There were others as well. Still, existing Russian bombers in production in 1944 were satisfactory for hitting American positions in Western Europe. It was not until 1949 that a threat to America itself by the Tu-4 became a big issue.
"The Tu-4 was a bolt for bolt copy of the B-29."
"There were others as well. Still, existing Russian bombers in production in 1944 were satisfactory for hitting American positions in Western Europe. It was not until 1949 that a threat to America itself by the Tu-4 became a big issue."
And as the source I pointed out to you in my message #85 the fact that the initial copies of the B-29 were made in 1947 did not mean that sufficient production levels were achieved until 1950-1953. Your contention that the Soviet Air Force had "existing Russian bombers" available in 1944 for "hitting American positions" in Europe is just laughable. The end of WWII found the Soviets with a large, tactical air force that had absorbed the 'strategic' bomber command, which had in its entire existence performed a few raids on Berlin in the early part of the war, then had hit the capitol of Estonia late in the war. Take a look at the twin-engine 'bombers' that were the mainstay of the Soviet Air Force in WWII. The Soviets copied the Germans in air doctrine, they created weapons for tactical air operations and ignored strategic air doctrine (and the necessary aircraft)...
Look at the table below. You will see that the most numerous twin-engined bomber of the USSR was the IL-4, with about 6,800 produced during WWII. The only four-engined bomber was the Pe-8, which had about 145 produced before and during the war. The USSR had no strategic bomber force, nor the long-range fighter aircraft necessary to escort said non-existent bombers to targets in Western Europe. The Russian fighters were optimized for high-performance, short range combat against the fighters of the Luftwaffe. The Soviet Air Force simply had NO P-51D long-range fighter escort equal... You also might be surprised to find out where most of the USSR's high-octane AVGAS for high-performance engines came from during WWII - the U.S. via the Iranian oil, refineries, pipe-lines and rail tank-cars run by the United States Army.
In the sources listed below is an account of the USSR bomber 'raids' on Berlin during the early stages of WWII. Think of these raids on Berlin as on the same scale of the USAAF "Dolittle Raid" on Tokyo in 1942. Strategic air capabilities did not enter the USSR inventory until the 1950s.
Source: The Other Air Forces of the Second World War
Source: Specifications of WWII Soviet bombers
Source: Red Stars over Berlin
dvwjr
There were others as well. Still, existing Russian bombers in production in 1944 were satisfactory for hitting American positions in Western Europe. It was not until 1949 that a threat to America itself by the Tu-4 became a big issue.
Russian planes flying against western allied targets in Europe would never have returned. Besides a near omnipotent air superiority, we had recently deployed the radar proximity fused anti aircraft shell.
We also refined Time on Target artillery fire, and shortly thereafter mated that fuse with artillery shells for devastating effect with area airbursts. The Soviets wouldn't have known what hit them matched against the west.