Il-2 Tactics - Shturmovik Ground Attackers in World War 2

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

Sturmovik, Shturmovik or Shtormovik? I saw all three versions in the literature and they are essentially interchangeable, at the end of the day we all know what plane we are talking about. Most likely it depends on how exactly one tries to say "Штурмови́к/ Šturmovík". I went for the comfortable middle ground. Reminds me on how Nikita Khrushchev sometimes gets his name spelled in different ways…

[@swirekster]

i have nice pdf for you, do you have mail or something where i could send you the book? i have sent the same one for bohica some time ago, i think you will like it.

[@Fuzz82]

It would translate as 'attack aircraft', right? That is the point.They say the Soviets called it the flying tank or flying infantryman. It wasn't really called 'Sturmovik'.

[@LainesNitro]

Shtormovik is wrong for sure, because it would literally be translated as some kind of storm dealing aircraft. So only the first two are plausible.

[@ristomladich246]

no it translate to attack specialist or worker... attacker in English is the proper translation. the SU-25 is also a sturmovik.

[@ristomladich246]

what the call the aircraft is different in many cases. pilots called the mig 21 balalaika, Tu 22 was Awl, Su 25 had names such as rook, comb. Mig 29 swallow. Mi 8 Cow and mi 24 crocodile.

[@Project-Air]

Jeeeez, that guy at 0:30 was damned lucky!

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

So he was!

[@KolasName]

And looking at his pace I think he's hurring to WC.

[@Project-Air]

haha, I'm surprised he didn't wet himself there and then actually.

[@nelsondx8054]

He was like: "Fuck this shit Im out".

[@TheGunningPony]

Fuck this shit im out

[@WartimeHistory]

One thing that i think would have worth mentioning is that the when the IL2 entered service, the Soviets weren't using a combined arms mentality which meant that when an IL-2 would attack a ground target, it would often be a random targets the air force picked rather than targets that would help the army. This further limited their effectiveness in the beginning.

[@hotspur666]

Ha! Ha! Recipient of the "Hero of the Soviet Union", T. Kuznetsov, survived the crash of his Il-2 in 1942 when shot down returning from a reconnaissance mission. Kuznetsov escaped from the wreck and hid nearby. To his surprise, a German Bf 109 fighter landed near the crash site and the pilot began to investigate the wrecked Il-2, possibly to assist Kuznetsov, or to look for souvenirs. Thinking quickly, Kuznetsov ran to the German fighter and used it to fly home, barely avoiding being shot down by Soviet fighters in the process.[21]

[@MarvinT0606]

imagine getting plane-jacked on the Eastern Front

[@5000mahmud]

Grand Theft Auto VI: Stalingrad

[@NucleaRaptor]

Absolute mad -lad- komrade.

[@johanrunfeldt7174]

LMAO

[@Hairog]

The high loss rate up until 1942 can be partly attributed to the lack of a rear gunner. This actually is a very relevant and significant fact pertaining to the IL-2 and its history. It should be mentioned in any presentation on the aircraft. Once the IL-2 had a rear gunner and more powerful engine (AM-38F) they held their own. Excellent book on the subject and interesting story: Over Fields of Fire By Timofeeva-Egoro. She flew over a hundred combat missions in IL-2 . She also has a different take on pre-war Soviet pilot training. Very different from most non-Soviet writers. All in all a great resource on the IL-2 and its use. I paraphrase and summarize her story in my first book: World War Three 1946 - The Red Tide - Stalin Strikes First.

[@aguilayserpiente]

Thank you for the research.

[@mrvk39]

unfortunately, the rear gunner had no armor protection, those any engagement with enemy fighters was deadly for the gunner. They got killed in such great numbers (while pilots and planes survived) that the gunner role was often reserved for those in penal battalions

[@ariannescharfi9366]

5:46 The other IL 2 is experimenting new ways of attacks at it seems like.

[@veliest1886]

japanese style

[@wx7742]

Geez look who's here Scharfi's in air everybody run...

[@michaelbuckers]

Yeah that's what happens when some idiot in the cockpit takes a few bullet hits and thinks the best course of action is to destroy both machine and the pilot instead of attempting return to homeland.

[@shepherdlavellen3301]

Banzai!!!

