Il-2 Sturmovik aircraft of the Soviet 16th Air Army fly over Berlin on May 1, 1945, documenting the final battle for the German capital.
Il-2 Sturmoviks Above the Ruins of Berlin
This remarkable photograph shows Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft of the 567th Assault Aviation Regiment, 197th Assault Aviation Division, 16th Air Army flying over Berlin on May 1, 1945. Unlike most combat sorties flown by the famous Soviet attack aircraft, this mission was assigned a dual purpose: supporting military operations while documenting the final stage of the Battle of Berlin from the air.
The formation spent approximately one hour over the city, from 13:20 to 14:20, photographing the southwestern districts of central Berlin as Soviet troops completed the destruction of organized German resistance. By this stage of the battle, much of the city lay in ruins, providing a dramatic record of the collapse of the Third Reich.
The mission included an experienced group of pilots led by Major Boris K. Svirs, commander of the regiment, together with Senior Lieutenant Vladimir Bondarenko, Lieutenant Solomon Belostotsky, Lieutenant Vladimir Vlasov, Lieutenant Boris Metelev, Junior Lieutenant Andrey Karlashov, and Lieutenant Colonel Alexey Nesterov.
Adding historical significance to the flight, the rear gunner positions carried two wartime correspondents from the Soviet magazine Frontline Illustration — Captain Mark Redkin and Senior Lieutenant Anatoly Arkhipov. Their photographs documented not only military operations but also one of the defining moments of twentieth-century history. Many of the best-known Soviet aerial images of Berlin originated from missions such as this.
The photograph illustrates how aviation served multiple roles during the final days of the war. While the Il-2 had earned its reputation as one of history's most effective ground-attack aircraft, it also became an invaluable platform for reconnaissance, observation, and historical documentation during the closing chapter of the European conflict.
Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: Frontline Illustration magazine, No. 9–10 (107–108), May 1945
📍 Location: Berlin, Germany
📅 Date of photo: May 1, 1945
📷 Photographer: Captain Mark Redkin
Recommended literature:
- Yefim Gordon & Sergey Komissarov — OKB Ilyushin: A History of the Design Bureau and Its Aircraft
- Hans-Heiri Stapfer — Il-2 Sturmovik in Action
- Christer Bergström — Bagration to Berlin: The Final Air Battles in the East
- Richard Overy — The Bombing War
- Il-2 Sturmovik Berlin 1945
- 567th Assault Aviation Regiment
- 16th Air Army
- Battle of Berlin
- Soviet Air Force
- Aerial reconnaissance Berlin 1945
- Mark Redkin photographer
- Frontline Illustration magazine
- Soviet military aviation
- Victory in Europe