Me109 versus Yakovlevs makes the brunt of the combat reports since the very start of Operation Barbarossa. All german variants of the 109 that fought the Battle of Britain were used against the Soviets Yak-1B and 7’s up to 1942 Fall Blau campaign against the Volga and ultimately Stalingrad. After that campaign the Yak-3 and 9 models brought into the air what the Me-109’s and their cousins the Fw190’s didn’t have for a while. Fighting superior planes, albeit not being flown by similar quality pilots and tactics.

The Yak-1 was a favorite with the pilots although it is a forgotten model given it lives under the shadow of Spitfires and other more popular airplanes from the War in the West. It possessed a modern design with a mixed structure of a welded steel tube fuselage covered with a secondary light alloy structure. This second structure had been covered with a sheet metal of light alloys over the front part, and plywood was laid over the rear part. The tail unit was made up of a light alloy structure which was then covered with fabric. The wing had a plywood-covered wooden unit made out of one piece.

Its counterparts on the German side were full metal airframes. This gave them more roughness and defense against low caliber guns but given the tradition ( started in 1916 ) of equipping the airplanes with cannons this structural difference would amount to little in a face off engagement, at least in theory.

The  Yak-9 was summarized by Galland and other Staff command in a very clear comment - The Spitfire of the East. Was fast, nimble, turned quickly and tight and carried good weaponry. It had better rates of climb, dive and acceleration than all the 109 models up to the G-6 and on top of that, was an excellent flier at low altitudes, where most of the aerial engagements in the East took place.

discuss on the Official War Thunder

War Thunder team