Re: JG 52 victories
 

4 April 1944
2 Yak-9D of 728 IAP attempted to take off from the airfield at Zubiv, Ukraine as their field was under attack by III/JG 52. The Yak-9D flown by Starshiy Leytenant Arknip Melashenko was shot down but landed on the fuselage and the fighter was sent to the rear repair shop because of the damage. Melashenko was unharmed. The 728 IAP had 13 Yak-9D damaged by bullet holes from the strafing.

Oberleutnant Frederich Obleser 8./JG 52 claimed a LaGG (93) at 14:03 at an altitude of 50 meters. In Prien’s JFV 15/II has the date as the 3 April 44, which is possibly a mistake but in Tony Woods list it has 4 April 1944.

Re: JG 52 victories
 

Hi Guys

I checked the mikrofilms and Obleser's claim is on the 4th April 1944 anerk 391 it's the 15th on sheet 1 of 4 for that day, but the mikrofilm itself has a mistake, it shows 8./JG 54. I do remember twenty-five years ago I had problems to identify the name before realising the mistake.

Kind Regards

Johannes

Re: JG 52 victories
 

Barkhorn Nr.215

“On the German side, the pair of Hauptmann Barkhorn and Uffz. Heinz Ewald from Staff II./JG 52 stood out in this fight. LaGG-3 shot down by Łukin was probably the victim of the leading German pair - Barkhorn reported that one Yak-1 was shot down north of the village of Gorki. The commander of II./JG 52 also reported shortly after a fighter identified as an Airacobra in the area northeast of Baksa. So, most likely, he was attacking the machine of junior lieutenant Derbyshev, whose diving maneuver and mouthpiece detachment were incorrectly identified as a hit and his 215th victory”, Lavrinenko wrote in his book – “Drei Falken der II./JG 52 …”. At that time, 4 Aircobras from 66 IAP under the command of Capt. A M Dobrynina flew to intercept bombers in the Arzim-Kobra area. At 12.15 at an altitude of 800 meters north of the border with Kerch, 4 Me109s were spotted attacking the LaGG-3. Dobrynin attacked the first pair from 100 meters on their way down. The second pair of rivals went to the pair led by Afanasyev. Dobrynin shot down one Bf109 from this pair. The letter awarding the award to Afanasev said that the airman was injured on December 16, but did not take part in the flight that day. He may have been injured in flight on December 17 when he made his next flight on December 27, and his Aircobra number 8 ascended again on December 19 on an afternoon flight. Ewald, who had won his fourth aerial combat victory, was shot down and had to make an emergency landing on home soil - perhaps via Dobrynin.
I think it was a No.215 aerial victory won by Hptm. Barkhorn


BenFolk