Venik wrote:
Actually, Yak-9DD ("Dalnego Dejstviya", or "long range") did exist and about 400 of them were built. Here's a photo:
http://www.aviation.ru/Yak/Yak-9DD.jpg The fighter was developed for long-range bomber escort missions and was equipped
with a US-made SCR-274N radio (http://www.battlefield.ru/radio/pics/radio_016.jpg). The Yak-9DD's max. range was 2285 km
and it could stay airborne for 6.5 hours. Yak-9DD was called by the pilots the "flying fuel tank" and it had only marginal
speed advantage over the bombers it escorted (mainly the Tu-2) when fully fuelled. A squadron of Yak-9DDs was used for
escort of Soviet C-47s from Italy to supply Yugoslav resistance. These fighters were also used to escort US B-17s and B-24s
that attacked targets in the Balkans and in Hungary taking off from Bari in southern Italy and landing at Poltava, where
they would refuel for a return trip.

[...]

Knew absolutely nothing of Soviet long range fighter
escort of American, or Soviet for that matter, bombers.

Thanks for some good info.


SMH