II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Dear all,

For one of the upcoming volumes in the Nachtjagd Combat Archive series, I am hoping to get more details on matching Soviet losses for a series of II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories over the Eastern Front, operating in the Demyansk and Leningrad areas in the moonlight periods during mid-1942. Who can help me filling in the following claims with matching Soviet losses/incidents:

7-8 June 1942
Oblt. Günther Fink: 8 8./JG54 R-5 20 km WSW Tschudowo: 1.200 m. 23.35
Oblt. Günther Fink: 9 8./JG54 R-5 - 00.03
Oblt. Günther Fink: 10 8./JG54 R-5 20 km WNW Tschudowo: 500 m. 00.05
Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer: 21 8./JG54 R-5 - 00.38
Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer: 22 8./JG54 R-5 5 km WSW Spasskaja Polist: 1.500 m. 00.55

10-11 June 1942
Oblt. Günther Fink: 11 8./JG54 PS-84 - 23.30
Oblt. Günther Fink: 12 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.35
Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer: 24 8./JG54 PS-84 - 23.36
Oblt. Günther Fink: 13 8./JG54 R-5 10 km NW Spasskaja Polist: 1.300 m. 23.52

11-12 June 1942
Oblt. Günther Fink: 14 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.10
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 48 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Mjasnoj Bor 23.35
Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer: 25 8./JG54 SB-2 - 00.01
Oblt. Dr. Werner Feise: 3 Stab III./JG54 SB-2 - 00.10
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 49 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Mjasnoj Bor 00.30

14-15 June 1942
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 52 Stab III./JG54 R-5 15 km WSW Spasskaja Polist 22.45
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 53 Stab III./JG54 R-5 5 km NW Spasskaja Polist 23.15
Oblt. Günther Fink: 15 8./JG54 PS-84 15 km WNW Spasskaja Polist: 1.500 m. 23.28
Oblt. Waldemar Wübke: 11 9./JG54 R-5 15 km SE Tschudowo: 800 m. 23.30
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 17 8./JG54 R-5 E. Mostki 23.45

15-16 June 1942
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 54 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Kretschno 23.20
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 55 Stab III./JG54 Jak 1 E. Orelje 23.30
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 56 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Kretschno 24.00
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 57 Stab III./JG54 R-5 Prijutino 00.20

17-18 June 1942
Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer: 26 8./JG54 R-5 - 00.02
Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer: 27 8./JG54 R-5 - 00.25

22-23 June 1942
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 59 Stab III./JG54 PS-84 Kretschino 23.05
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 60 Stab III./JG54 PS-84 ENE Mjasnoj Bor 23.08
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 18 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.10
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 19 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.15
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 20 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.45
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 21 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.50
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 22 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.55
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 23 8./JG54 R-5 - 24.00

24-25 June 1942
Oblt. Günther Fink: 16 8./JG54 R-5 - 00.35

25-26 June 1942
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 62 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Kretschino 23.41
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 63 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Kretschino 23.50
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 24 8./JG54 R-5 - 00.01
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 64 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Kretschino 00.15
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 65 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Kretschino 00.17
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 36 5./JG54 U-2 - 00.25
Lt. Wolfgang Kretschmer: 10 5./JG54 U-2 N Kraseja 00.26
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 37 5./JG54 R-5 - 00.40
Oblt. Dr. Werner Feise: 4 Stab III./JG54 MBR-2 Novgorod-Lake Ilmen area 00.44

27-28 June 1942
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 66 Stab III./JG54 R-5 SW Mostki 23.48
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 67 Stab III./JG54 R-5 S. Mostki 24.00

4-5 July 1942
Hptm. Carl Sattig: 42 5./JG54 U-2 Gortschizy: 1.000 m. 00.30
Hptm. Carl Sattig: 43 5./JG54 U-2 Gortschizy: 1.000 m. 00.57

6-7 July 1942
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 38 5./JG54 U-2 near Pola station: 1.500 m. 23.52
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 39 5./JG54 TB-3 Kraseja: 1.400 m. 00.05
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 40 5./JG54 U-2 Kraseja: 900 m. 00.32
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 41 5./JG54 U-2 Ramuschewo: 1.200 m. 00.56

7-8 July 1942
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 42 5./JG54 SB-2 Korosten station: 1.600 m. 22.50
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 43 5./JG54 U-2 Ramuschewo: 1.200 m. 23.09
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 44 5./JG54 U-2 Ramuschewo: 1.100 m. 23.18
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 45 5./JG54 U-2 Ramuschewo: 1.100 m. 00.33

