Chinese Forces

Chinese I-153 Squadron

In August 1937, the Chinese Koumintang Government signed a non-aggression pact with the USSR. And, in autumn of the same year, the Soviet Union commenced to ship I-15s as a part of a programme of military aid to the Chinese Air Force (CAF) in its defensive war against Japan. More than 250 Soviet pilots volunteered to fly the 255 I-15s supplied to China in autumn 1937. By 1939, the total number of Polikarpov biplanes delivered to CAF reached 347 I-15/I-15bis. The I-15bis saw a great amount of action in Manchuria and in the various border clashes between the Russians and the Japanese. In 1937, I-15s in the hands of the Chinese Nationalist Air Force fought against invading Japanese, where the tough biplane began to meet its match in some of the newer, faster Japanese monoplanes. In 1939 Polikarpov fighters were extensively used during the Battle of Khalkhin Gol fought around the Khalkhin Gol River, in Soviet-Mongolian province of Doronod. This short war (11 May-15 September 1939) involved more than 600 planes. When hostilities commenced, the only I-15bis in the area, were 14 aircraft of 70th IAP. Their number increased in the following weeks: on 23 May, 35 I-15bis a from 22nd IAP arrived from the Trans-Baikal region. However the Polikarpov pilots had been hastily trained and they suffered heavy losses against the more exerienced Japaneses. During this conflict, Soviet Union and Japan lost more than 200 aircraft each.