[@fulcrum2951]

Japanese volunteer pilot

[@l2ic3]

1:56 glorious pass on those trucks

[@adude8424]

Bullets were guided by Stalin's hand

[@markotark]

Finnish troops in WW2 called the IL-2 "maatalouskone" instead of "maataistelukone", in other words, an agricultural machine instead of ground attack aircraft. So they basically called this plane a tractor... They did also call it a flying tank, so i think there might've been some sort of respect shown towards this planes capabilities when they were using it against us Finns.

[@dogmeat7582]

You taught us a good lesson back then. Finns fight hard for their country. That's why KV-2 was born. I love Finland so much, I've been there once and want to live there if given a chance. I live near the border with Finland, in the greatest Russian city Saint Petersburg

[@mattrenton4421]

C10H15N don't you mean leningrad? :)

[@marcusaurelius4322]

Matt/Renton Or Petrograd

[@leifrobinson6118]

C10H15N 8

[@hotrodriguez549]

Finland is a beautiful nation.

[@tylermccauley5513]

thank you for posting this video with so much information in a short time, i watched this in between classes for my WW2 Vehicles project in history

[@carlosteran8114]

As always GREAT, thanks ;) I do love War planes , above all the WW2 ones. It's been sometime now following your vids and it's amazing how much you know about planes. All the best to Deuschtland from Spain , Madrid, Alcalá de Henares CerBantes birth town ;) :)

Thank you for including tactics for attacking enemy columns!

[@kimberlystone3747]

Really enjoyed watching this video. Very informative.

[@buster117]

3:35 Soviet Union: we have little fighters to escort our attack aircraft. Red air Force: JuSt uSe MoRe ATtaCk AircRAfT to EscoRt ThEm Lol.

[@krzysztofbroda5376]

very reasonable though

[@williamflowers9435]

A video of Corsair and Skyraider ground attack tactics in Korean War along with comparisons to Stuka and IL-2 would be freakin awesome!!!

[@TheAlexkon3]

Nice work as always! God to hear something about tactics used something that's very seldom talked about.

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

Cheers

[@melvinjohnson7033]

The IL-2 along with the T-34 were the outstanding Soviet weapons of the war.

[@bingobongo1615]

Melvin Johnson Both pretty flawed designs and the T-34 is the most destroyed tank in history. IL-2 also had losses out of all proportion to its use. What made them so great was the numbers the Soviets could produce

[@coolbeams6885]

@@bingobongo1615 The T34 was pretty revolutionary for it's time, and the IL2 was a great aircraft once it received a more powerful engine and a rear gunner. The reason so more many were produced is a mix of soviet doctrine and ease of manufacture. Also yeah, when the T34 becomes the most produced tank of WW2, it shouldn't really come as a surprise to learn that it was the most destroyed.

[@erichvonmanstein1952]

Melvin Johnson Yeah but almost 45.000 of around 58.000 T-34s which produced during WW2 was destroyed.

[@tommarly1349]

@TheBendablespoons they had a high loss rate they did what they were supposed to do of course there are better tanks but its likw comparing a bmw to a kia yah the bmw is better but all I can afford and know more about is the crappy kia

[@mrvk39]

they were strategically correct weapons to use - very cheap to manufacture, easy to learn how to use, and effective enough against German counterparts. Soviets outproduced Germans, who were always trying to build perfect weapons that either had prohibitive costs or were rushed into production with multiple defects and/or fatal flaws in designs

[@Deuce_and_a_half]

0:34 Hans: "Zat vas dangerous! Zey could hurt zomeone with zose bombs!"

[@maxyakov273]

Great video and commentary. Thanks!

[@lexius2487]

another great video, thanks! however may i complain a second? it's a bit hard to read white text on a white background :D

[@ernesttravers7517]

Great article - keep them coming

[@Talltrees84]

The IL-2 along with the F4U Corsair, P-51 Mustang, A-26 Invader, B-29 Superfortress, C-47 (DC-3), Yak-9 and PO-2 also served in Korea. The A-26 also served in the Bay of Pigs Invasion and Vietnam.

[@villenilsson7182]

You should make a "getting started to fight sims" where you recommend some of the cheaper joysticks and recommend other things that are new player could use,

[@BabyGreen162]

Ville Nilson the logitec extreme 3d pro is a nice, cheap stick for getting started

[@ivankuznetsov8177]

Spasibo, comrade! Quite rich and understandable tactics information)))

[@hoodoo2001]

Il-2 were value for their cumulative (strategic) affect on the battlefield. Individual planes were not particularly effective. They were not super weapons by any means.

