Pe-2 Guards Units of World War 2 cover
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Description

Although the Pe-2 was widely used on the Eastern Front throughout the Great Patriotic War, only the most effective units in the Air Force and Naval Aviation were given Guards status. This is their story.

Petlyakov's Pe-2 was the most numerous Soviet twin-engined bomber of World War 2, the aircraft being used as a dive-bomber, ground attack platform and dedicated reconnaissance type. The first examples entered service in August 1940, and by the time production came to end in late 1945, no fewer than 10,547 examples had been built. These equipped more than 80 bomber air regiments, and of the latter, two were accorded Guards Air Corps status, as were six air regiments.

Amongst the former was the 2nd Guards Bomber Air Corps, which was commanded by the legendary General Polbin, who was twice made a Hero of the Soviet Union. Pe-2 bomber and reconnaissance versions (the latter in service with four Guards reconnaissance air regiments of the Air Force and one regiment of Naval Aviation) were extensively used from the frozen Arctic north to the balmy Crimea front. A number of Pe-2 also saw brief combat against Japan in the final weeks of World War 2.

Alongside stunning aircraft profiles, the authors explore the combat history of these units in detail.

Table of Contents

Pe-2 Development
Guards bomber air regiments
Guards bomber air divisions
Guards bomber air corps
Guards reconnaissance air regiments
Guards bomber air regiments of naval air forces
Appendices

Product details

Published Feb 20 2013
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Extent 96
ISBN 9781780960661
Imprint Osprey Publishing
Illustrations 80 b/w; 30 col
Series Combat Aircraft
Short code COM 96
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Dmitriy Khazanov

Dmitriy Khazanov is one of Russia's leading expert…

Author

Aleksander Medved

Aleksander Medved is a retired air force colonel w…

Resources

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