III/JG 3 Victories
 

20 Jun 1943 Black Sea Fleet VVS was involved in an attack on Germans in the area of Eysk (Germans listed it as Jeissk). Details can be found at www.allaces.ru for this day of the attack.

Soviet losses:
R-10 23 ShAP ChF (the navigator Serzhant Nikolay Alekseevich Zuravlev was KIA in the air battle. I could find no information on the rest of the crew.)
Il-2 47 ShAP ChF (3 AE) Ml. Lt. Kirill Efimovich Gerasimov (KIA) and gunner Serzh. Nikolay Viktorovich Borisenko (KIA).

9./JG 3 Uffz. Heinz Papendick R-10 (2) 03:45 15 km SW of Jeissk
9./JG 3 Hptm Wilhelm Lemke Il-2 (111) 03:48 SE of Jeissk
" Wilhelm Lemke Il-2 (112) 03:50 W of Jeissk

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Thanks Michael,

I am very interested in finding out more about Lemke's opponents in the VVS...

Nick

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Pilot Ml.Lt. Nuzhin I.M. - baled out, safe.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

26 Feb 1942 III./JG 3 is flying protection and escort to the Demyansk pocket.
Lt. Emil Bitsch 8./JG 3 I-301 (7) 14:33 SE of Staraya Russa.

Yak-1 744 IAP deputy AE commander Ml. Lt. Nikolay Petrovich Makhov (MIA). Soviet records show in the region of Lysino (Which is to the northeast of Demyansk).

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Demyansk region of fighting on 15 Mar 1942.

I believe the following was on a reconn. mission because of the areas listed for the mission. Regions of Utoshkino, Zagotkino, Rykov and Ugoshcha (latter SE of Sol'tsy). Pe-2 514 BAP St. Lt. Efim Petrovich Gorb and crew (MIA).
Fw. Heinz Kemethmueller 8./JG 3 Pe-2 (10) 10:22 8 km WNW Litzinowo

Near Lake Vershchinskoe
Pe-2 514 BAP Pilot unknown. Bombardier-gunner St. Lt. Boris Plashkin (HSU) was KIA.
Lt. Emil Bitsch 8./JG 3 Pe-2 (8) 12:58 S. of Demyansk.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

hi, Nokose
many thanks for your info

regards

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Demyansk, Deovichi, Dno and Sol'tsy region 03 Mar 1942 (Combat mission area)
Pe-2 514 BAP Lt. Semen Ivanovich Fedosov (MIA)

7./JG 3 Fw. Helmut Rueffler Pe-2 (11) 10:55 50 km SW of Demyansk.

18 Mar 1942 Demyansk region
Pe-2 514 BAP unk pilot. gunner-radio operator Leonid Yakovlev (KIA)

Not much to go on with this one. I checked all the JG units involved in this area and the following was the only one making a claim for a Pe-2.
7./JG 3 Oblt. Karl-Heinz Langer Pe-2 (4) 10:15 No location given.

Some of I./JG 51 claims around Demyansk give only the name and time with 1!

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

28 Feb 1943
9./JG 3 Obfw. Sigfried Engfer Boston (57) 12:47 4 km east of Dubrowolje at 500 m.

Boston 57 BAP Lt. Mikhail Andreevich Budaev and crew (MIA) region of Dobropol'
(In the OBD it has the date as the 27 Feb 1943 but the correct date according to the combat information is the 28 Feb 1943.)

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

08 Jul 1943 Soviet Reconn. mission in the regions of Krasnopol'e, Akhtyrka, Tomarovka (Take off 05:41 Moscow)
Pe-2 (# 6/174) 854 BAP St. Lt. Aleksey Vasil'evich Dudkin (KIA) (Only the air gunner survived) [In the OBD it lists the 07 Jul 1943 which is not correct]

8./JG 3 Oblt. Emil Bitsch Pe-2 (83) 05:57 PlQu. 35 Ost/6123 SE of Prochorowka

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

I've found a few new victories but these belong to Stab/JG 3 which I've decided to add here rather then start a new thread. I was provided this by someone who has access to TsAMO.

