Communism at its best...
 

Got this off of wiki

Typical of Soviet Second World War aircraft, many Il-2s were "gifts" presented to specific pilots and partially paid for by organizations like hometowns, factories or comrades of another fallen pilot. The most famous of these was an aircraft purchased with the savings of a seven-year-old daughter of the fallen commander of the 237th ShAP. Learning of her father's death, the girl sent 100 rubles directly to Stalin asking him to use the money for an Il-2 to avenge her father. Remarkably, Stalin actually received the letter and 237th ShAP received a new Il-2m3 with the inscription "From Lenochka for father" on the side.

See, stalin was a nice person, when he wasnt being a bastard...i also got this off wiki...

In his book Inside the Soviet Army, Viktor Suvorov alleges the lack of protection for Il-2 rear gunners was part of a deliberate policy. Suvorov claims from 1942 on, all Soviet airfields had attached penal companies of air gunners. Such companies were made up of prisoners who were considered to be "enemies of socialism" or "enemies of the people." The air gunners were not provided with either armour protection, or allegedly, parachutes and were reliant entirely on their machine guns to ensure their own survival. The death rate among the air gunners was exceptionally high. According to Suvorov, prisoners who survived could theoretically clear their sentences after nine missions. The prisoners, however, were always transferred to mine clearing or other units for "medical reasons" before this could happen.

you suit your username, shoulders holding up ok?

The British used to do it too, it cost £5,000 to buy/build a Spitfire and £50,000 to buy a TBM off the Americans. The public were encouraged to have garage sales and the like to save up money to buy aircraft.

The Soviets did it with tanks also.

About the gunners on IL's, it was because the gunner was added in later variants and the only space for them was outside the armour tub which the pilot sat in. Most Soviet penal battalions were infantry and used in the first wave and clearing minefields, basically anything that was a suicide mission.

Lol, this has nothing to do with Stalin being nice, this is pure communist propaganda, the story just "sounded good" for the agenda. I wouldn't be surprised if the family of Lenochka was forced to give up the little money they had for the greater good and they starved to death later, at least the a "good" story came out of it.

and why do i have a chip on my shoulder?

i can see why one random act of alleged niceness, can revoke a lifetime of bastardlyness :) yes its a word i made up what of it :)

Its almost like george bush buying a small iraqi girl a my little pony.

This reminds of the british not allowing there pilots to use parachutes in the First World war as it "may impair the fighting spirit of pilots and cause them to abandon machines which might otherwise be capable of returning to base for repair."

A Pilot Major Mick Mannock once said he carried a revolver "to finish myself as soon as I see the first signs of flames."

Makes you wonder the logic of the people who lead the armed forces back then!

well no-one doubts that Bush is an asshole, just as much as Stalin is. so your statement is redundant.

yes cus repeatedly walking towards the enemy very slowly speaks volumes :)

How is that statement redundant? I thought it was a humorous comparison.

And out of curiosity, how did you come to choose your username and avatar?