Soviet I-16 fighter, probably a Type 10 or Type 17, destroyed at a Soviet military airfield and inspected by German soldiers after the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa, June 1941.
This photograph shows a destroyed Soviet I-16 fighter, identified as a probable Type 10 or Type 17, lying at a Soviet military airfield during the opening weeks of the German invasion of the USSR in June 1941. Several German soldiers examine the wreckage after the fighting, documenting one of the many aircraft lost on frontline airfields during the first phase of Operation Barbarossa.
The Polikarpov I-16 was one of the Soviet Union's most important fighter aircraft of the late 1930s and remained in widespread service when Germany invaded. Although newer Soviet fighters had already entered production, large numbers of I-16s continued to equip frontline aviation units during the summer of 1941.
Photographs like this illustrate the heavy losses suffered by Soviet aviation during the opening months of the campaign. Besides recording destroyed equipment, they also provide valuable details of aircraft variants, camouflage, markings, and the condition of military airfields immediately after combat.
Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: Unknown
📍 Location: USSR
📅 Date of photo: June 1941
📷 Photographer: Unknown