Soviet pilots of the 566th Assault Aviation Regiment pose beside an Il-2 Sturmovik at Kingisepp, summer 1944.
The Il-2 Crews of the 566th Assault Aviation Regiment
This photograph shows pilots and air gunners of the 566th Assault Aviation Regiment gathered beside an Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik at Kingisepp in the Leningrad region during the summer of 1944. By this stage of the war, Soviet assault aviation played a vital role in supporting ground offensives and disrupting German defensive positions.
The regiment served with the 277th Assault Aviation Division, operating as part of the 1st Air Army. Flying the heavily armored Il-2, its crews attacked enemy troop concentrations, artillery batteries, transport columns, and fortified positions. Nicknamed the "Flying Tank", the Il-2 earned a reputation as one of the most effective ground-attack aircraft of the Second World War thanks to its combination of armor protection, powerful cannon armament, rockets, and bombs.
Several distinguished Soviet airmen appear in the photograph:
- Mikhail Ivanovich Golomazov — Deputy squadron commander, later awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union for his combat achievements.
- Lev Pavlovich Korchagin — Hero of the Soviet Union, recognized for his courage and successful combat missions.
- Vasily Ilyich Mykhlik — Twice Hero of the Soviet Union and one of the most decorated Il-2 pilots of the war, credited with numerous successful ground-attack sorties.
Beyond recording the faces of individual heroes, the photograph illustrates the teamwork required to operate the Il-2. Every successful mission depended on close cooperation between pilots, rear gunners, mechanics, and ground crews who kept the aircraft flying under demanding frontline conditions.
Photo details
📝 Source: Family archive of A. Golomazov
📍 Location: Kingisepp, Leningrad Oblast, USSR
📅 Date: Summer 1944
📷 Photographer: Unknown
Recommended literature
- Christer Bergström — Bagration to Berlin
- Hans-Heiri Stapfer — Il-2 Sturmovik in Action
- Yefim Gordon & Sergey Komissarov — Ilyushin Il-2 and Il-10
- Von Hardesty & Ilya Grinberg — Red Phoenix
- Soviet Il-2 pilots 1944
- 566th Assault Aviation Regiment history
- Kingisepp WWII aviation
- Heroes of the Soviet Union pilots
- Il-2 ground-attack aircraft
- Soviet Air Force summer 1944
- Red Army aviation contributions