19-20 July 1942
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 49 5./JG54 U-2 Ramuschewo: 500 m. 00.25
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 50 5./JG54 U-2 Ramuschewo: 1.400 m. 01.15

2-3 August 1942
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 51 5./JG54 U-2 nr. Pola, SE Lake Ilmen: 400 m. 01.35
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 52 5./JG54 U-2 nr. Pola, SE Lake Ilmen: 300 m. 01.45
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 53 5./JG54 U-2 NE Ramuschewo: 400 m. 02.00


Cheers and thanks, Theo

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

N. Hector has researched the claims of Hauptmann Reinhard Seiler... Maybe he can help?

Regards, Timon

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Hello Theo,
At the crash site of this aircraft, our team worked.
21 ОТБАЭ 242 НБАД
07/07/42, the crew of TB-3 did not return from the combat mission from the area of ​​Belyaevshchina: the commander of the ship, Leytenant V.F. Drapikovsky; navigator Starshiy Leytenant I.A. Milostivenko; pilot Starshiy Leytenant A.P. Shkryabets; flight mechanic leytenant A.N. Dorofeev; flight engineer starshina F.E. Pecheritsa; gunner-radio operator starshina S.I. Zvorygin; air gunner P.P. Rudasov + 1 air gunner.
The navigator Milostivenko and another gunner (surname not known) returned;
Zvorygin, Drapikovsky, Rudasov were captured
rest died with the plane.
There is a description of the battle by the navigator Milostivenko and in the memoirs of the commander of the second Tb-3 from that mission. The plane was shot down after completing a mission (dropping bombs in the Belyaevshchina-Glebovshchina region). Unlike the first aircraft, he did not have time to go into the clouds and was set on fire by a fighter.
Best regards,
Kirill

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

What about Friedrich Rupp's victories? Didn't he have any? Or was he in another group?

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Thanks Kirill for sharing these useful details!

Cheers, Theo

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

I have already shared most, if not all of these with Theo, but for anyone else who is interested:

7-8 June 1942
Oblt. Günther Fink: 8 8./JG54 R-5 20 km WSW Tschudowo: 1.200 m. 23.35
Oblt. Günther Fink: 9 8./JG54 R-5 - 00.03
Oblt. Günther Fink: 10 8./JG54 R-5 20 km WNW Tschudowo: 500 m. 00.05
Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer: 21 8./JG54 R-5 - 00.38
Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer: 22 8./JG54 R-5 5 km WSW Spasskaja Polist: 1.500 m. 00.55
662 NBAP one total loss plus pilot Islam Meinzinovich Khairullin forcelanded after gunner Volodymyr Ivanovich Panasiuk was KIA in the air, 696 NBAP suffered 2 losses and 660 NBAP suffered one loss


10-11 June 1942
Oblt. Günther Fink: 11 8./JG54 PS-84 - 23.30
844 OTAP. Legitimate victories, one loss was crew of pilot Serzhant Viktor Vasilievitch Tikhomirov KIA, navigator Lez Aleksandrovich Safonov MIA and gunner Petr Aleksandrovich Skvortsov both KIA
Oblt. Günther Fink: 12 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.35
Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer: 24 8./JG54 PS-84 - 23.36
844 OTAP. Legitimate victories, one loss was crew of pilot Serzhant Viktor Vasilievitch Tikhomirov KIA, navigator Lez Aleksandrovich Safonov MIA and gunner Petr Aleksandrovich Skvortsov both KIA
Oblt. Günther Fink: 13 8./JG54 R-5 10 km NW Spasskaja Polist: 1.300 m. 23.52

11-12 June 1942
Oblt. Günther Fink: 14 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.10
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 48 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Mjasnoj Bor 23.35
662 LBAP. Legitimate victories. 2 losses, crew details not known
Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer: 25 8./JG54 SB-2 - 00.01
Oblt. Dr. Werner Feise: 3 Stab III./JG54 SB-2 - 00.10
Acutally DB-3s of 44 BAP. Legitimate losses, crews of Kapitan Nikolai Vasilyevich Zhdanov and crew all KIA plus Lt. Igor Ivanovich Dostavalov and crew all KIA
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 49 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Mjasnoj Bor 00.30

14-15 June 1942
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 52 Stab III./JG54 R-5 15 km WSW Spasskaja Polist 22.45
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 53 Stab III./JG54 R-5 5 km NW Spasskaja Polist 23.15
Oblt. Günther Fink: 15 8./JG54 PS-84 15 km WNW Spasskaja Polist: 1.500 m. 23.28
Oblt. Waldemar Wübke: 11 9./JG54 R-5 15 km SE Tschudowo: 800 m. 23.30
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 17 8./JG54 R-5 E. Mostki 23.45

