Il-2 Shturmovik Guards Units of World War 2 (Combat Aircraft) [Paperback]

Oleg Rastrenin (Author), A. Yurgenson (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Combat Aircraft | Publication Date: March 18, 2008

Over 43,000 Il-2/10s were built between 1941 and 1955, more than any other combat aircraft in history, making this one of the most important Soviet aircraft deployed in World War II (1939-1945). Built originally as a two-seater, the Il-2 had lost the rear gunner's position by the time the aircraft started to reach frontline units. Armed with ground-attack rockets, the aircraft proved deadly against Wehrmacht panzers as pairs of Il-2s roamed the frontline at low level. However, the Shturmoviks (armored attackers) were vulnerable to attack from the rear by enemy fighters, so Ilyushin reverted to the two-seat layout in September 1942. Oleg Rastrenin provides a fascinating account of the complex development history of a plane that was crucial to Russia's defense. From Stalingrad to Kursk to Berlin, this book charts the airplane's vital contribution to the most famous battles of the Eastern front.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It is a sign of the times that this latest entry in Osprey's Combat Aircraft series was written by a Russian aviation historian, Oleg Rastrenin, with color profiles by Russian artist Andrey Yurgenson. This gives readers an unprecedented look, through the latest research and photos, at the organization, doctrine and tactics of the Shtumoviki during the "Great Patriotic War," as well as the planes' most successful and heroic aircrews." -Jon Guttman, Aviation History (September 2009)

"Overall, this book is an outstanding addition to Osprey's Second World War titles and one of the best sources available on Soviet ground attack operations available in English... [The] author's obvious knowledge of the subject and his use of material not readily available to non-Russian scholars, combined with an effort to place Il-2 operations into their proper context make this one of the very best titles in the Combat Aircraft series." -World War II Quarterly (May 2008)

"This title is one of the best Osprey Combat Aircraft series I have seen in a while. The level of research is thorough, yet the text is easy to follow. The story of the Il-2 is a fascinating one, and one that needs wider exposure. This title goes a long way to giving this famous plane its due." -Chris Banyai-Reipl, Internet Modeler (May 2008)

"This story is superbly illustrated with period photos of the men and some of their aircraft... All in all, another superlative book in the Combat Aircraft series. One I know you will enjoy reading." -Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com (April 2008)

About the Author

Oleg Rastrenin graduated from the Moscow Applied Physics Institute in 1986 and commenced military service. He subsequently graduated from the Zhukovskiy Air Force Academy. He holds the rank of major and the title of doctor of science. Rastrenin has been working on the history of Soviet aviation since 1992, with his major research projects focusing on air tactics and the combat employment of aircraft. He has published more than 20 articles on the history of attack aircraft in Russian and foreign magazines, and is also the author of the books Red Army Attack Aircraft (1941-1945), Red Army Attack Aviation - Tough Experience and The Il-10. The author lives in Russia.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (March 18, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1846032962
• ISBN-13: 978-1846032967
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.3 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #657,420 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Famous IL-2 Units of the Great Patriotic War!, August 17, 2008

By 

Michael OConnor "Wordsmith" (Wausau, WI USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Il-2 Shturmovik Guards Units of World War 2 (Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)

During WWII, Russian air force units that had particularly distinguished themselves in combat were awarded the 'Guards' title. Oleg Rastrenin's new volume for Osprey, #71 in their 'Combat Aircraft' series, traces those IL-2 units who received this most coveted award. IL-2 SHTURMOVIK GUARDS UNITS OF WORLD WAR 2 really lifts the lid off Russian Air Force combat in WWII to show readers some incredibly brave men in action.

As revealed in Rastrenin's book, it took horrendous IL-2 losses before VVS Shturmovik units developed effective ground-attack tactics. The book is replete with countless missions where poorly-trained IL-2 crews, usually without fighter escort, hurled themselves at Axis forces only to be slaughtered by flak and Luftwaffe aircrews. Initially developed as a two-seater, the IL-2's rear gunner position was dropped due to the design's poor performance, a decision that only increased the IL-2's vulnerability. Nevertheless, as documented in Rastrenin's book, the IL-2 was eventually transformed into an aircraft hated and feared by Axis ground forces, an aircraft labelled 'Black Death.'

