The Yak-1, s/n 1222, after being recovered from Lake Chernogubskoe on June 11. The tail that broke off during the recovery has now been retrieved.

Examples of the Yakovlev Yak-1 and Ilyushin Il-2 Shturmovik were recently recovered from Lake Chernogubskoe, Murmansk, on behalf of the Vadim Zadorozhny Technical Museum in Moscow. The Il-2 has now gone to Novosibirsk, Siberia, to be restored to flying condition with the Aviarestoration company, and the Yak is at the museum in Moscow to be assessed as a candidate for future restoration.

First to be retrieved, on June 11, was the Yak, s/n 1222, which had been belly-landed on the frozen lake due to fuel starvation by Junior Lieutenant Egor Demidov on August 28, 1943. Demidov, who only had eight hours 25 minutes on the Yak-1 at the time, was returning from a mission covering the main Naval base of the Red Banner Fleet at Polyarny, and escaped from the fighter before it sank through the ice. The Il-2, s/n 1872752, was recovered on June 21, having been on the lake bed since November 25, 1943.   

Operated by the 46th ShAP Assault Regiment of the Soviet Navy, the Il-2 suffered damage to the wings, flaps and engine during combat with Messerschmitt Bf 109s of JG 5 following an attack on the Luftwaffe airfield at Loustari. After making a landing on the frozen Chernogubskoe, pilot Valentin Skopintsev, who was only on his third operational mission, managed to help and his injured gunner, Vladimir Gumennoy – who was only on his second “op” – to safety before the Shturmovik sank.