15-16 June 1942
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 54 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Kretschno 23.20
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 55 Stab III./JG54 Jak 1 E. Orelje 23.30
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 56 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Kretschno 24.00
One of these was likely Victor Semenovich Bukovsky of 642 LBAP, KIA by fighters this date. Possibly also 689 NBAP
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 57 Stab III./JG54 R-5 Prijutino 00.20

17-18 June 1942
Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer: 26 8./JG54 R-5 - 00.02
Lt. Hans-Joachim Heyer: 27 8./JG54 R-5 - 00.25
Were these from 844 OTAP (ex-697 NBAP)? Mladshiy Serzhant Alexander Semenovich Arbuzov KIA. Unsure if there was another loss

22-23 June 1942
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 59 Stab III./JG54 PS-84 Kretschino 23.05
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 60 Stab III./JG54 PS-84 ENE Mjasnoj Bor 23.08
102 and 103 TAPDD, 1 TAD. 3 losses, details pending
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 18 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.10
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 19 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.15
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 20 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.45
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 21 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.50
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 22 8./JG54 R-5 - 23.55
Possibly 696 NBAP? Lt. Stepan Biryukov KIA. An acknowledged victim of Leykauf was St.Lt. Nikolay Vasilyevich Spiridonov of 689 NBAP KIA. Same regiment lost St.Lt. Mikhail Ivanovich Shatalov (AE CO) KIA plus gunner Boris Stepanovich Chepurny also KIA

Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 23 8./JG54 R-5 - 24.00
This was most likely Starshina Dmitry Yegorovich Utochkin and Starshina Alexander Fedorovich Tsypluhin of 716 NBAP, both KIA. Listed as lost in aerial combat near their airfield

24-25 June 1942
Oblt. Günther Fink: 16 8./JG54 R-5 - 00.35

25-26 June 1942
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 62 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Kretschino 23.41
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 63 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Kretschino 23.50
Lt. Erwin Leykauf: 24 8./JG54 R-5 - 00.01
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 64 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Kretschino 00.15
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 65 Stab III./JG54 R-5 E. Kretschino 00.17
662 NBAP suffered 3 losses and 689 NBAP suffered one. Details pending
660 LBAP lost Kapitan Gennady Alekseyevich Silaev (AE CO) KIA in the course of the night as well

Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 36 5./JG54 U-2 - 00.25
Lt. Wolfgang Kretschmer: 10 5./JG54 U-2 N Kraseja 00.26
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 37 5./JG54 R-5 - 00.40
These three possibly from 645 LBAP, 242 NBAD, 6 VA. Pilots Nikolai Semyonovich Gorbushin, Lev Aleksandrovich Uvarov and Pavel Fedotovich Didenko plus gunners Ivan Sergeyevich Bozhevalov and Yakov Koshkin all KIA.

Oblt. Dr. Werner Feise: 4 Stab III./JG54 MBR-2 Novgorod-Lake Ilmen area 00.44

27-28 June 1942
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 66 Stab III./JG54 R-5 SW Mostki 23.48
Hptm. Reinhard Seiler: 67 Stab III./JG54 R-5 S. Mostki 24.00

4-5 July 1942
Hptm. Carl Sattig: 42 5./JG54 U-2 Gortschizy: 1.000 m. 00.30
Hptm. Carl Sattig: 43 5./JG54 U-2 Gortschizy: 1.000 m. 00.57

6-7 July 1942
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 38 5./JG54 U-2 near Pola station: 1.500 m. 23.52
707 NBAP. Serzhant Konstantin Mikhailovich Teleshev and Lt. Sergei Kuzmich Pahomkin both KIA

Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 39 5./JG54 TB-3 Kraseja: 1.400 m. 00.05
21 OTBAE. Crew of Lt. Andrey Petrovich Shkryabets/Lt. Drapikovsky failed to return

Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 40 5./JG54 U-2 Kraseja: 900 m. 00.32
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 41 5./JG54 U-2 Ramuschewo: 1.200 m. 00.56
One of the U-2 navigators shot down by Bf109 this night was Ml.Lt. Konstantin Ivanovich Terentyev of 597 SAP KIA

7-8 July 1942
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 42 5./JG54 SB-2 Korosten station: 1.600 m. 22.50
22 BBAP. Details pending

Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 43 5./JG54 U-2 Ramuschewo: 1.200 m. 23.09
642 LBAP

Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 44 5./JG54 U-2 Ramuschewo: 1.100 m. 23.18
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 45 5./JG54 U-2 Ramuschewo: 1.100 m. 00.33
717 NBAP. One of these claims was against Ml.Lt. Alexander Yakovlevich Bobylev and gunner Serzhant and Mikhail Vladimirovich Vorobyov both MIA-KIA

