This production list is presented to you by the editorial team of "Soviet Transports" - current to the beginning of January 2021. Additions and corrections are welcome at [email protected] Arado Ar 234 "Blitz" in Soviet service Soviet troops captured one example of the world's first jet bomber in northern Germany in spring 1945 (Russian sources state that it was found at Pütnitz in March, but Pütnitz was occupied by the Red Army only on 2 May). The aircraft underwent short trials at Rechlin in early 1946, but suffered from repeated engine problems. As the Soviet specialists involved in the trials were not impressed by the "Blitz" they refrained from sending it to the Soviet Union. It is probable that further Ar 234s (especially of the Ar 234C-3 version) fell into Soviet hands when the Red Army captured the Arado factory at Alt-Lönnewitz (Brandenburg) on 24 April 1945. One Russian source states that one Ar 234B and one Ar 234C were despatched to the Soviet Union where they underwent comprehensive study - in particular, one of the aircraft was thoroughly examined by BNT, the Bureau of New Technology. One of the captured Ar 234s was restored to airworthy condition in 1946 and used by the LII for testing brake parachutes. 140355 no code Ar 234B-2 Soviet Air Force f/f 30nov44 previously opb KG 76 of the German Air Force; in dark green/brown purple camo c/s with light grey undersides, the last letter of the unit code may have been an 'F'; captured by Soviet troops in damaged condition (after a forced landing) reportedly at Pütnitz mar45, but that cannot be correct; the damaged landing gear, wing and parts of the fuselage were repaired by Walther-Bachmann-Flugzeugbau at Ribnitz; retained its German c/s, but the German crosses and swastikas were superimposed by Red Stars; slighty damaged during its first test flight from Pütnitz (a ferry flight to Rechlin ?) probably jun45 when one of the Jumo 004B-1 engines failed; repaired by a team from NII VVS; undertook 5 test flights from Rechlin jan46/feb46 (piloted by NII VVS test pilot Major Aleksei Kubyshkin), the left engine failed during climb-out 26jan46 and the right engine flamed out during the take-off run 26feb46, in both cases the engines caught fire; was neither ferried nor shipped to the Soviet Union, but abandoned at Rechlin Armstrong Whitworth "Albemarle" in Soviet service The twin-engined "Albemarle" was conceived as a reconnaissance bomber, but was mainly used as a special transport and a glider tug. When the Soviet Union appealed for supplies of transport aircraft (when their demands for Douglas C-47s could not be met), Britain offered 200 "Albemarles" 'extra to Protocol'. These were in principle accepted on 1 March 1943. For the preparation of the aircraft for delivery and the training of the Soviet crews, No. 305 Ferry Training unit was set up at Errol (Scotland). The first "Albemarle" destined for the Soviet Union, P1567, took off from Scotland for Moscow-Vnukovo on 3 March 1943, and another twelve were ferried by GVF crews in March and April 1943 (two of them disappeared without trace on their delivery flight to the Soviet Union). When the first aircraft were delivered, the Soviets were unhappy with them and complained about various undesirable features and quality problems. Because of the delays which ensued, the British reduced their commitment to 100 aircraft on 7 October 1943. Although further "Albemarles" were modified to meet the Soviet complaints, these were rejected by Soviet representatives in late December 1943, and no more were delivered. On 4 March 1944, the remaining 86 aircraft reserved for delivery to the Soviet Union were formally 're-appropriated' and issued to RAF units in the build-up to the D-Day invasion. One of the "Albemarles", P1477, underwent trials with the NII VVS, and afterwards the surviving 11 aircraft were given civil registrations and entered service with the GVF on transport duties. Later a total of seven "Albemarles" was transferred to the Soviet Navy. Four of them were operated by 65 apon (special purpose aviation regiment) at Moscow-Izmailovo, and the surviving two were transferred to the Higher Naval Aviation School at Bezenchuk in 1944 which also received three "Albemarles" from the GVF regiment at Vnukovo. These five aircraft were used for the training of navigators and relocated to Nikolayev together with the school. Two of the "Albemarles" were still charge of the school by 9 May 1945, but were withdrawn from use in autumn that year. Two more "Albemarles" were reportedly used by 25 zapasnoi polk (reserve regiment) in Azerbaijan which trained crews on imported aircraft. The