Barracuda-ski

[Spinners]

Fairey Barracuda Mk.II - 5th Torpedo Aviation Division, Soviet Naval Aviation, 1945

As the war in Europe entered it's final phase, the thoughts of the Allied nations turned towards the defeat of Japan. At the Yalta Conference in February 1945, Stalin eventually agreed to Allied pleas to join them in the war against Japan within three months of the end of the war in Europe. As this deadline approached, the US and the UK (along with China) made the Potsdam Declaration - an ultimatum to Japan calling for complete Japanese surrender and that, if ignored by Japan, this would lead to the "prompt and utter destruction" of Japan.

On the eve of the three-month deadline the Soviets declared war on Japan on August 7th, 1945 and at one minute past midnight on August 9th, the Soviets commenced their invasion on a broad front that included the east, west and north of Manchuria. Stalin realised that this would give him licence to win back the disputed Kuril Islands including the southern half of Sakhalin Island previously lost in the Sino-Japanese war of 1904-1905. With the invasion of Manchuria underway the Soviets commenced the 'Kuril Islands Landing Operation' or the invasion of the Kuril Islands. This was mainly a Red Army operation but was supported by the Soviet Pacific Fleet and Soviet Naval Aviation who supplied an aviation regiment equipped with 60 Fairey Barracuda torpedo-bombers. Supplied by the UK as part of lend-lease the Barracuda's were transferred to Soviet Naval Aviation from the Red Air Force who much preferred the IL-2.

With little or no Japanese fighter aircraft operating in the area the Barracuda's were surprisingly effective in sinking Japanese ships in Kuril Islands area. On September 1st, 1945 the Barracuda's were used to cover the assault landing made by elements of the 87th Rifle Corps who were landed by torpedo boats, mine trawlers and transports on Kunashir and Shikotan in the southern Kuril Islands. By September 4th, Soviet forces had completely occupied the rest of the Kuril Islands thus ending further resistance. The fate of the Soviet Fairey Barracuda's is unclear but some may have been passed onto the North Korean People's Air Force as several unconfirmed sightings were made by US/USN pilots in the early days of the Korean War in the summer of 1950.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 11, 2023 by Spinners

[Stratos]

Very nice backstory! Good work mate!

I must confess that after reading the title I imagined a Barracuda with Skis operating from frozen lakes in Norway.

[bazillius]

The barracuda is so ugly that it looks very natural in Soviet camouflage. I agree with Stratos. Cool title and good fictionhisstory. thought somethink kinda