19-20 July 1942
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 49 5./JG54 U-2 Ramuschewo: 500 m. 00.25
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 50 5./JG54 U-2 Ramuschewo: 1.400 m. 01.15
707 NBAP lost Serzhants Nikolay Ivanovich Monakhov and Aleksandr Mikhailovich Agnisenko;
717 NBAP lost Lt. Vladimir Fedorovich Bogdanov and Boris Mikhailovich Bulavin. All crewmen KIA

2-3 August 1942
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 51 5./JG54 U-2 nr. Pola, SE Lake Ilmen: 400 m. 01.35
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 52 5./JG54 U-2 nr. Pola, SE Lake Ilmen: 300 m. 01.45
Hptm. Joachim Wandel: 53 5./JG54 U-2 NE Ramuschewo: 400 m. 02.00
One of these was from 645 LBAP, Serzhant Maher Aronovich Lando and Ivan Stepanovich Sedikh both KIA, Ramuschewo area this date and another was from 661 LBAP (242 NBAD, 6 VA), details pending

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Thanks Nick for posting these details. As you mention, you had already kindly shared most of these details with me. May I offer a few remarks/comments:

Re. the listing, can you confirm that the 844 OTAP actually lost two (instead of one) PS-84s on 10-11 June 1942?

And a possible addition to the 17-18 June 1942 claims; the 696 NLBAP may also have lost an R-5 on this night. No further details known to me, incl. crash location.

Re. the claims on 22-23 June 1942: I believe that during the course of the night, a total of five Li-2s of the 101, 102 and 103 AP DD (the latter two units being engaged in supply-dropping missions of ammunition, food and medicine to the Second Shock Army) were shot down. I have no info on the area where the Li-2 losses of the 101 AP DD occurred, mayby someone can fill in this gap in my knowledge. Are you sure Nick that the claims by Seiler can not be tied to the 101 AP DD losses and exclusively to the losses of 102 & 103 AP DD?
And do you know how many U-2 losses the 689 NLBAP suffered on this night?
Finally re. the events on 22-23 June 1942, what was the home airfield of the 716 NBAP?

Re. 7-8 July 1942: in addition to Nick's details, who can confirm that the 597 NBAP reported three U-2 rear seat crew members as killed in action on this night?

Cheers, Theo

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Theo, details are enough for a big article ...
Drapikovsky Valentin Fedorovich, after being released from captivity, could no longer fly, but grew up in the service of an air traffic controller to the post of head of the traffic service of the Ukrainian territorial administration of the Civil Air Fleet.

If I remember correctly, then in that area there is still the loss of the Baltic Special Air Group GVF - commander Lt. Col. Rasskazov.
BR,
Kirill

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

What about my Friedrich? Didn't he have any victories?

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

No, 'your Friedrich' did not achieve any nighttime Abschüsse on the Eastern Front.

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Thank you very much for your answer. I say 'my Friedrich' because I'm in love with him.

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Hello Theo,
as I wrote you I assume the claim by Oblt. Dr. Werner Feise of Stab III./JG54 on 24-25.6.42 for a MBR-2 in the Novgorod-Lake Ilmen area (00.44) could have been an Aeroflot GVF PS-84 (CCCP-L3948) on a flight from Stockholm to Kalinin. I think these dangerous night flights were stopped probably in summer 1943 when the german night fighter force was increasing and probably reassumed after Finnland changed sides, but here we need the help of some russian experts.

About our other early ace in the east Ogefr. Engelbert Heiner of 9./KG.27 I have one more option for his first victorious night, when his crew claimed 3 victories in the Voronezh area including a four-engined. As I wrote I assume that he is responsible for the loss of 2 SB bombers of 331 OIAE of 642 NLBAP near Semiluki (W of Voronesh) during the night 10.-11.07.42. On 10.07.42 TB-3-equipped 7 AP ADD lost probably 1 TB-3 (pilot Kap. M.P. Alekseev and flight engineer St. Serzh. A.I. Gerasimov were KIA, buried in the Novo Usman area, E Voronesh). If the losses were during the same night this could well have been his first successful trio.
Also here any help for verification of this theory is welcome.