12 Oct 1941
Lt. Eckhart Huebner Stab/JG 3 Pe-2 (23) ? hrs. 5 km NW of Maiojaroslawez
Pe-2 321 BAP Lt. Evgrafov
Maj. Guenther Luetzow Stab/JG 3 Pe-2 (93) 14:30 Mglin & Pe-2 (94) 14:45 Malojaroslawez.
Both of these possibly Pe-2 from 321 BAP no pilot information.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Hello Nokose,
this could also be a loss referring to Langer´s claim on 18 March 1942:
On 18.03.42 St. Lieutenant Theophanes Mikhailovich Kladov, navigator in Pe-3-equipped 321 ORAE (VVS Northwest Front), was killed during a combat mission. He burnt to death along with burning out airplane South-East of Cholm, D. M. Radilovo.

kind regards

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Just one more addition to the claim of Emil Bitsch on 26.02.42 there were more losses in the area:
26.02.42 Sergeant Dmitry Pavlovich Malykov, pilot in LaGG-3-equipped 416 IAP (VVS of 1st Shock Army, North-Western Front),
did not return from a combat mission in the area of D. Staro-Mushevo, Staraya Russa district, Leningrad region.

On 26.02.42 Ml. Lieutenant Nikolai Vasilyevich Polyakov, pilot in Yak-1-equipped 744 IAP (1 UAG, NW-Front), did not return from a combat mission from the region Lysino, Leningrad region.

However 1./JG.51 also operated there and claimed 3 victories:
26.02.42 N.N. 1./JG 51 a/c  - 10.32 (JFV 9/1) Anerk: Nr. (595)
26.02.42 N.N. 1./JG 51 a/c  - 13.12 (JFV 9/1) Anerk: Nr. (596)
26.02.42 N.N. 1./JG 51 a/c  - 13.19 (JFV 9/1) Anerk: Nr. (597)

BTW could anybody fill the gap of claimants (names, locations...) of I./JG.51 pilots operating during the Demyansk airlift?

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

22 Jul 1942
Lt. Heinrich Graf von Einsiedel Stab III/JG 3 I-16 (9) 09:25

10:20-10:30 (Moscow) Konstantinovskaya. According to the report of the 483 IAP (temp. assigned to the 238 ShAD from the 265 IAD). Had two I-16 listed as MIA. I couldn't find the names of the pilots.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

24 Jun 1942
8./JG 3 Fw Erich Schopper Yak-4 (2) 18:10 NE of Schtschigry
8./JG 3 Lt. Emil Bitsch Yak-4 (10) 18:12 NE "
8./JG 3 Lt. Wilhelm Lemke Yak-4 (29) 18:13 NE "
8./JG 3 Lt. Emil Bitsch Yak-4 (11) 18:17 NE of Stary Tschenoissinowo

Pe-2 723 BAP (AE co.) Kapt. Mikhail Fedorovich Migal' (MIA)
Pe-2 723 BAP (flight co.) St. Lt. Nikolay Sergeevich Ligusha (MIA)
Pe-2 723 BAP Ml. Lt. Vladimir Dmitrievich Popov (MIA)
Pe-2 723 BAP St. Serzhant Petr Vasil'evich Diribin (MIA)

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Does anyone have Emil Bitsch's victories that he had in the west?

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

I have this:

01.10.1943 13:44 B-17
14.10.1943 14:45 B-17
19.12.1943 12:28 B-17 KE: 6000 m.
23.02.1944 - B-24

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Maxim 1, Thank You. Does anyone have the locations from Prien's JFV 10/I to go with these also the victory number? For some strange reason his victories have been popping up lately.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

From Peter Kacha's site http://www.luftwaffe.cz/bitsch.html:

14.10.1943 - Aschaffenburg-Wuerzburg
19.12.1943 - Dolomit di Sesto

Also the victory numbers are (105), (106), (107) and (108).

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Thanks again Maxim 1. I have a book on the losses of the 8th and 9th USAAF for 1942-43 but nothing on the 12th and 15th USAAF losses. The 14 Oct 43 was the 2nd Schweinfurt raid. The Germans made heavy claims, it might be possible to find his claim.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

05 Jul 1942
7 Pe-2 from 50 BAP took off at 06:30 (M) to bomb tanks 1.5 km NW of Ust'e. Encountered heavy AAA and then were attacked by 10 Bf 109 (According to the Soviet report). The fighter escort was distracted. Two Pe-2 were shot down. The rest landed at 08:10 (M).

