Wrecked Soviet Polikarpov I-153 “Chaika” Fighter Captured by German Soldiers, Summer 1941

August 18, 2025 - Reading time: 3 minutes

A wrecked Soviet Polikarpov I-153 “Chaika” fighter, captured by German soldiers in the USSR during the summer of 1941.

German soldiers inspect the wreckage of a Soviet Polikarpov I-153 “Chaika” biplane fighter, captured in the western USSR during the Nazi invasion in summer 1941.

This historical photograph shows the wreckage of a Soviet Polikarpov I-153 “Chaika” biplane fighter, captured by German soldiers in the western territories of the USSR during the initial stages of Operation Barbarossa in the summer of 1941.

The I-153, a modernized version of the earlier I-15 design, represented the last stage of Soviet biplane development. Introduced in 1938, it was considered the most advanced biplane fighter in the world at the time. However, by 1941 it was hopelessly outdated. Its maximum speed was insufficient to catch even the German Junkers Ju 88 bombers, let alone engage Luftwaffe fighters such as the Messerschmitt Bf 109.

Despite its obsolescence, the I-153 “Chaika” continued to serve in Soviet Air Defense units and as a light ground-attack aircraft until early 1942. Many of these planes were destroyed or captured on forward airfields during the surprise Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. The image reflects the harsh reality faced by the Red Army Air Force at the beginning of the war, as older equipment struggled against the advanced German war machine.

Technical photo data:
📝 Source of information: Unknown
📍 Location: Western USSR
📅 Date of photo: Summer 1941
📷 Photographer: Unknown