IL-2 Stormovik in Action

In Ihc Soviet Union a cumbersome, slow, but heavily armed and armored ground attack air­craft, which was unique in many respects, became one of the most decisive weapons in the inventory of the Red Army. The Stormovik assault aircraft, as Sergej V. Ilyushin's 11-2 was generally called, proved to be exactly what the Red Army needed to support their ground forces against the invading Germans, from the Summer of 1941 to final victory in Berlin on 9 May 1945. The 11-2 Stormovik was by far one of the most efficient weapons in the Voyenno-Vozdushnyye Sily (Red Air Force). The Stormovik soon became a nightmare for enemy tanks, motor vehicles, artillery and infantry. The Germans generally referred to the 11-2 as the Schwarzer Tod (Black Death). II-2 pilots flew combat sorties at very low levels, flying at alti­tudes of between thirty and 6,000 feet, armed with a variety of weapons, including machine guns, cannon, bombs and rockets. A dramatic wartime telegram from the Soviet dictator. Iosif Stalin, to the manufacturing plant, reflected the great importance this aircraft type had in his view. "The Red Army needs the 11-2 as it needs air and bread. I urge you to produce more Ilyushins."

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