Alexander Yakovlev brought a replica of Stalin: “Their “hurricane” stuff, our pilots love these planes.” Pilot Alexander Kutakov noted slow-moving this model in comparison to German fighters, even though he considered among its advantages the best visibility from the cab than the domestic I-16, and radio. By the way, the equipment of radio communication was an advantage in almost any model of aircraft and tanks supplied to the USSR under lend-lease, the Soviet. Other famous pilot – Georgy Zimin and Nikolai Golodnikov said unimportant aerodynamic qualities “hurricane”.
However, the annals of the great Patriotic full successful battles conducted on the “hurricane”. Especially famous for these fighters in the Arctic, where they, next to the Soviet pilots fought pilots of 151, the British air wing. “The hurricane” was armed with aircraft rear areas of the defense where there is insufficient armament of these aircraft to attack the German does Not-111 and Ju-88. “Hurricane” is clearly inferior to the new types of Soviet aircraftto, but surpassed the pre-war And-16 that the beginning of the war was the basis of Soviet fighter aviation fleet. At the beginning of the great Patriotic war, even the “hurricane” was progress for the Soviet air force.
the English had a better fighter “Spitfire”, but their deliveries began in 1943 and was produced in very limited quantities. They were armed with mostly air units of the Moscow air defense zone, although there was evidence of the use of these aircraft during the fighting at the front.
Bombers
During the great Patriotic war in the Soviet Union was delivered more than 3 million American medium bomber A-20 “Boston”. In the US it was called “attack”, but to destroy targets on the battlefield in terms of the Soviet-German front, he proved to be unsuitable due to poor booking. So here it is reclassified in the bomber. The effectiveness and survivability of the A-20 was superior to that of the PE-2 – the main Soviet counterpart. Especially noted by the pilots convenience for the crew (in particular, the heated cabin). However, almost all the equipment shipped from the United States and Britain in the USSR, this differed from the Soviet.
Tanks
Among the tanks supplied to the Soviet Union, was also very different. Thus, the American M3 “General Lee” (the USSR, they got almost a thousand) Soviet tankers nicknamed “communal grave for seven”. At high altitude (increasing their vulnerability), they differed more bad publicity, awkwardness and lack of reservation when nationalnosti weapons. Poor performance, for Soviet combat conditions, had the British light tanks “Valentine” and medium “Matilda”.
In July 1942, when the attempt of the Soviet 5th tank army counterattack at Voronezh, a lot of these low-speed “Matilda” had to quit. For an offensive battle, they were not good. In August 1943, near Spas-Demensk (Kaluga region) part of the 5th mechanized corps, armed mostly “Valentine”, suffered heavy losses from Germancoy anti-tank artillery. However, “Valentine” and “Matilda” during the war were supplied to the USSR more than 4 million.
Much better qualities distinguished American “Sherman” (main battle tank expeditionary forces in Europe, the US from June, 1944), began arriving in parts of the red army in the same year. They were delivered more than 3600 pieces. Well helped the red army and the British heavy tank “Churchill”, although he received only 300 units. But during the battle of Kursk in July 1943, it was the only tank of the Soviet troops, whose frontal armor could withstand a hit by a projectile heavy German “Tiger”.
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© Russian Seven
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