When the German Army swept into Russia in June, 1941, Luftwaffe chief Herman Goering assured the generals that Germany would destroy Russia’s air defense capability. They very nearly succeeded. Caught by surprise, Russia’s air force was decimated on the ground and in the air. Moving his design and manufacturing facilities east of the Ural Mountains, Alexander Yakovlev‘s design bureau began production of the Yak-9 in 1942, with delivery of the light, versatile craft to fighter regiments by October of that year. Eventually, a record 16,769 Yak-9’s of all models would be built.
