Petlyakov Pe-2
The Soviet answer to the Junkers Ju 88 — and every bit as important.
The Pe-2 was the most-produced Soviet bomber of the war: fast, sleek, and adaptable as a level bomber, dive bomber, reconnaissance aircraft, and even a heavy fighter. It was known as "Peshka" (the Pawn) and formed the backbone of Soviet tactical bombing from 1941 to the end of the war.
01Originally designed as a high-altitude heavy fighter before being hastily reworked into a bomber. Its speed was exceptional — it could outrun many contemporary fighters — and its handling rewarded a skilled crew while punishing the careless.
02Female pilots of the 125th M.M. Raskova Guards Bomber Aviation Regiment flew Pe-2s into combat throughout the war, distinguishing themselves in the Baltic campaigns and over East Prussia.
03Widely used against concentrations of German armour, fortifications, and supply columns. Its successor, the Tu-2, was even more capable but arrived in numbers too late to displace the Pe-2 from the front-line inventory.
Theatres of operation
- ·Eastern Front
Principal operators
- ·Soviet VVS
Others in the same fight.
Avro Lancaster
B.I / B.III / B.X
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
B-17E / F / G
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
B-24D / H / J / L / M
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
B-29 / B-29A / B-29B