Every Captured Aircraft Reused in WWII

Описание: Captured aircraft played a unique and often overlooked role in the Second World War. From emergency landings and battlefield seizures to defections and total conquest, enemy planes frequently crossed battle lines and returned to the skies under new markings. Every major power flew captured aircraft—sometimes for combat, often for intelligence, training, and propaganda. This documentary explores how Germany, the Soviet Union, the United States, Britain, Japan, Finland, and smaller Axis-aligned nations reused enemy machines to gain tactical and technical advantages.


00:00 — Introduction: Turning Enemy Aircraft Against Their Owners
01:18 — German Use of Captured Aircraft Overview
02:05 — Dewoitine D.520 in Luftwaffe and Axis Service
03:05 — Bloch MB.152 and Other French Types
04:02 — Captured Soviet Fighters: I-16, LaGG-3, Yak-1
05:00 — Evaluation of the Il-2 Sturmovik
05:55 — Captured American Aircraft: B-17 and P-51
06:48 — German Testing of Spitfires and Beaufighters
07:40 — Soviet Use of Captured German Aircraft
08:15 — Ju 88 and He 111 in Red Air Force Service
09:10 — Finland’s Extensive Use of Captured Soviet Aircraft
10:05 — American Evaluation of Japanese Aircraft
10:45 — Testing the Mitsubishi A6M Zero
11:40 — American Analysis of German Aircraft in Europe
12:20 — British Evaluation of German Fighters
13:05 — Italian Aircraft in RAF Testing
13:45 — British Testing of Japanese Aircraft in Burma
14:30 — Finland’s Broader Captured Fleet and Brewster Buffalo
15:20 — Japanese Use of Captured Allied Aircraft
16:05 — Minor Nations, Puppet States, and Propaganda Roles
17:00 — Conclusion: Intelligence, Necessity, and Wartime Pragmatism

Aircraft and Types Featured in This Video

Dewoitine D.520
Bloch MB.152
Polikarpov I-16
LaGG-3
Yak-1
Ilyushin Il-2 Sturmovik
B-17 Flying Fortress
P-51 Mustang
Supermarine Spitfire
Bristol Beaufighter
Junkers Ju 88
Heinkel He 111
Mitsubishi A6M Zero
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Macchi C.202 Folgore
Ki-43 Hayabusa
Brewster Buffalo