Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

Trying to find info as into Boston lend /lease supplies to Black See Fleet
primarily to 36 MTAP ,30 OMRAE (1943 )and 13 GvBDAP . From some
sources I understand that 30 OMRAE received them already in 1942 other
say early 1943.

The 36 MTAP CO was killed end of January 1944 when he performed a forced
landing while rumours have circulated that he as former DB-3F pilot along with most
of this Regiment's pilot force were not sufficiently trained on A-20's.

He was seen end of June 1943 on a colored Soviet footage participating
at German captured aircraft display in Moscow , I therefore imagine that he
combined it with training courses at Jukowsky .

When the deliveries to BSF have commenced ? did all fleet had to pass through
Jukovsky for modification purposes ? were they flown through Iran ,through
UK or through Murmansk ? did instructor courses took place in Krimea or at
Jukowsky ? also if US or UK training pilots were dispatched to Krimea ?

Alex K

Re: Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

Alex,
First you must obtain the list of the assigned Bostons from Russian archives, like:

41-2705 - (36 DBAP ЧФ)
41-2873 - (36 DBAP ЧФ)
41-3258 - MIA 19.06.1943 (30 АП ЧФ)
43-21667 - Norway, 36. MTAP, Ml.Lt. Victor Dmitrievich Ladigin (KIA)
43-9156 - Norway, 36. MTAP, Lt. Sergei P. Batrakov (KIA)
6265? - MIA 25.04.1943 (27 ОРАЭ ЧФ), Wright-Cyclon: 41064; 41068
....etc-etc.,

...then you may purchase the Individual Aircraft Record Cards for each of these planes by serials with manufacturing dates, delivery dates and routes at aair@aviationarchaeology.com. (See sample.)

I assume, that most of these planes arrived via the South-Atlantic Ferry Route (California, Florida, Caribbean, Brazil, Ascension Is., Nigeria, Sudan, Egypt, Palestine, Iran, Soviet Union-Crimea) Good luck!

Gabor

Re: Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

Hi Gabor



Thanks very much for the update , I will look up into these issue
and get the material as per your suggestions .

In interim I've got a few Q maybe you can asmwers them :
Do you know the S/N's and delivery dates of the following acfts :

Ковалев Петр Ильич crew KIA 30.9.43
Калинин Николай Николаевич crew MIA 27.7.44
Григоров Владимир Данилович crew MIA 04.5.44
Бобков Виктор Дмитриевич crew MIA " "
Бидзинашвили Шио Бидзинович crew MIA 28.9.43 A-20B3

Левашов Владимир Матвеевич crew KIA 28.9.43
Дюков Михаил Георгиевич 3 KIA 1 POW 28.9.43

As into your other remarks reg 36 MTAP , were the two A-20 lost in
Norway .....howcome and what mission .....possibly they
were transf.to Northern Fleet

I will pay back later with other info as into your research

Best Regards
Alex K

Re: Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

Alex,
You do not have to promise me anything, because I do not come to this forum to make data business. I help if I can, and I don't, if I can't - that's all. After all this helps others too. The area and time frame you mentioned is out of my research, so you have to obtain your serials from other sources. However, I know about a few lost soviet Boston serials in September, 1943 as per most of your request, but their regiments were different:



Regiment, A/C, S/N, Cause, Engine serials

277. BBAP, A-20C, 41-19372 Crashlanded
277. BBAP, A-20C, 41-19387 Emergency landing
244. BAP, A-20C, 41-19432 Crashlanded
452. NBBAP, A-20C, 41-19700 Crashlanded
244. BAP, A-20B, 41-2686 Crashlanded 24950, 24965
244. BAP, A-20B, 41-2731 Crashlanded 25060, 25034
452. NBBAP, A-20B, 41-2747 Emergency landing 25098, 25095
277. BBAP, A-20B, 41-2799 Emergency landing
244. BAP, A-20B, 41-2854 Crashlanded
63. BAP, A-20B, 41-2861 Crashlanded 24979, 25322
63. BAP, A-20B, 41-2865 Emergency landing
277. BAP, A-20B, 41-2877 Enemy fighter 25355, 26357
244. BAP, A-20B, 41-2956 Crashlanded 25748, 25745 (known photo)
244. BAP, A-20B, 41-3033 Battle damages 27233, 25256
277. BAP, A-20B, 41-3065 Flak 27312, 27359
277. BAP, A-20B, 41-3088 Emergency landing 27361, 35594
452. NBBAP, A-20B, 41-3091 Crashlanded 25998, 25986
277. BAP, A-20B, 41-3097 Flak 27398, 27399
244. BAP, A-20B, 41-3098 Crashlanded 25974, 25973
244. BAP, A-20B, 41-3206 Crashlanded
244. BAP, A-20B, 41-3207 Crashlanded 50175, 50170
244. BAP, A-20B, 41-3222 Crashlanded 27621, 27625
244. BAP, A-20B, 41-3526 Crashlanded 26435, 26434