05 Jul 42
Lt. Emil Bitsch 8./JG 3 Yak-4 (19) 06:20 and Yak-4 (20) 06:22

III/JG 3 was still stationed in this area of the fighting around Voronezh until the 10 Jul 42 before moving on to Stalingrad.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Hi Michael,

Can you provide crew details for these two 50 BAP losses? It seems the Pe-2 units suffered heavily this date, losses to fighters that I have found included: one from 527 BAP, crew of Ml.Lt. Konstantin Gavrilovich Baranov and one from 860 BAP, crew of Nikolai Andreevich Shelochenko.

Additionally, 24 BAP lost crew of Ml.Lt. Konstantin Vasilievich Burtsev KIA (cause not specified) plus 4 GBAP lost crew of Ml.Lt. Nikolay Fedorovich Pertsev SW of Olonets (cause also not stated)

...but I didn't find the 50 BAP ones you mentioned, do share...

Nick

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Don't have anything on the crews and doesn't seem to have been any KIA or MIA in the OBD either.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Sorry for being a little late and you may already know this but on 5 July 1942 I/JG 53 did claim 3 Pe-2s in the Voronezh area. I/JG3 claimed 2 Yak-4s in the Southern part of the Russian front. 6/JG77 also claimed 1 Pe-2. Pe-2s were also claimed by 9/JG 51-1, Stab/IV/JG 51-1 and 1/JG 51-2.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

James, I don't have anything else right now. There was some A-20 losses that I found but haven't been able to match them all up right now.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

This one is a little complicated and I don't think it is really a JG 3 victory but you decide but the person who found the fighter thinks it is the following
20 Apr 1943
4./JG 3 Lt Franz Ruhl La-5 (4) 16:10 PlQu. 34 Ost/75451, 5 km SW of Novorossiysk (Prien's 12/I)
(Tony Woods list has the height as 1200 m.)
La-5 (# 37210375) 437 IAP Ml. Lt. Sergey Yul'yanovich Yasanis (WIA) bails out.
The planes wreckage is found near the village of Vinogradnoye which above Gelendzhinka and south of Kabardinka.

Another claim made has in Tony Woods list 6./JG 3 Uffz Franz Cech Boston 16:02 75461 at 4000 m. but in Prien's JFV 12/I it has Cech La-5 (12) 16:03 34 Ost/75453, S of Novorossiysk (No height)

Both TW and Prien have Fw. Emil Zibler 9/JG 3 LaGG-5 (32) 16:55 no location.

Finally Prien has Stab II/JG 52 Lt. Heinrich Sturm La-5 (30) 16:19 PlQu. 34 Ost/75462, over Kabardinka (TW has 16:17 at 3000 m.)

Yasanis stated the battle happen at 1200 m and the best guess is that it is Ruhl because of the height. I kind of find it hard for me to believe that the damaged La-5 made it that far or glided on it's own across Tsemesskaya Bay.

I believe it was Sturm despite the given height of 3000 m.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Elsewhere that date...

437 IAP also lost Ml.Lt. Ivan Vasilevich Yashelin KIA this date. Was he also a JG 3 or JG 52 victim?

I also believe that Sturm had a hand in some 47 ShAP losses: Pilot Kulish KIA, pilots Gagiev and Andreichuk were both WIA

Nick

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

20 Apr 1943 08:50-10:16 (M)
16 Yak-1 from 812 IAP covering forces at Novorossiysk. Engage in dogfight with 6 Bf 109, 2 Fw 189 and 12 Ju 88 at H. 3000-4000 m.

Soviet Victory Claims:
Lt. Ivan Svezhintsev Me-109 & Fw 189
Lt. Dmitriy Tyugayev (Tyugaev) Me-109 & Fw 189
St. Lt. Ivan Batyachko Ju-88
Group: May. Aleksey Eremin, Lt. Aleksandr Tishchenko, Kapt. Nauchik, Serzhat Mikhail Patrakov for one Ju 88.
No losses of Bf 109 in JG 3 and JG 52.

