During the years immediately preceding World War I, the Tsarist Russian government began purchasing aircraft from Great Britain and France, a practice that continued throughout the war. While Russia received most of its aviation equipment from France, Britain was represented by many important types of aircraft and engines. Shipments of aircraft, as well as every sort of military equipment, were carried by merchant ships from ports in France and Britain to the mostly ice- free port at Archangel on the White Sea.
Soon after the Bolshevik "October" Revolution, of November 7, 1917, most of the Russian army and navy aviation equipment passed into Red hands, forming the foundation for the new Red Air Fleet. During the Civil War in North and South Russia, the Reds would face British RAF aviation detachments brought in to support the Whites. In North Russia, the British formed Slavo-British aviation units (Slavyano-Britansky otryad), that operated from rough airfields near Archangel. As the Civil War progressed in both regions, numbers of enemy aircraft and their crews were captured by Red troops.
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The AVRO 504K two-seat biplane first appeared in Russia during the 1920s, when some machines entered service in the Don air detachment of General Wrangel's White forces and the 2d air detachment of the White Volunteer Army. They took part in anti-Bolshevik fighting in South Russia. Some were captured by the Reds.
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The well known Bristol F.2B fighter made its first appearance in Russia, serving in White air detachments towards the end of the Civil War in 1920. It was powered by a 275-hp Rolls Royce Falcon III engine. Some were captured by the Reds.
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During the Civil War, White forces in South Russia received D.H.4 and D.H.9 biplanes as British military aid. In 1920, Red troops captured some damaged D.H.4 two-seat reconnaissance planes with 375-hp Rolls Royce Eagle VIII engines. One airworthy aircraft was completed from parts of these machines. Earlier, in the autumn of 1917, the Dux aircraft factory obtained D.H.4 production drawings from De Haviland. But revolution and economic crisis prevented any production. Later, N. Polikarpov, the famous Soviet aircraft designer, mated concepts of the D.H.4 and D.H.9 and produced his R-series. After the Civil War, some foreign engines were sent from Archangel warehouses to Moscow. The first Soviet D.H.4s were powered by FIAT A. 12, Siddley Puma and German Daimler engines. Due to the use of rather poor raw materials and parts, Soviet biplanes were heavier and slower. During 1920-1921, the GAZ-1 aircraft plant (former Dux) delivered twenty D.H.4, with 240-hp FIAT A.12 engines.
Ten D.H.4s, with 400-hp Liberty engines, were captured by the Red Army in South Russia. One was tested at the Scientific-Research Airfield (NOA) at Moscow. In the Crimea the Red Army also captured some D.H.9s with Liberty engines.
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The Fairey IIIC two-seat floatplane, with a 375-hp Rolls Royce Eagle VIII engine, was shipped in some numbers to North Russia during 1919. RAF crews completed many operational sorties against Red troops and shipping near Archangel.
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The F.E.2b two-seat reconnaissance plane was produced in quantity from 1915, but did not appear in Russia until 1916. It was similar to the French Voisin biplane, which was already well-known to Russian airmen. However, the F.E.2b was underpowered and its combat performance could be criticized. Russian aviation received seven F.E.2bs, with 100 hp Green engines.
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The B.E.2e two-seat reconnaissance aircraft, with a 90-hp RAF.1, was purchased at the end of 1916. Russian pilots liked its stability, easy handling and good acrobatic properties. But the B.E.2e had no armament, which restricted its use for front-line operations. In July 1916, five B.E.2e (numbers 6792, 6801, 7111, 7118, and 7123) were earmarked for the 2d Artillery air detachment (with XI Army). Wireless equipment was mounted in the rear fuselage for use as artillery spotters. Within two months three were damaged, and repaired at the 3d aviation park. By October 20, 1917 the 3d aviation park received a second batch of not-serviceable machines, (numbers 6786, 6787, 6791, 6793, and 6799). During the Civil War planes of this type served on both sides of the front lines. One B.E.2e nr. 6795 served with the Red 28th air detachment.
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The R.E.8 two-seat reconnaissance plane, with 150-hp RAF.4a engine was delivered to White forces in South Russia in 1919, equipping spotter units of the 3d and 9th air detachments, as well as the 1st and 3d Don air detachments. The Volunteer Army had R.E.8s (numbers 193, 204, 206, 211, 278-281, 285-291, 293-296, 1119-1132, 1178, 1180, 1183, 1188-1189, 1200-1206, and 3683).
During the evacuation of the Volunteer Army from Kiev the train carrying the equipment of the 3d air detachment had no locomotive, to prevent capture by the Reds an R.E.8 fuselage with engine was mounted and fixed on a flat car and enabled the train to escape.
In North Russia, the Slavo-British air group also had some R.E.8s. Red forces captured some dozens of R.E.8s during the Civil War. They were seldom flown due to poor handling qualities, plus they were prone to fires in the air. Most machines were used as trainers at flying schools and Air Fleet Friends Society (ODVF) sections
During the Civil War S.E.5 single-seat fighters, with 150 hp Hispano-Suiza 8A engines appeared in Russia, and were flown by pilots of both sides. As late as 1925, the Red Air Fleet had 15 S.E.5s on strength. Some are mentioned in archive documents; in 1920 the 3d Fighter air detachment had two, (numbers 6363 and 6368), while the 6th Fighter air detachment had number 6377.