This is for now.
Gabor

Re: Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

Thanks Gabor hoever the details are not related to BSF
but 3rd Ukrainian Front Regiments and other so I gather
you dont have the mentioned details


Thanks anyways


Best Regards
Alex K

Re: Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

Alex, this might be for you:

A-20B (S/N: 41-2793, engines: 41-25032, 41-25230, tail No.: "4") of 244 BAP was lost at sea after dogfight with Bf 109s on April 24, 1943 with Alekseev's crew:

ст.л-т Алексеев Александр Алексеевич pilot
л-т Попов Павел Александрович navigator
с-т Доронин Борис Сергеевич radioman
ст.с-т Пьядухов Василий Григорьевич gunner

"Самолет №12793 с моторами №41-25232 и №41-25230 24.04.43 г. при выполнении боевого задания по уничтожению артиллерии и живой силы противника в 3-4 км юго-западнее Новороссийска был подбит истребителями противника. Самолет с боевого задания не вернулся."

Remains have been found on the seabed. See serial.

Gabor

Re: Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

Thank you Gabor , great stuff however I am after Black Sea Fleet A-20 36 MTAP

30 OMRAE and 13 GvDBAP period 1943 and 1944. 244 BAP would be of interest to
me only from April 44 on ( 1st Iasi Chisinau Offensive )


Thanks again
Alex K

Re: Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

244 BAP, or 244 BAD?

Re: Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

I hope the following is helpful:




http://www.americancombatplanes.com/a20_5.html

Re: Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

Edwest, just partial and limited info , thanks anyways


Gabor sorry my confus. 244 BAD which must be disregarded



BR
Alex

Re: Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

Alex, a few more 244 BAP losses:

A-20B, S/N: 41-2941 (engines: 41-25704, 41-25698 ) was MIA on September 19, 1943.
A-20B, S/N: 41-3090 (engines: 41-25985, 41-25981) was MIA on September 19, 1943.
A-20B, S/N: 41-3218 (engines: 41-27631, 41-27618) was lost in an accident on September 19, 1943.

(Note, that 244 BAP had crew losses on September 17 and 18, - not aware of anything on the 19th - , perhaps 19th is just the date of the write off of prev. days' losses.)

On August 17, 1944 A-20B, S/N: 41-3098 of 244 BAP, 3rd Squadron lost an engine in combat, but was repaired afterwards. Sorry, no more info on 132 BAD, 244 BAP A-20 Bostons in 1944.

In 1945, A-20G-20-DO, S/N: 42-86694 of 244 BAP, 3rd Squadron belly landed with мл.л-т Углицкий Николай Ильич's crew onboard at Sierpc (Warsaw-NW, ~100 km, Poland) on February 20, 1945, but was also repaired and returned in combat service.

Gabor

Re: Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

Many thanks again Gabor, as you may recollect my main area of activity
is VVS and VMF periods June -October 1941 and then March through
Aug 1944. Also 9th AF period July Aug 1943 and 15th AF period April
through Aug 1944. In the meantime I got some info from my Russian VMF
historians collegues and here maybe you can help me out :

In the period from January 2 to 18, 1943 the Black Sea Fleet 36th MTAP regiment
returned to the Caucasian Ayr. Jandar-Gelendjik ,There it was re-formed in a
three-squadron regiment, supplemented by graduates of flight schools and air force pilots from
the Pacific Fleet, and retrained on A-20B and A-20C Boston . These A-20's were
not equipped with torpedo racks.

As of March 25, 1943, the 36th MTAP operated 22 DB-7B Boston and an A-20G Boston.
As of October 1, 1943, the regiment consisted of 11 A-20C and 6 A-20G, out of which only 6 aircrafts were equipped
with torpedo racks. The main task of the regiment at this time was the bombing of the ports of the southern coast of Crimea
At the beginning of 1944, the 36th MTAP had 6 A-20G and 20 A-20C in the aire. Skadovsk (1st AE) and 9/9 A-20G on the ayr. Gelendzhik
(2nd and 3rd AE). In addition, another "Boston" regiment was on the aire. Meria.

Question : Can you check with your Russian friends as into S/N's of the A-20 of this Regiment period Sept 1943 ?


BR
Alex K

Re: Boston deliveries to BSF 1944
 

I can try, but absolutely no guarantee, especially because as far as I know soviet Navy records are stored in a different archive we never tried to check, simply because we were never interested in such records.

It is interesting, however, that A-20G Boston, S/N: 43-9505 (which was assigned to the 17 VA, 244 BAD between October 1, 1944 and January 1, 1945) has a pencil written VMF (Navy) note beside its entry in the Southern 244 BAD mechanical documents which suggests that it was re-assigned to the 244 BAD as a replacement plane from (probably) the Black Sea Navy, sometime in the fall of 1944. If so, perhaps from 36 MTAP, - even if it was not a "first generation" A-20G. (She survived the war in 244 BAD service at least until July 1, 1945.)

As of older Bostons of 244 BAP, 3rd Squadron, found record of A-20B, S/N: 13033, which was damaged by flak on May 20, 1943 and after major repair, returned into combat duty.

Gabor