Wreck of Soviet I-16 Fighter Abandoned by Roadside, USSR 1941
September 21, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes
Overturned Soviet I-16 type 29 fighter abandoned by the roadside, inspected by a German soldier, USSR, 1941.
This unusual wartime photograph shows the overturned wreckage of a Soviet Polikarpov I-16 type 29 fighter lying by the roadside in the Soviet Union, 1941. A German soldier inspects the abandoned machine, which appears moderately damaged but not completely destroyed.
The scene suggests that the aircraft was being transported—possibly to a rear airfield or repair facility—rather than lost in aerial combat. The carefully removed wing panels indicate that the I-16 was disassembled for towing, a common practice during retreats in the early months of the German invasion. However, the convoy likely came under Luftwaffe attack, leaving the fuselage overturned and stranded. An unusual detail visible in the photo is the removal of the rubber tires from the landing gear, either to be reused on other vehicles or stripped by locals or soldiers after the plane was abandoned.
The I-16, nicknamed “Ishak” (“Donkey”) by Soviet pilots, was the backbone of the Red Army Air Force in the late 1930s and the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa. By 1941, however, the type was already outdated when compared to modern German fighters such as the Bf 109F. Despite this, the I-16 fought with remarkable tenacity in the skies of the Eastern Front, especially in low-altitude dogfights and ground-attack missions. Many were destroyed in the air, but just as often, large numbers were abandoned on the ground as the Soviet forces retreated.
This roadside wreck embodies the chaos of the Soviet retreat in the summer of 1941: aircraft scattered, sometimes disassembled, often left behind as units pulled back under relentless pressure. The image illustrates both the vulnerability of outdated equipment and the desperate resourcefulness of the Red Army, which salvaged anything usable—even tires—from machines that could no longer fly.
Short description for homepage
Overturned Soviet I-16 type 29 fighter abandoned by the roadside, inspected by a German soldier, USSR, 1941.
Technical photo data
📍 Location: USSR (exact location unknown)
📅 Date: 1941
📝 Event: Early phase of Operation Barbarossa, German advance into Soviet territory
📷 Source: WWII German soldier photograph archives
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