At this moment, in the skies.
Harlamov personally led a squadron to execute this unprecedented bombing mission.
Before that, the fighter regiment pilots didn't even know their Yak-1s were capable of carrying bombs.
The main Ant Air Force particularly emphasized specialization, with each plane designed for a specific mission, striving to perfect it for that purpose.
They even considered removing the rear machine gun from the Il-2, to save those two or three hundred kilograms of weight.
Under this design philosophy, why the Yak-1 could carry bombs was no longer a question. Pilots simply didn't understand why a field mainly housing fighters would have both 100kg and 50kg bombs available.
The pilots were even excitedly discussing the possibility that a female pilot who flew the Po-2 bomber was going to transfer in—how else could the presence of these bombs be explained?
Until today, when they strapped on bombs and took off.
