Wrecked German Ju 88 Recon Plane Displayed in Central Moscow, July 1941

June 16, 2025 - Reading time: 4 minutes

Junkers Ju 88 reconnaissance aircraft F6+AK, shot down near Istra, displayed in central Moscow as a wartime trophy.

Moscow, July 1941. In the heart of the Soviet capital, right in Sverdlov Square (now Teatralnaya), a grim trophy is put on public display — the wreck of a German Junkers Ju 88 reconnaissance bomber, freshly shot down by the Soviet Air Force.

The aircraft, bearing the tactical code F6+AK and serial number 0285, belonged to the 2nd Long-Range Recon Squadron (2.(F)/122) of the 122nd Reconnaissance Group of the Luftwaffe. It had been performing a surveillance flight over the Moscow–Kaluga sector when it was intercepted on July 25, 1941 by fighter pilots of the 3rd Soviet Fighter Air Corps. Heavily damaged, it crash-landed on a forest clearing near Istra.

Within five days, Soviet recovery crews transported the aircraft to the capital — not to be repaired, but to be exhibited. In placing it on public view, the Soviet authorities made a clear statement: "The skies over Moscow are not German territory."

The Ju 88 was one of the most versatile planes in the Luftwaffe's arsenal — a fast twin-engine workhorse used for bombing, reconnaissance, and night-fighter duties. But here, torn and grounded, it became a symbol of defiance for Muscovites.

The crew — Lt. Wilhelm Stuckmann (pilot), Feldfebel Wilfred Anders (navigator), Gefreiter Bruno Sievert (radio), and Gefreiter Werner Ludwig (gunner) — are officially listed as missing in action. Their fate remains unknown.

📷 Technical photo data:
📸 Photographer: Unknown
🌐 Source: www.vif2ne.ru
📅 Date: July 1941
📍 Location: Sverdlov Square, Moscow, USSR