[@manic_miner]

Great video -only wish I had seen this before I completed the amazing Sea Dragons Campaign! Thanks.

[@volvo1354]

Grandfather of A-10 Warthog

[@mikeromney4712]

SU-25....:)

[@hotrodriguez549]

No that would be the thunderbolt.

[@volvo1354]

@@hotrodriguez549 technically speaking, No. the Shturmovik was first operational in 1939. the Jug not until 1941, and not pressed into service for a couple more years. the Soviet ground attack machine was the most produced aircraft of the entire war, by any nation. Спасибо!

[@Samtheman1251]

More the frogfoot grandfather, the thunderbolt is the american equivalent

[@blackwilliams88]

Nobody: When you're in traffic and your stomach hurts @0:34

[@KB4th]

Once again Bis, great vid.....

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

Danke

[@kobenrivers1189]

Your videos are great man keep em coming!

[@nerdymidgetkid]

Great video Bismarck. Now that you've looked at both the Ju-87 and the Il-2, it might be interesting for you to compare the two in terms of tactics and design philosophies. Perhaps throw in the Allied counterparts as well, since they took a completely different approach with the combination of fighter-bombers and large, twin engine aircraft.

[@NoNameAtAll2]

I'd really like to see that... Let's just hope and pray

[@hedgehog3180]

Seems like that the IL-2 and Ju-87 pilots developed similar tactics independently of each other. I specifically remember the circle method.

[@williamflowers9435]

I concur 100%... keep the videos coming!!!

[@Anton-wv9nt]

Russians were pioneers in developing solid fuel rockets and started using them in IL-2. This was probably one of the most important advantages of IL-2 over Ju. An airplan cannot provide a stable platform for firing shells large enough to penetrate tank's armor. But rockets work differently and can be powerful enough to damage even a tank. IL-2 was simply a more modern weapon than Ju Stuka.

[@MackTheGovnah]

Great vid! Thanks!

[@ROTSTarge]

I would love to see this format of video for other aircraft of the war, I think it would work very well in the pacific theater, where there was a good degree of improvisation throughout the war. Maybe start off with the Avenger, how it went from a dedicated torpedo bomber to more of a general purpose bomber for the US Navy?

[@marc13bautista]

5:44 "dedicated ways" lol as an il2 kamikazes

[@ardaonen4968]

Is there any good info y'all have found on the PTABs? they seem like a superbly effective way to destroy tanks form the air but I can find little info. How was their combat performance? could they actually destroy enemy armor? (looking at you typhoon)

[@mykolaskumpis236]

Arda Onen I did a little research and it says that the hollow charges dropped out of Il-2s were very effective against tanks mainly because they were dropped from the air, exploding on the thinner top armor.

[@artiombeknazaryan7542]

PtAB bombs were micro HEAT charges dispersed over german armor. They were effective because of relatively thin top armoring. A little nasty secret of Red Airforce.

[@s2korpionic]

Try this in 1946, even King Tigers get destroyed by it. Reliably too.

[@bojandjekic1]

@Harry Kellogg ...and flying without fighter cover, almost untrained personals, bad tactics...

[@hedgehog3180]

I'm somewhat surprised that no one else has come up with something similar. I guess they were kept pretty secret and their small size might have helped with that.

[@BetydeIsMyHandle]

0:32 Seems legit

[@terryteed1903]

informative and fascinating as usual Bis. A question about the windows layout in the il2. do the markings have a specific purpose or is it purely down to production reasons? ta very much.

[@axeppo]

Keep theese videos comming, Bismarck!

[@ArmouredGentleman]

Hey there Bismark. Say what are the mods you use in Il-2 1946? Because yours looks much better than the standard game.

[@jeffreyplum5259]

Some IL-2 loses came from planes without the rear defensiive gunner. The gunner made attacking an IL-2 far more risky, The push to get more planes in the air, without bothing with gunners or defensive guns was a costly mistake. Some IL-2 dummied up a defensive gun, just to look more dangerous to an attacking fighter. Good Work.

[@smigoltime]

Make a video about finnish air forces and amazing B239 pilots!