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Some Short 184 two-seat floatplanes were captured by Red forces on both the North and South fronts. Repaired aircraft were delivered to the Baltic and Black Sea Fleet. On July 1, 1922, Baltic Fleet aviation had two Short 184s, (numbers 9024 and 9193, serving with the 1st Independent reconnaissance detachment at Oranianbaum. The Black Sea Fleet received one Short 184, number 9089, which was assigned to the 4th hydroplane detachment.
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In December 1915, the Lebedev aircraft factory at Petrograd constructed a copy of the Sopwith Tabloid biplane. A few Lebedev-built planes of this type were successfully tested and later delivered to the 21st Corps air detachment. Service evaluation at the front was extremely poor, so Lebedev failed to receive orders for mass production.
The spring of 1917, saw the first appearance of the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter in Russia. Some, numbers A1131, 1519-1523, 1543, saw service with the 9th Army air detachment, attached to the VII Army. In August 1917, the 18th Corps air detachment received numbers 1115 and 1159; the 35th air detachment received number 1556; the 6th Army air detachment had numbers A1133, 969, 1518, 1524, 1553; the 17th Corps air detachment had numbers 1122, 1125, 1538, 1540, 1545, 1551, and 1554, while the 3d aviation park had number 1123, 1136, 1221, 8176, and 8757, all shipped from Great Britain in 1917. Excellent flying qualities of the Strutter led to the decision to mass produce it at the Lebedev factory. One Strutter (nr. 3437) was dismantled and measured. Production began at the end of 1917 and continued until 1923. The Strutter was used by both Whites and Reds. Lebedev's machines were heavier than those made in Britain and had poor production quality, with damp wood, peeling covering and bad assembly. Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutters were still in Red first-line units in the mid-1920s.
An interesting story is connected with the Soviet use of Strutters. Vladimir Lenin, considering himself as the leader of world revolution, decided to promote its victory by propaganda means, and sent an inquiry about the possibility of delivering leaflets to the European capitals at Berlin, Vienna and Budapest. For this purpose the UVVF (Administration of the Air Fleet) chose the Strutter. It could fly at safe altitudes, but its range was inadequate to return to Russia. The Red Air Fleet had a few Il'ya Muromets four-engine bombers, with adequate fuel capacity and long range, but its Achilles heel was low altitude and slow speed, plus it was vulnerable to fighter attack and ground fire.
For this big propaganda effort six Strutters were prepared, with three pilots to fly to Berlin and three more to Vienna. Each plane was loaded with 35-70 pounds of leaflets in German with revolutionary slogans. Bad weather prevented their flights and soon the Reds signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 3, 1918), so the flights were cancelled.
The Sopwith Triplane appeared in Russia at the end of 1917. Some were used by Red aviation. One, number 5486, served with the 1st Fighter air detachment and was later transferred to the Moscow flying school. A second, number 2368, served with the 11th Fighter air detachment. The last Triplane crashed in January 1920.
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The Red Army captured two Sopwith Pup fighters from Wrangel's White forces in South Russia.
During 1919 Sopwith Camels, delivered to the White Volunteer Army, saw action in the skies of South Russia. They were already quite worn and the head of the British Mission advised White pilots not to abuse their acrobatic possibilities. The Whites received about forty Camels, part of which were captured by the Reds. They served in the Red Air Fleet to the mid-1920s.
Two Sopwith Snipe fighters were captured by the Red Army. One of them was crashed by Red ace Sapozhnikov in an acrobatic display. The second served with the 2d Fighter squadron (Ukraine Military District) until December 1922. One Sopwith Snipe (E6350) was flown by the famous Russian ace, now RAF Major Aleksandr A. Kozakov, serving with the Slavo-British air group in North Russia. Kozakov crashed to his death on August 3, 1919, at Bereznik airfield near Archangel, while stunting the unfamiliar aircraft at low altitude as a salute to fellow Russian airmen who were leaving to join Kolchak's White forces in Siberia.
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At the end of 1916, one Vickers FB.19 fighter (A1968) was delivered to Russia for evaluation. It was tested by a number of Russian pilots, including the well-known ace, Evgraf Kruten, who gave it high marks. The Russian government ordered about fifty of the type, but only a few arrived at front units and made operational sorties during the summer of 1917. The FB.19 was plagued with poor pilot vision, which was offset by high speed and good armament. In August 1917 the 9th Fighter air detachment, then on the Romanian front, received two Vicker FB.19s. Two others served with the 18th Corps air detachment. Some FB.19s without armament were delivered to the flying schools at Moscow and Gatchina as trainers. During the Civil War they were used by the Reds. About thirty FB.19s served in Russia, the last of them being scrapped in 1924.
British Aircraft in Russian Service, 1916-1922
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Originally Posted by Angiolillo
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