'Combat Aircraft #71' certainly offers a fascinating account of IL-2 units - in this case Guards units - in action. You can't help but admire the courage and determination of the Shturmovik pilots and gunners even as you're saddened by the terrible losses they suffered. Rastrenin's books gives endless examples of why Stalin declared that "the Red Army needs the IL-2 as it needs air and bread."

The book features 80 black & white photographs of aircrews, aircraft, destroyed Axis equipment, etc. (Some of the photos that show flak-damaged IL-2s that made it back to base have to be seen to be believed). Along with four-views of various IL-2 models, eight pages of color profiles by Andrey Yurgenson illustrate the Shturmovik in all its glory.

Though I gave the book five stars, I do have two criticisms. First, in too many cases Rastrenin does not present actual German losses suffered in IL-2 attacks as opposed to what the Shturmovik crews claimed. Second the narrative sometimes reads like a textbook, being on the turgid side.

That said, there simply is no other book available offering aviation enthusiasts such an authoritative, comprehensive account of Guards units in action. Highly recommended.
*****

IL-2 fans should check out Yefim Gordon's wonderful IL-2/IL-10 book for Crowood Press and Hans-Heiri Stapfer's earlier book for Squadron/Signal.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Primer, August 28, 2008

By 

G. Scott (New Zealand) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Il-2 Shturmovik Guards Units of World War 2 (Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)

The IL-2 series was the most successful and numerous ground attack aircraft of WW2. The IL-2 was infact the A10 of it's day. This title while ostensibly about the Guard units actually reads as a battle history of the IL2 aircraft, it's development and the evolution of it's combat roles.

The IL-2 had a reputation for being able to survive serious damage and there are plenty of photos in the book which demonstrate this. One in particular show's how the Pilot's rear head armour stopped two 20mm cannon rounds. From the summer of 1942 the addition of rear gunners also alleviated losses.

The IL-2's effectiveness was also due to it's weapon systems; a mix of cannon, rockets and bombs. The anti armour PTAB bomb's were very effective, especially when used in large numbers.
The Il-2 truly became a nightmare for the Germans from 1943 onwards as the Soviets were able to achieve local air superiority and improvements in pilot training, ground organisation and forward air control took effect.

The IL-2 could also catch out the unwary Luftwaffe fighter pilot who was in danger not only from the rear gunner but also from the IL-2's main guns if the fighter overshot on it's attack run.

Oleg Rastrenin has managed to pack in an incredible amount of information into this 96 page title . He also has a great writing style which is not only informative but also enjoyable to read. Many of the operation's flown by the IL-2 squadron's and tactic's used are described and individual crews named.
While Osprey titles can vary wildly in quality this is definitely one of their very best and I would highly recommend it.

My only minor criticism of the book would be that the plates have a slightly washed out look. An illustration of the revised battle tactics in use would have been nice too.
Also in the line drawings the IL-2 M-82 is shown but no description or use of this aircraft is given. I've not seen this aircraft before and would be interested to know more about it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched book, July 2, 2008

By 

Michael Meisel (Encino, California) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Il-2 Shturmovik Guards Units of World War 2 (Combat Aircraft) (Paperback)

As indicated in the title, this is a well researched, well written book on a fairly little-known subject. As one who's interested in WW2 aviation and the European theater specifically, i found this book to give a great introduction to both the aircraft and the aircrews of the Soviet Union. The book contains a decent intro to the concept of Russia's ground attack theories and preliminary testing of the Il-2s. Many full color drawings of various planes from the course of the war as well as particular pilot's machines are included. There is a nice balance of personal aircrew stories along with tactics and the larger strategic use of Soviet airpower in the defeat of Nazi Germany. The pilots and gunners of these planes suffered terrible losses in their battles but ultimately won the war. This is a great book for those wanting to understand more about the Russian side of WW2 as well as modelers needing great pictures of Il-2's.