German soldiers exam the wreck of a Shturmovik that had been shot down by the Luftwaffe - exact date and location unknown.
The IIyushin II-2 was a low level armoured attack aircraft that built up a reputation for being virtually indestructible.
Some 36,183 units of the Il-2 were produced during the war, and along with the Ilyushin Il-10, a total of 42,330 were built, making it the single most produced military aircraft design in aviation history.













