This particular IL-2 served with 46th Air Assault Regiment of the Northern Fleet and made an emergency landing on the ice covered ‘Crooked Lake’ on November 25th 1943. It was part of a group of 16 IL-2s that were part of a raid on a German airfield at Luostari. 25 Me-109’s rose to intercept them and the resulting engagement cost the Russians 11 planes and the Germans 23.

IL-2 recovered from lake in Murmansk, Russia

The St. George statue aside the Chapel, with the inscription remembering builders and contruction date. DVX

Italian POWs works of art

The statue of Bartolomeo Colleoni in Venice. A masterpiece of Andrea Verrocchio, circa 1480, wich inspired many RSI marines manifestos. DVX