812 IAP Losses
Yak-1 (Fl. co) Lt Nikolay Nazarovich Morozov (MIA)
Yak-1 Serzhant Viktor Vasil'evich Babukin (MIA)
Yak-1 (deputy AE co) St. Lt. Petr Ivanovich Sorokin (MIA)
Yak-1 Starshina Pavel Arsent'evich Zaspin (MIA)
Yak-1 St. S-t. Aleksey Ivanovich Ivanov (MIA)
Yak-1 Ml. Lt. Adamchuk
Yak-1 (# 27114) S-t. Vladimir Emel'yanovich Kovalev (MIA: Found near hamlet of Gapon 2010. 44° 47'32.46 N 37° 57'28.908E (PLQu. 7526?)
Yak-1 St. S-t. Martynenko made emergency landing at Timashevskaya A/F
(Two of these not listed in "Dragons on Bird Wings")

German victories:
5/JG 52 Lt. Helmut Haberda Yak-1 (37) 08:28 34 Ost/86341
" Yak-1 (38) 08:30 75452
5/JG 52 Fw. Viktor Petermann Yak-1 (16) 08:40 85181
3./JG 52 Oblt. Rudolf Miethig Yak-1 (68) 08:22 85181 E. of Novorossiysk
" Yak-1 (69) 08:30 75431
6/JG 3 Lt. Friedrich-Wilhelm Schmidt LaGG-3 (2) 08:27 SW Novorossiysk 75427
9/JG 3 Oblt. Emil Bitsch LaGG-3 (54) 08:35
9/JG 3 Lt Ekkehard Tichy LaGG-3 (1) 08:37

Not covered in "Dragons on Bird Wings" except some victories and losses.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Hi Nokose and others who share in this kind of research:

for anyone wanting to look him up on their database, www.allaces.ru website lists Sorokin as Aleksandr Ivanovich Sorokin as opposed to Petr Ivanovich Sorokin.

...I don't know why there's a discrepancy.

Nick

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

I don't know either Nick but he does make mistakes there. In the OBD it lists him as St. Leytenant Petr Ivanovich Sorokin deputy AE commander "missing without a word" (rough translation) and I find it best to check the names in the OBD for their names. Even there sometimes mistakes appear on different records for dates, even some different spellings of the last name but far more reliable in the long run.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Another piece of the puzzle.
Yak-1B (#45119) Ml.Lt. Konstantin Konstantinovich Adamchuk (Parachuted out. He would be severely wounded in a dogfight 29 Apr 1943 and on recovering fly a U-2 in a non-combat role the rest of the war)

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

I haven't added to this list in awhile but ran across this in one of my notebooks.

Staraya Russa - Demyansk region Soviet North West Front.
15 Mar 1942
U-2 699 TAP (deputy AE CO) St. Lt. Nester Fedorovich Savchenko (MIA) [no location other then the NWF]

On checking the victory claims for III./JG 3, I./JG 51 and JG 54 there was only one claim that day for a R-5 so this is a POSSIBLE.
Fw. Erich Schopper 8./JG 3 R-5 (1) 18:05 5 km SE of Ramuschewo (Ramushevo)

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Hi Michael, in my database I have this one as:

Was this from 699 NBAP? Lt. Nester Fedorovich Savchenko and Serzhant Aleksandr Filippovich Yakovlev failed to return this date

Is there a way to account for the discrepancy of unit? 699 NBAP as opposed to 699 TAP.

I hope also to have assisted you with details of the second crewman :)

Nick

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

Nick, it looks like the unit was changed from the 699 NBAP to the 699 TAP on the 12 Apr 1942 and was cared by the unit as a loss for the 699 TAP in the OBD.

Re: III/JG 3 Victories
 

15 March 43 10-20 km NW of Chugueva
Pe-2 39 OBAP S-t. Georgiy Kutorov (HSU) KIA
Pe-2 39 OBAP St. S-t. Vasiliy Kuftarev (MIA)
Pe-2 39 OBAP (I was not sure about this pilot's name, maybe Kirche can provide)

The 39 OBAP in April became the 39 ORAP.

Fw. Hans Reiff 7./JG 3 Pe-2 (42) 14:51 2 km NE of Rogan
Lt. Jügen Hörschelmann 7./JG 3 Pe-2 (1) 14:52 & Pe-2 (2) 14:53 both listed 35 Ost/6021 at 1500 m.