Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Can anyone supply details of these losses. Both are apparently victims of JG52.

20/01/1945 A-20G Boston lost at Stuhlweißenburg c1600

14/03/1945 A-20G Boston lost at Stuhlweißenburg c1700

regards

Keith

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

For the short answer

20.1.45 A-20G-40-DO Havoc, 43-21264 of 449 BAP, 244 BAD, 17 VA. Crew of Lt. Gapanovich. Credited to Ewald

14.3.45 A-20G-40-DO Havoc 43-21519 of 861 BAP, 244 BAD, 17 VA. Lt. Bahvalov and crew all KIA. Credited to Duettmann

For the long answer

I can't do any better than refer you to this previous thread in the forum. As you will see, the contribution by Gavor Horvath was absolutely phenomenal, raise a glass to the man

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=1262

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Agreed and acknowledged :) I have pencil notes all over my ww2 air combat books courtesy of information provided by him and many others on this forum. For us in the West they are the go-to guys when you need answers about LW and VVS combat. Without their input there's very little to read.

best regards

Keith

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Well I hope you have been able to benefit from my research as well, even though I am but a small fish in comparison...

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Keith,
Stuhlweißenburg = City of Székesfehérvár
It's not so easy, pick "yours":

Soviet Boston losses on January 20, 1945 over Hungary:

17 VA, 244 BAD, 449 BAP A-20B, S/N: 41-3564, at Fadd, Hungary at 16:07 local time, 2 Bf 109, - Krivtsov crew.
17 VA, 244 BAD, 449 BAP A-20G, S/N: 42-53865, at Udvari-NE, Hungary at 16:00 local time, 4 Fw 190F, 2 Bf 109, - up to 10 attacks!!!! - Korotkov crew.
17 VA, 244 BAD, 449 BAP A-20G, S/N: 43-21264, at Sásd, Hungary (Polgárdi flak) bombing Polgárdi at 15:30 local time, dogfight on return - Gapanovich crew.
(Plus 4 VA, 327 BAD, 408 BAP A-20G, S/N: 43-21826, No."14", over Poland, - Kuznetsov crew.)

Soviet Boston losses on March 14, 1945 over Hungary:

17 VA, 244 BAD, 260 BAP: A-20G, S/N: 43-21603, at Tatárszentgyörgy, Hungary at 13:20 local time, downed by Kálmán István (Hungarian 101/7.Sq. Bf 109G) - Zacharov crew.
17 VA, 244 BAD, 260 BAP: A-20G, S/N: 42-86706, at Sárosd-NE, Hungary at 17:11 local time, flak, plus 3 Fw 190F, - Tsallagov crew.
17 VA, 244 BAD, 260 BAP: A-20G, S/N: 43-9274, Red"4" bellied in at Sombor airfield 3 km, - Pavlov crew.
17 VA, 244 BAD, 449 BAP: A-20B, S/N: 41-3643, at Szabadszállás, Hungary at 16:42 local time, 7 Bf 109 and 2 Fw 190F, downed by 3 Bf 109, - another Pavlov crew.
17 VA, 244 BAD, 861 BAP: A-20G, S/N: 42-86876, at Sárosd, Hungary at 12:55 local time, ~Ewald, 16 Fw 190F, Bf 109, (Ме-110?), - Kropaniev crew.
17 VA, 244 BAD, 861 BAP: A-20G, S/N: 43-21519, at Pálinkaházpuszta, Hungary at 12:55 local time, ~Düttmann, - Bahvalov crew.

(Plus 3 temporarily lost Bostons, all repaired later.)

(Sources: TsAMO, - Central Military Archives of Russia. (Podolsk, Russian Federation)
I hope this helps. Note: Bahvalov's Boston No.43-21519 has been recovered at Pálinkaházpuszta (farm) at Seregélyes-W, see attached pic.

Gabor

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Thanks again Nick and Gabor. I always acknowledge my appreciation by tagging the "reputation" button at the top left of the message. Without your help I'd be searching in the dark without a lucifer. :)

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Thanks, but I rather stay Gabor, no business with Lucifer.

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

:)

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

For Keith: What's the reputation button that you speak of?

For Gabor: I think in this case, Keith refers to Lucifers as being an old-fashioned brand of safety match. Hence: in the dark without a Lucifer.

For both of you: 17 VA, 244 BAD, 449 BAP: A-20B, S/N: 41-3643, at Szabadszállás, Hungary at 16:42 local time, 7 Bf 109 and 2 Fw 190F, downed by 3 Bf 109, - another Pavlov crew. I guess this might account for Batz's Boston claim that day, even if only by process of elimination... (Yes, I know what a weak argument that is....)

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Oh, and one other thing. Could one or some of you kind researchers start turning the surviving TsAMO files into some kind of book series, rather like the Bill Chorley Bomber Command losses ones and the Hey and Bishop Losses of the US 8th & 9th Air Forces...????

