ALSIB

ALSIB (or the Northern Trace) was the Soviet Union portion of the Alaska-Siberian air road receiving Lend-Lease aircraft from the Northwest Staging Route. Aircraft manufactured in the United States were flown over this route for World War II combat service on the Eastern Front.[1]

Kathrine the Great and other Douglas A-20 Havocs waiting at Nome to fly west over the ALSIB.

Routing

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United States ferry pilots delivered aircraft to Ladd Army Airfield in Fairbanks, Alaska. There each aircraft was serviced by USAAF personnel in preparation for Soviet inspection. After Soviet inspectors accepted the aircraft, five regiments of ferry pilots conveyed aircraft from Fairbanks to Soviet pilot training facilities near Krasnoyarsk. Each regiment was assigned to a specific segment of the route to become familiar with navigation and weather within that segment. Single-seat Bell P-39 Airacobra and Bell P-63 Kingcobra fighters flew in groups with a pair of multi-engine North American B-25 Mitchell or Douglas A-20 Havoc bombers. The lead bomber navigated for the flight and the trailing bomber watched for stragglers. Bombers and Douglas C-47 Skytrains might fly independently, and C-47s transported ferry pilots east for new aircraft.[1]

1st regiment

Soviet First regiment pilots accepted the planes at Fairbanks and flew over the Bering Strait via St. Lawrence Island.

2nd regiment

Second regiment pilots flew from Uelkal to Seymchan.

3rd regiment

Third regiment pilots flew from Seymchan to Yakutsk.[1]

4th regiment

Fourth regiment pilots flew from Yakutsk to Kirensk.[1]

5th regiment

Fifth regiment pilots flew from Kirensk to Krasnoyarsk.[1]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e Lebedev pp.44-49

Sources

  • Altunin, Evgenii (1997). "ALSIB: On The History of the Alaska–Siberia Ferrying Route". The Journal of Slavic Military Studies. 10 (2): 85–96. doi:10.1080/13518049708430292.
  • Lebedev, Igor (1997). Aviation Lend-Lease to Russia. Commack, New York: Nova Publishers. ISBN 1-56072-417-X.
  • Alexander B. Dolitsky, ed. (2016). Pipeline to Russia :the Alaska-Siberia Air Route in World War II. National Park Service. ISBN 978-0-9907252-1-3.