[@hjorturerlend]

They must have been good, those planes were "behind the curve", to put it mildly x)

[@williamflowers9435]

Yes!!!! A full breakdown of Finnish fighters would be awesome(Fokker D.XXI, G.50, B-239 & especially M.S. 406 w/ Klimov engine)

[@rogersheddy.8497]

I guess we can't say anything bad about the Soviets because they "suffered" so much in the war... I just keep thinking about 1939 and how Russia was a staunch Ally at this time how the Germans just steamrolled Poland and were able to have a free hand in the West for a space... I think that would have been pretty much impossible without the ribbentrop Molotov Pact. So one could say the Russians have them their own selves to blame for all that they went through in the war. Nicht Wahr?

[@arvelikerbarn3262]

Hi nice video man

[@dellybellylyons9700]

Wow, great video, you know your stuff !

[@jojomarujo8704]

was the footage used on visual a modded version of the game? I never remember that the scenery looks that nice.

[@lucadondiego6994]

@2:02 sooo satisfying 😍

[@eklhaft4531]

2:46-3:15 "21 Il2s and 90 pilots lost." Does that mean that 69 pilots landed a damaged plane and died of injuries? Normally I would expect to loose more planes than pilots as pilots could bail out sometimes. I know that Russian soldiers are known for being expendable and the critical components of il2 were well armored. However I still can't imagine how they lost more than 4 pilots per plane.

[@williamflowers9435]

Ekl Haft I’m gonna guess he reversed the numbers

[@eli_7295]

It was 19 instead of 90, just flipped the numbers, I think.

[@schizoidboy]

On the video from the Tank Museum presenter talked about the Russian T-34 tank and how it differed from the Western tanks. He pointed out that the Russians had a different view of reliability, for the Russians something was reliable if it could be easily fixed rather than if it stayed working. I suppose that this might apply here as well.

[@bingobongo1615]

schizoidboy The T-34s suspension wasnt easy to fix and most parts werent normed so every factory made slightly different T-34. The T-34 didnt need to get fix though. They produced them in such masses that it just didnt matter. It was the lost destroyed tank in history though so for Russian tankers the T-34 really was nothing but a grave on an interesting suspension.

[@johnlansing2902]

also the position of rear gunner on the IL 2 was deemed to be one step above a Kamikaze pilot in the probability of survival, they were very very brave men who to my knowledge have never been given the attention they deserve. thanks for your work and time

[@SaturnVII]

Tail gunner work in any aircraft is risky business, let alone in a low altitude dedicated ground attack aircraft. They are unsung heroes for sure.

[@andrey-lukyanov]

Great video, but I must add that the correct pronunciation of the name of the plane is like the word "ill" with a short 'l' sound at the end.

[@Bikerbob59]

Nice Thanks.

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

Which game are you playing in these videos bismarck? It looks like great fun!

[@shalesderby]

Various versions of the "IL-2 Sturmovik" flight sim. Great line of games produced by actual ex Soviet aircraft designers who know their stuff.

[@brianwyters2150]

Can you explain the flashes of light at the side of the engine compartment? I think a similar thing is on the Bf 109.

[@Dunescaler]

Great video :)

[@Talltrees84]

The IL-2, IL-10, Po-2, Yak-9, P-51, F4U Corsair, B-29, A-26, C-47 all served in the Korean War five years later. We hear a lot about the F-86 and Mig-15.

[@ГеоргийМурзич]

And seafires

[@hjorturerlend]

Hey, atleast we got some beautiful planes from our Lenin-shipment x) *Pins Iron Cross to chest*

[@robothunter1035]

Did you say, "rinse and repeat?" If not, what did you say? If so, that was awesome!

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

His sense of humour is very british, despite him being german. I'm sure there is also some german humour in there but being Irish, I wouldnt know. I do, however, recognise much of Bismarcks brilliant british humour. Rinse and repeat is very typical of british humour, indicating a rather unsympathetic response to being asked to do something again. Brilliant line, and I move only ever heard of one other german with such a british sense of humour as Bismarck, and that guy is called henning wëhn, a german comedian residing in London. Hes also very, VERY funny, with lots of gentle ribbing about the wars. We brits dont take ourselves too seriously so its all in good sport.

[@withyou4236]

When I was young I thought the il2 was a water bomber for farms 😂 Turns out she is the A10 of ww2

[@303pilot8]

I think, the P-47 was better attack aircraft. Stronger engine, could carry more bombs and rockets, faster, better climb rate, better visibility from the cockpit etc. but Il2 has got gunner and it's more durable

[@arihyvarinen9924]

il-2 pilot Vasily B Emelianenkos book: red star against the swastika is also intresting to read

[@kaletovhangar]

ari hyvarinen That's actually source for the early war parts most likely.

