Soviet Il-2 Sturmoviks of the 16th Air Army Over Berlin, May 1945

August 20, 2025 - Reading time: 5 minutes

Il-2 Sturmoviks of the 16th Air Army flying over Berlin, May 1, 1945, during the city’s final days of World War II.

Soviet Il-2 Sturmovik aircraft of the 16th Air Army flying over Berlin on May 1, 1945, during the final days of World War II.

This remarkable wartime photograph captures Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft of the 567th Assault Aviation Regiment, 197th Assault Aviation Division, 16th Air Army, flying above Berlin on May 1, 1945. These aircraft were tasked with photographing the southwestern sector of central Berlin during the city’s final days under the Nazi regime.

The sortie lasted one hour, from 13:20 to 14:20, as part of the Soviet push to fully document and secure the fallen German capital. Among the pilots were Senior Lieutenant Vladimir V. Bondarenko, Lieutenant Solomon D. Belostotsky, Major Boris K. Svirs (regimental commander), Lieutenant Vladimir Ya. Vlasov, Lieutenant Boris A. Metelev, Junior Lieutenant Andrey F. Karlashov, and Lieutenant Colonel Alexey Ya. Nesterov.

Accompanying them in the gunners’ cockpits were military correspondents from the journal Frontline Illustration — Captain Mark S. Redkin and Senior Lieutenant Anatoly A. Arkhipov, who recorded these historic images. The presence of journalists onboard highlighted the importance of documenting the fall of Berlin not only militarily but also for history and propaganda.

This image stands as a powerful symbol of Soviet air power and the closing chapter of the war in Europe.

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