Captured Soviet Airfield: Destroyed UTI-4 and German Henschel Hs-126, Summer 1941

July 31, 2025 - Reading time: 7 minutes

Captured Soviet airfield with destroyed UTI-4, I-16 wrecks, and a German Henschel Hs-126, showcasing the early losses during the Nazi invasion of the USSR in 1941.

Destroyed Soviet UTI-4 and I-16 wrecks at a captured airfield in Latvian SSR, with a German Henschel Hs-126 in the background, taken during summer 1941.

This striking photograph shows the aftermath of a captured Soviet airfield in the Latvian SSR, taken during the Nazi occupation of the Baltic states in the summer of 1941. In the foreground is the wreckage of a Soviet UTI-4, a two-seat training version of the I-16 fighter, which was one of the first and most widely used Soviet aircraft during the early days of World War II.

Behind the destroyed UTI-4, the carcasses of two other Soviet aircraft can be seen: the I-16 and a likely MiG-3 or MiG-1. These wrecks symbolize the significant losses sustained by the Soviet air force in the face of the German blitzkrieg. Despite its initial success, the Soviet air force was caught off guard and overrun by the Nazi invasion, which resulted in catastrophic losses of both aircraft and personnel.

In the background, a German Henschel Hs-126 aircraft, marked with the distinctive Nazi Swastika, looms over the Soviet wreckage. The Hs-126 was a German reconnaissance aircraft used during the early stages of WWII, playing a critical role in aerial intelligence operations over the Eastern Front.

This photo is a powerful reminder of the devastating effects of the German invasion of the USSR and serves as a historical marker for the early air battles of World War II. It also highlights the technological challenges that the Soviet Union faced as it struggled to defend its territory against the overwhelming German forces during the summer of 1941.

Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: Marek Tuszyński Collection
📍 Location: Latvian SSR, USSR

📅 Date of photo: Summer 1941
📷 Photographer: Unknown