type was often referred to as AL-1 in Soviet sources. [P1455] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force d/d 11mar43 "Albemarle" GT Mk.I Srs.II; ex RAF s/n P1455; lost 11mar43 during the delivery flight to the Soviet Union when disappeared without trace, all crew (commander: Captain A.I. Kulikov) killed [P1477] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force d/d m/apr43 "Albemarle" GT Mk.I Srs.II; ex RAF s/n P1477; underwent trials with NII VVS; photo with Red Stars exists CCCP-L406 Albemarle GVF rgd 05may43 opb 3 atp 1 atd GVF (redesignated 10 atd 05nov44) [P1503] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force "Albemarle" ST Mk.I Srs.III; ex RAF s/n P1503; crashed in Scotland before the delivery flight to the Soviet Union (commander: Captain S.A. Gruzdin) [P1562] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force d/d m/apr43 "Albemarle" ST Mk.I Srs.III; ex RAF s/n P1562 CCCP-L408 Albemarle GVF rgd 05may43 opb 3 atp 1 atd GVF (redesignated 10 atd 05nov44) [P1567] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force d/d 03mar43 "Albemarle" ST Mk.I Srs.III; ex RAF s/n P1567; left Scotland for Moscow-Vnukovo 03mar43 as the first "Albemarle" to be delivered CCCP-L400 Albemarle GVF rgd 05may43 opb 3 atp 1 atd GVF (redesignated 10 atd 05nov44) [P1590] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force d/d m/apr43 "Albemarle" ST Mk.I Srs.III; ex RAF s/n P1590 CCCP-L401 Albemarle GVF rgd 05may43 opb 3 atp 1 atd GVF (redesignated 10 atd 05nov44) [P1595] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force mfd 15mar43 "Albemarle" ST Mk.I Srs.III; ex RAF s/n P1595; d/d mar43/apr43 no reg Albemarle GVF opb 3 atp 1 atd GVF at Moscow-Vnukovo; damaged 01may43 on the leg from Sverdlovsk to Novosibirsk of a route proving flight from Moscow to Novosibirsk when the left engine failed on take-off from Sverdlovsk- Koltsovo and the aircraft made a forced landing in swampy terrain near Nizhne-Isetski, all 5 crew escaped unhurt; struck off charge due to a lack of spare parts and used as a source of spare parts; t/t 27 hours CCCP-L409 Albemarle GVF rgd 05may43 not taken up due to its accident 01may43 [P1636] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force d/d m/apr43 "Albemarle" ST Mk.I Srs.III; ex RAF s/n P1636 CCCP-L402 Albemarle GVF rgd 05may43 opb 3 atp 1 atd GVF (redesignated 10 atd 05nov44) [P1637] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force d/d m/apr43 "Albemarle" ST Mk.I Srs.III; ex RAF s/n P1637 CCCP-L407 Albemarle GVF rgd 05may43 opb 3 atp 1 atd GVF (redesignated 10 atd 05nov44); damaged 21jun43 on a flight from Makhachkala to Baku when the brakes failed due to a design fault, the aircraft overran the runway, collided with an aircraft shelter and came to rest in a trench, the navigator jumped out of the aircraft before it came to rest and was crushed to death by the main gear while the other 4 crew escaped unhurt; repaired not known Albemarle Soviet Navy trf unknown opb the naval aviation school at Bezenchuk and later at Nikolayev, still on charge by 09may45 [P1638] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force d/d m/apr43 "Albemarle" ST Mk.I Srs.III; ex RAF s/n P1638 CCCP-L410 Albemarle GVF rgd 06may43 opb 3 atp 1 atd GVF (redesignated 10 atd 05nov44) [P1640] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force d/d m/apr43 "Albemarle" ST Mk.I Srs.III; ex RAF s/n P1640 CCCP-L403 Albemarle GVF rgd 05may43 opb 3 atp 1 atd GVF at Moscow-Vnukovo; dbr 26jun43 on the leg from Adzhikabul to Tbilisi of a route proving flight from Moscow-Vnukovo to Tbilisi when the crew decided to land at Yevlakh (Azerbaijan) due to an oil leak of the left engine, but the "Exactor" hydraulic control system of the propellers failed due to a design fault so that propeller pitch increased and propeller thrust decreased, making it impossible to reach Yevlakh airfield, the aircraft made a forced landing near Yevlakh and suffered substantial damage (the tail broke off), all 4 crew and 3 passengers slightly injured [P1642] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force d/d m/apr43 "Albemarle" ST Mk.I Srs.III; ex RAF s/n P1642 CCCP-L404 Albemarle GVF rgd 05may43 opb 3 atp 1 atd GVF (redesignated 10 atd 05nov44) not known Albemarle Soviet Navy no reports opb the naval aviation school at Bezenchuk and later at Nikolayev, still on charge by 09may45 [P1645] not known Albemarle Soviet Air Force d/d 27apr43 "Albemarle" ST Mk.I Srs.III; ex RAF s/n P1645; lost 27apr43 during the delivery flight to the Soviet Union when was shot down by fighters of the German Air Force, all crew (commander: 1st Lieutenant F.F.