American B-25 Mitchell, A-20 Boston bombers, and P-39 Airacobra fighters lined up for Lend-Lease delivery to the USSR at Ladd Field, Alaska, September 1942.
ALSIB — The Alaska–Siberia Air Route
This historic World War II photograph shows rows of American military aircraft—including B-25 Mitchell medium bombers, A-20 Boston light bombers, and P-39 Airacobra fighters—assembled at Ladd Field near Fairbanks, Alaska, in September 1942. The aircraft were being prepared for transfer to the Soviet Union as part of the Lend-Lease program.
Established after the passage of the Lend-Lease Act in 1941, the program enabled the United States to provide military equipment and supplies to allied nations fighting the Axis powers. For the Soviet Union, deliveries included thousands of aircraft, trucks, armored vehicles, locomotives, fuel, food, communications equipment, and industrial materials that supported both frontline operations and wartime production.
Ladd Field served as one of the principal transfer points on the Alaska–Siberia (ALSIB) air route. American pilots ferried newly built aircraft to Alaska, where Soviet ferry crews accepted them and continued the journey across the Bering Strait and through Siberia to operational units in the European part of the USSR. Between 1942 and 1945, thousands of aircraft reached the Soviet Air Force via this route.
Beyond documenting a remarkable collection of wartime aircraft, the photograph illustrates the scale of Allied logistical cooperation. Every airplane visible here was part of an international effort that connected American industry with Soviet military operations during the struggle against Nazi Germany.
Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: USAAF wartime photo archives
📍 Location: Ladd Field, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA
📅 Date of photo: September 1942
📷 Photographer: Unknown
Recommended reading:
- B-25 Mitchell bombers supplied to the USSR
- A-20 Boston aircraft in Soviet service
- P-39 Airacobra fighters on the Eastern Front
- ALSIB Alaska–Siberia air route
- Ladd Field and Lend-Lease operations
- American aircraft delivered to the Soviet Union
- Lend-Lease program and Soviet logistics
- Soviet-American cooperation during World War II
- Aircraft ferry routes of World War II
- A-20 Boston bombers in Soviet aviation