[@JohnDoe-ff2fc]

it's amazing what a little bit of training/experience can do. I wonder how many percentage of the early war pilots losses were compared to those of the middle and late war veterans?

[@TheBladeMaster23]

Good job ! :D

[@NiSiochainGanSaoirse]

I've experienced many instances where an unidentified flying object has attacked me following an argument with my ex... Luckily I was never killed, but that thing flew hard and low and hit me in the balls a few times. I think it was a plane, but who knows?

[@flojo4271]

Hello, may I ask what the German counterpart of the Sturmovik was? Maybe a Stuka-Version or were there attempts to copy this airplane? Did the Luftwaffe have similar tactics? Gruesse

[@jerbear3915]

IL-2 sturmovik is my favorite ww2 plane. It's my type of plane

[@firepower7017]

the fuhrer epicness It is also my favorite, I like how rugged it was and how it differed from regular planes which was it's armor. I mean the P-39 is a close second

[@modwlego]

IL-2: the plane so good it escorted itself to the battle.

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

Do a video on the sky raider please.

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

This was one of the most produced aircraft period, imagine tens of thousands of these planes during operation bagratiom and the battle of Berlin.

[@thepixelated]

if this franchise is bought by one of the big studies it could be big mate.. it has some potential

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

I'm not sure. I think if it was bought by a big publisher, it would be its end. The reason why simulations are simulations is just because it does not try to cater to a mass audience and because their devs generally know how what they are doing.

[@asac_onvenient]

These videos are candy

[@thomassholl6076]

love this game

[@davidvanniedek2605]

Could you do a video on the Canadian Aviation Corps in ww1? or contiue the theme of ground attack with allied ground attackers?

[@nicolassalischiker1179]

What PC specs do you have? I want to get a PC that can handle this and P3D at very high settings, but I don't know if I should spend most of my money on the CPU or GPU. Is an i5 7500 and GTX 1050ti enough, or would you recommend a better CPU and/or GPU?

[@tonatiuhgarciareyes6710]

For BoX you'll need at least a gtx 1060 and a I7 8th generation if you intend to use HUD/Map(it uses way tu much CPU power), but if you relay on plane instruments only, just a better GPU

[@3-DtimeCosmology]

Fascinating

[@Yuubari_]

Hey Bis! I wanted to know which mods do you use for IL-2:1946 if you use any.

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

Using UP and a few additional mods (mainly extra aircraft)

[@RascalKyng]

Considering many countries and modern countries are adopting propeller attack planes, how does the legendary IL2 compare and hold up as an airframe to bring back into combat service with modern avionics and instruments?

[@justforever96]

Bad. There is no reason whatsoever you would do that. Modern design could make a much superior plane, and do it cheaper than trying to fit modern capabilities and equipment into an Il-2. The only reason one would even consider that idea is romantic nostalgia. COULD we put the M4 Sherman back into production and use it in Afghanistan? Sure. Would it be a good idea? No, not at all. The only people who would like the sound of that are people who are Sherman fanboys. Everyone else would think that's just dumb. It's almost 100 years old now. Why on earth would an Il-2 stand up for a second next to a modern turboprop attack plane designed with high-tech, turboprop engines, large payloads, fully integrated and computerized attack systems, etc. How are you going to wire an Il-2 to take an anti-tank missile? A modern cannon? IR sights? Terrain following radar? Autopilot? Countermeasures? Laser designator? By the time you were done, you'd have an all-new plane that just looked a lot like an Il-2, and what's the point of that besides "it'd be cool!"?

[@thespeeddemon7832]

0:35 RUN HANZ RUN PUMP YOUR LEGS!

[@kimbonzky]

Will there be more multiplayer gameplay from IL2 soon?

[@4tonnesoffury329]

I have only seen one of these with its original engine fly, great aircraft.

[@justforever96]

Like these appear to have been sped up a lot to make the game more exciting. When you see an actual prop plane flying around at 300kts, it doesn't seem very fast. These guys are zooming around like jet fighters.

[@VampierFilmProduction]

the game looks so awesome. would totally play it if i had friends to play it with but my friends are not into theese kind of games sadly

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

How many tanks did it kill? Or disable in technical terms.

[@curiouscat8396]

Why did it have an external/bottom-mounted oil cooler?

