Re: B-25 used by VVS as night bomber?
 

Thanks Gabor, any idea of the airfield of departure ? The previous day mission was escorted from Balti by several YAK-9DD flew and along with the A-20 have all landed
safely at Bari.

Re: B-25 used by VVS as night bomber?
 

I assume Kalinovka. These VVS B-25s had no business in Italy. Regular missions from Ukraine to Yugoslavia, supply and/or agent drops. Downed at Zombor-S, 30-40 km by NJG fighter. Only survivor was гв.л-т Федоров Иван Иванович who tried to reach partisans, but got captured. Later escaped and returned:

"Прошел рубеж 1 (River Tisza?) в 21:43 Федоров - сбиты ИА в 30-40 км южнее Самбор. Выпрыгнул с парашютом с малой высоты, потерял сознание. Очнулся в сарае без орденов и документов. Пытался пробраться к партизанам, попал в плен, где был с 1.9. по 21.12.1944. Бежал из плена с другими летчиками из ВВС, 25.12.1944 перешел линию фронта. 28.1.45 назначен на ту же должность."

Gabor

Re: B-25 used by VVS as night bomber?
 

Gabor correct you are, though I didn't state that B-25's ever ended up in Italy ,what I stated is that on Aug 25,44 the A-20's from 861st BAP flew out of Balti escorted by YAK-9DD's successfully dropped supplies to Tito's partizans and successfully landed in Bari. I was trying to understand on why they selected A-20's on Aug. 25th.

The attached crashed in Hungaria...any idea about the date or S/N, from my understanding and the info I received is correct, it originated either from Sevastopol or Kalinovka.

Re: B-25 used by VVS as night bomber?
 

Unfortunately no marking is visible... If you know either tail tactical marking, or S/N, I would be able to help. No idea here.

Gabor

Re: B-25 used by VVS as night bomber?
 

Dear all,

Very interesting thread! During the research of my new book the Nachtjagd War Diaries 2nd edition I have documented several German Nachtjagd victory claims for VVS Mitchells shot down during night fighting operations on the Eastern Front, for which I have not been able yet to identify matching Soviet Mitchell losses, perhaps some of the readers can help me with these matches:

22-23 April 1943
Hptm. H. Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein: 28 Stab IV./NJG5 B-25 SE ? (Himmelbett) 00.30

3-4 May 1943
Oblt. Günter Bertram: 7 NJ Schwarm LF6 B-25C 9563/25 Ost (prob. Smolensk-Orscha area) 20.50

31 August-1 September 1943
Hptm. Rudolf Schoenert: 31 Stab I./NJG100 B-25C 25 69/35 Ost: 2.900 m. 21.01 Note: sortie from Leschtchinskaja airfield
Hptm. Rudolf Schoenert: 32 Stab I./NJG100 B-25C 25 69/35 Ost: 3.000 m. 22.21
Hptm. Rudolf Schoenert: 33 Stab I./NJG100 B-25C nr Griwa (37 75/35 Ost): 2.600 m. 22.37
Hptm. Rudolf Schoenert: 34 Stab I./NJG100 B-25C 35 87/35 Ost: 2.300 m. 23.00

6-7 September 1943
Hptm. Alois Lechner: 28 1./NJG100 B-25 S. Nikilenka/Sselzo (Sumatra 1): 1.400 m. 22.36

12-13 October 1943
Fw. Helmut Konter: 1 3./NJG100 Mitchell E. Orscha: 5.700 m. 18.39
Hptm. Alois Lechner: 32 1./NJG100 B-25 04 485 (Sumatra 1, at Stary-Bychow): 2.000 m. 20.48

9-10 March 1944
Uffz. Leunig: 1 4./NJG100 B-25 60/7/8: 5.300 m. 20.18 note: raid on Tallinn (Estonia)

27-28 June 1944
Fw. Rudolf Düding: 4 1./NJG100 B-25 Pl.Q. BN 9.2 (Himmelbett): 3.600 m. 00.27

30 June-1 July 1944
Oblt. Josef Pützkuhl: 15 3./NJG100 Mitchell NNE Pinsk (Celebes II) 23.35

7-8 July 1944
Uffz. Kolberg: 7 4./NJG100 Mitchell Pl.Q. GH 2.9 23.08 Note: claim not listed in OKL/RLM 4./NJG100 Confirmed Abschussübersicht
Lt. Klaus Scheer: 15 4./NJG100 Mitchell Biala Podlaska (GH 9.7): 150 m. 23.10

9-10 July 1944
Lt. Eberhard Kaross: 9 3./NJG100 Mitchell 32/8/1/2 (Sumatra I, based at Maleczow): 2.400 m. 23.14
Lt. Ulrich Trüber: 4 3./NJG100 Il-4/B-25 23/7/2/4: 3.900 m. 00.15 (Trüber KIA?)

24-25 August 1944
Ofw. Alfred Rahner: 1 St. I./NJG102 B-25 Pl.Q. PF 7 23.08

26-27 August 1944
- Einsatz Staffel NJG102 B-25 - 21.33 note: raid on Tilsit

7-8 October 1944
Oblt. Dieter Barth: 2 9./NJG102 B-25 SW Plumkenau 20.43

9-10 October 1944
Fw. Heidsick: 1 Einsatz Staffel Ostpreussen NJG102 B-25 Pl.Q. QE 6 20.55

22-23 December 1944
Hptm. Walter Engel: 10 3./NJG5 B-25 60 km. E. Libau (KE 4) : 4.500 m. 18.17

15-16 April 1945
Oblt. Zimmermann: 1 1./NJG100 Mitchell Pl.Q. BP 22.50 Note: sortie from Brünn airfield

20-21 April 1945
Hptm. Heinz-Martin Hadeball: 28 Stab NJGr.10 Mitchell E. Berlin 22.50

You can also reach me by PM, or my private email address:

theoboitenATgmail.com

AT = @


Cheers, Theo

Re: B-25 used by VVS as night bomber?
 

Gabor

Unfortunately no such details available .Attached a photo from the B-25 Sqd at Sevastopol of which the above acft may have belonged to.

Re: B-25 used by VVS as night bomber?
 

Will check if those regs. Had any 44-2974X, but based on markings and bombs, not supplies it' s not good....

Gabor

Re: B-25 used by VVS as night bomber?
 

agreed Gabor, thanks in any case

Re: B-25 used by VVS as night bomber?
 

Well, I still do not think so, because the necessary tail markings are missing in the photo to be a plane, participating Yugoslav supply-drop missions. Plus they did not drop bombs, only containers, supplies & agents. However, the soviets (14, 22 GvAP DD & 337 AP DD) have lost the following B-25 Mitchells during Yugoslav supply-missions that can be considered:

B-25, S/N: ...745 on April 30/May 1, 1944
B-25, S/N: ...747 on August 22/23, 1944

(B-25, S/N: ...743 was still in service on August 6 and December 11, 1944.)

Being 42974X in photo, there was no other options for ... 74X among planes flying the supply missions over Yugoslavia. I hope this helps.

Gabor

Re: B-25 used by VVS as night bomber?
 

Thanks for the info Gabor, the photo posted is depcting a B-25 from the SQD
which I presume the crashed B-25 originated from, is not the crashed aircraft
nor that was involved on drop supplies.

Best Regards