Seriously... Free drinks for life from all the rest of us for the first one of you guys that does that!

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

I know :-)))) Brief story of 449 BAP A-20B, S/N: 41-3643:

"18:42 (Moscow time!) 15 самолетов с Н-4000 м в районе Секешфехервар, после бомбометания атакованы 7 Ме-109 и 2 ФВ-190. Сбито 3 Ме-109. Подожжен мотор, тяжело ранен стрелок. Горящий самолет перетянул Дунай и сел в районе Сабадсалаш. Стрелок-радист выпрыгнул с парашютом, стрелок скончался в госпитале, самолет сгорел. 2 КБ 12,7, 2 КБ 7,62, 2 БС 12,7."


15 (14) A-20 Bostons in Székesfehérvár (Seregélyes) area at 4000 m, when the fighters attacked them. Plane was finally downed by 3 Bf 109s. Gunner injured, one of the installed engines (either: №57124, or №57359) out. Plane crossed the Danube with one engine and (belly) landed at Szabadszállás(-SW, 12 km). Radioman bailed out with parachute, gunner died? in hospital, plane burned, then the list of the installed weapons in mm. Crew:

ст.л-т Павлов Апполон Петрович pilot OK
л-т Строев Иван Николаевич navigator OK
c-a Болотов Василий Михайлович radioman bailed out
с-т Сытников Александр Андреевич gunner died? in hospital.

Gabor

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Some pics:

1. Remain of the white edged Soviet Red Star from Bahvalov's A-20G Boston, S/N: 43-21519 at Pálinkaházpuszta.
2. Portrait of Lt. Gapanovich (KIA) pilot of A-20G Boston, S/N: 43-21264.
3. Lt. Gapanovich's grave, currently in Pécs, military cemetery (Hungary).

Gabor

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Nick: top right hand of message,icon looks like the justice scales.

:)

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Great info, excellent research. Well done, Gabor!

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Hello Gabor
I surely agree with Dénes, excellent work as always!

Juha

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Thank you all.

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Gabor

Few wierd things about this crew , pilot name and rank was Gapanovitch Konstantin Matveevitch and he was Lt., on the grave however the name Gaponovitch and instead of rank just officer . However on the Navigator's grave the correct rank Lt.and name Kushnarenko Vladimir Petrovitch are engraved . Also if I am not mistaken that specific A-20 was a Jassi Chisinau vet with numerous mishaps which he survived up to that January day '45 in Hungaria . Right to left Kushnarenko (Nav),Gapanovitch (Pilot ) Buldak Nikolay( G/RO ) Kortchagin ( G)

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Some of the 449 crews in question , could not identify all .

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Yeah, post-war cemeteries (their graves have been relocated!) often had typos on tombstones, probably this is not an exception either. When they were marked, the names had already been copied several times with full of mistakes. (His name was Gapanovich, but I also saw papers with Gaponovich. Both version is used.)

Your attached Boston pic "3" shows a 449 BAP A-20B on the airfield of Röjtökmuzsaj in Hungary in 1945, flown by commander Tyushevskii.

Gapanovich's A-20G Boston S/N: 43-21264 (C/n.: 20911) had a colorful (and finally tragic) story. During the Lend-lease delivery she had a landing accident in the village of Teslin (Yukon Territory, Canada) on March 30, 1944. The weather suddenly turned icy and dark so the plane - piloted by 1Lt. George C. Davis (O-502420, 3. OTU. HQ. Sq.) - ran off the runway with high speed along with 3 other P-39 fighters, which landed safely. (I have 16 photos of this plane and accident, as well as the official, 7 pages long A.A.F. accident report.) After repair, she continued her journey to Alaska and the CCCP across Siberia. Probably went to Moldavia, then to Hungary where she was lost on January 20, 1945 with the Gapanovich crew. According to the soviet mechanical documents, she was officially removed from the inventory of the 449 BAP by January 29, 1945.

Gabor

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Gabor

Indeed so were the events and anything which unfolded as into the aircraft and crew.The A-20 shot posted was not event related but just as reference and indeed was taken sometimes in 1945 at Röjtökmuzsaj. Also the aircraft had a minor take off incident at Balti in 1944 whereby the nose gear was damaged then returned to line flying . I am not aware if Gapanovitch and crew were Iasi / Chisnau offensive vets nor if they were a stable crew on this aircraft.

Re: Russian Bostons lost 1945
 

Tail section of soviet A-20 Boston at Zombor on March 14, 1945.
A-20G, 43-9274, red '4'. (Note, the trimm was also red.) Crew:

л-т Павлов Николай Павлович pilot (injured)
л-т Казаков Владимир Терентьевич navigator (OK)
ст.с-т Родионов radioman (injured)
ст.с-т Шконда Никита Михайлович gunner (OK)

Gabor