[@ExGavalonnj]

Can you do one if these on the HE-177?

[@richardmeyeroff7397]

How did this aircraft compare to the P-39 Aircobra and later Kingcobra

[@luckynumber3922]

I just got il2 bos and for some reason every time I shoot my guns, it zooms my camera in, I checked the controls and couldn't find any conflicting key bindings, is this a setting I can turn off?

[@yenchey3270]

What mods do you have installed in Il-2 1946?

[@ВалентинАбрамов-с9б]

Great work. Thank you for this video. Never saw anything like this in russian part of KZbin, in IL 2 motherland. But its full with anti soviet propaganda about WWII, including il2. Sometimes I even think that the most of wehraboo guys are russians. You have very interesting and informative videos about military aviation. I definitely will leave a like and subscribe to your channel. Me and, hopefully, other people, would be very interested to hear from you about how il 2 used its weapons, bombs ( not only PTABs), rockets (rs and rbs), guns, and, maybe, ks flame ( not sure that il2 used it, but I know that other soviet planes used it during WWII). If you read this, please answer this comment. Im not sure about where should I put commas in english, so I did it like in russian. And yes, it is shturmovik.

[@davidpickles5774]

What brilliant graphics what is the software

[@4mnesicsim489]

Images have been taken from IL-2 Sturmovik flight simulator, in at least two versions, the older "1946" and the newest "Battle of Stalingrad". I may have lost other versions. If you are interested I invite you to check out: il2sturmovik.com/ and join us in this incredible world of WWII flight simulation.

[@fatmanbatman9374]

Says it at the bottom il2 1946

[@eescoto71]

Hey Bismarck, every time you use IL2 1946 footage it always looks rather clear compared to mine, despite running on perfect settings. It doesn't seem to have have any AA options in the settings, do you use any specific settings or mods?

[@LaloMaxiMora]

What joystick do you use?

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

So this is one of the The most produced aircraft! Man can you imagine tens of thousands of these airplanes during the last Russian offensives including the battle of Berlin? Sky’s would be filled with the dean thing.

[@fidenemini4413]

IL2 were devastating mainly because the Germans often clogged the roads/bridges/fords while they were constantly retreating after Kursk. A flight of IL2 could could inflict amazing carnage

[@MrBorceivanovski]

Necessity is the mother of the innovations #

[@team_not_nice7702]

Possible Finnish Air Force review in the future? :D

[@Tapport]

I swear I recognize this footage from a game I used to own on Xbox called Secret Weapons Over Normandy. Anyone know what this mission is based on?

[@MilitaryAviationHistory]

I only use footage from IL-2: 1946 and IL-2 Battle of stalingrad in this video

[@Tapport]

My mistake, let me be more clear. The footage of you strafing the convoy that has just crossed a bridge looks identical to the game Secret Weapons Over Normandy. I was just wondering what specific operation in history that mission is from because I totally recognize it but have no idea what it is.

[@jamesrose1460]

Some of the early pilots were lost because they flew w/o tailgunners as they were always short.

[@kaletovhangar]

IL-2 didn't had tail gun until late 1942 (unless we count modified ones).

[@pattifunkhouse2932]

Any thoughts on the superiority of the Typhoon vs the IL 2.? I take it the Typhoon was superior in every way with pilot training being another area where the RAF excelled.

[@Spade_1917]

Well the IL-2 destroyed more of the Axis armies than the typhoon, and was used in far greater numbers, so I think that speaks for itself

[@matthewrogers8407]

So you state the death ratio of the IL-2: how does that compare with other WW2 aircraft - eg Spitfire, Hurricane, Typhoon, Tempest, Lancaster, B17 Flying Fortress. To me the death ratio seemed high, but I would welcome the comparables.

[@braeddie]

Off the top of my head, 50% loss rate for RAF bomber command.

[@SaturnVII]

It's probably fairly high in comparison, but the Soviets dealt with the brunt of the German force and the IL-2 was tasked a very dangerous job. 29% losses is not only acceptable in that regard, but it's better than 30% onwards, and the Soviets ended up winning their fight.

[@Jarod-vg9wq]

Where can one find a working Il2?

[@imaginaryfriend4004]

anyone know a subreddit where I can find more stuff like this?

[@kharnthebetrayero9036]

One question did the il 2 have parachutes bombs

[@captainpinky8307]

Not that i ever heard of.