Kitten

Po-2 Soviet general purpose biplane (nicknamed the "Cropduster") shot down or crash landed, under German guard.  This was the main aircraft used by the all-female Soviet "night witch" squadrons in their night attacks on forward german installations.  Their usual tactics were to fly low and, a few hundred metres from the target, cut engines and take the final attack run on the glide.  The engine silence, combined with the whistling of the air between the bracing and strutting of the biplane wings, could apparently be most unnerving for the target Germans. There was usually no difficulty in restarting engines for the return to base - the Po-2 was a very tolerant aircraft.   Best regards, JR.

Polikarpov Po-2, grounded.

Soviet troops on the border of East Prussia