Tags
PRIMARY USERS
Soviet Air Force
SFR Yugoslav Air Force
Air Force of the Polish Army
Czechoslovakian Air Force
During the years of the Great Patriotic War, the Pe-2 aircraft found itself used in more applications than just the standard bomber models, and saw widespread use as a fighter, a trainer, and a reconnaissance aircraft as well. Long-range fighters fought over Moscow, and provided reliable air cover for the convoys of their allies as their ships headed towards the northern ports of the USSR. «Peshki» reconnaissance aircraft detected changes in the German forces’ dispositions and defenses, and kept up a constant pressure on their airfields and railway links. Thousands of young airmen received their education in bombers while flying in the Pe-2 trainers. As the war dragged on, the design bureau kept up a constant effort in improving the flight technical and combat qualities of the Pe-2 aircraft. The most significant results came in 1944 with the creation of the Pe-2I, the concept of which was based in large measure on the ideas used in the well-known British Mosquito bomber. The Pe-2I, as well as the developed version of the aircraft, the Pe-2M, demonstrated significantly improved flying characteristics which completely satisfied the requirements during the concluding period of the war.
As a whole, the Pe-2 was completely successful as a multipurpose aircraft. It was able to should a tremendous load on it wings during four years of war.
In total 11202 Pe-2 bombers were built during 1941-1945.
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The aircraft did not really show its true potential until the end of the year, after the Soviet Air Force had a chance to regroup after the German onslaught during the Winter. The Pe-2 quickly proved itself to be a highly capable aircraft, capable of eluding the Luftwaffe’s interceptors and allowing their crews to develop great accuracy with their bombing. Throughout 1942 the design was steadily refined and improved, in direct consultation with pilots who were actually flying them in combat. Western sources use mark Pe-2FT for production series after 83 (where FT stands for Frontovoe Trebovanie(Frontline Request)), although soviet documents do not use this identification. Final versions Pe-2K (transitional version of Pe-2I) and Pe-2I were produced in small numbers, due to unwillingness of Soviet industry to decelerate production numbers.
Finnish Air Force
In 1941, after the outbreak of Continuation War Finland purchased six war booty Pe-2 aircraft from Germany. These arrived to State Aircraft Factory facilities at Härmälä in January 1942, where the airframes were overhauled and given Finnish serial numbers. The seventh Pe-2 was bought from the Germans in January 1944, and it was flown to Finland at the end of the month.
It was initially planned to use these planes as dive bombers in the 1st flight of LeLv 48, which began to receive its aircraft in July 1942, but during the training it was found out that this caused too much strain for the engines. Thus, the role of Pe-2s was changed to fly long-range photographic and visual reconnaissance missions for the Army General Headquarters. These sorties began in late 1942, and were often flown with two 250 kg bombs for harassment bombing and in order to cover the true purpose of missions.
By the time the Soviet Fourth strategic offensive started in June 1944, the secondary bombing role had already ended and the surviving Pe-2s began to be used solely at Karelian Isthmus in escorted (normally by four FiAF Bf-109 Gs) photographic reconnaissance flights in order to find out enemy troop concentrations. These vital missions were flown successfully, allowing artillery and Finnish Air Force and Luftwaffe’s Gefechtsverband Kuhlmey’s bombers to make their strikes against the formations preparing for attack, which had an important effect to the outcome of the Battle of Tali-Ihantala, where the Soviet advance was halted.
During the Continuation War, three Pe-2s were lost in accidents or technical failures, one was destroyed in bombing of Lappeenranta airfield, one was shot down by Soviet fighters and one went missing in action. In the Lapland War the only remaining machine flew a single reconnaissance sortie in October 1944.