Cheers

Michael

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Hello,
to equate a claim on an MBR-2 (single-engine flying boat) with the loss of a PS-84 aircraft (licensed DC-3) you need to have powerful arguments.
Best regards,
Kirill

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Hello Kirche,
you´re right it sounds a little bit strange and it´s based on a assumptions. So here are some of my thoughts. When I first looked up Feise´s victory T. Woods list it was mentioned as a WER-2 (of an Oblt. Werner ---eise from Stab III./JG.54). So I was thinking maybe he identified it as a twin-engined Yer-2. In Prien it is recorded as a MBR-2. Both with loco unknown, but normally the area of the "Helle Nachtjagd" was N of Lake Ilmen along the Volkhov.
The flight route PS-84 L3948 from Stockholm-Bromma south of Lake Ilmen to Kalinin (Tver) and it crashed SE of the Lake one km east of Ivantsevo (Ivantsevo, Molvotitsy District of the Leningrad Region).

"The crew left Stockholm-Bromma at 2215LT on a cargo flight to Kalinin-Migalovo Airport (now Tver), carrying various goods for the Commissariat of the Foreign Trade. At 0032LT, the crew informed ground about his position in the region of Riga and then continued to the east and reduced his altitude to the minimum to avoid enemy aircraft. While cruising at low height, the aircraft was hit by gunfire and the left engine caught fire. The captain elected to make an emergency landing, made a turn to the right when the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area located one km east of Ivantsevo (Ivantsevo, Molvotitsy District of the Leningrad Region). Time 0230 (LT). The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that gunfire hit the left engine that caught fire in flight, necessitating an emergency landing. Soviet Authorities reported that the decision of the captain (pilot Rybin) to fly at low height was a good decision to avoid any enemy aircraft. Unfortunately, investigations were unable to determine the origin of the gunfire, German or Soviet."



As far as I know Berlin time was two hours ahead of UTC. Does LT means London Time?



Anyway regarding the location of the crash and the "hunting grounds" I would now exclude L-3948 as being the victim of Feise.
However I haven´t found personnel losses in the AE of 15 OMRAP KBF, but maybe there materiel losses io the operation records...


Additions welcome!

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

LT is (at least at aviation-safety.net) considered as 'local time'

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Michael,

The claims files are mostly hand written and difficult to read - a YER-2 could easily look like a MBR-2 and vice-versa.

You may want to give a PM to Johannes for a second look at this or even better get a copy of the page from him and see for yourself.

Regards

Craig...

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Hello Michael,
The last connection with the plane was at 02.02 (Moscow time), and the disaster allegedly occurred at 02.30. According to Berlin time, the disaster occurred in the period after 01.02 and at about 01.30. The commission found holes in the hood of the left engine (bottom), traces of an attempt to extinguish the engine. Also on the right side of the tail stabilizer are several more holes (all from the bottom). Presumably, the shelling was on the front line (at least 10 minutes before the disaster). At least 9 holes were found, but not a single bullet - therefore, those who fired (the Germans or their own) could not establish (or did not write about it).
http://www.airdisaster.ru/database.php?id=2391

http://wap.imf.forum24.ru/?1-28-0-00000031-000-0-0
Best regards,
Kirill

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Thank you all for your input. LT I agree makes no sense for London Time - it would be GMT. Kirche just one question about the time? Somewhere I read that the Germans used Day Saving Time until 11.42 and the difference between BT and MT was 2 hours (??). I also see the similarity between YER-2 and MBR-2 in the first two letters...so quite possible!
Cheers
Michael

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Michael,
On June 1942
Berlin time = CEST (Central European Summer Time) = UT+2h = Moscow time -1h

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Ok, thanks Kirche, that is clearing things up. Any idea about the MBR-2 loss. Was it a transport, rescue or clandestine mission to Lake Ilmen?

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Hello,
25-26.06.1942
645 LBAP
"In the target area, aircraft were fired by anti-aircraft guns, small anti-aircraft artillery and anti-aircraft machine guns. During the attack on the Glebovshchina airfield, U-2 aircraft were attacked by enemy fighters of the Me-109 type. Our losses (in general for all tasks): MIA - 2 U-2 (Didenko-Koshkin; Gorbushin-Bozhevalov). Two U-2 planes were shot down by Me-109 attacks, and as a result they made emergency landings on their territory. The crews of both aircrafts are wounded, the aircrafts cannot be repaired (Uvarov-Lebedev; Ryabov-Oreshko)"
Only crews of Uvarov-Lebedev; Ryabov-Oreshko are indicated as being attacked by Me-109's. Two other crews could have disappeared on another mission (the division made 100 sorties, of which 87 were U-2 (40 were U-2s). The bombing of two airfields (Tuleblya and Glebovshchina) is no more than 1/3 sorties. Fighter aircraft is indicated only over Glebovschina.

Also losses VVS Volkhov Front - 6 U-2:
VVS 4A - 1 U-2 (MIA) - ? 689 NBAP (Onufriev-Petelin)
VVS 2A - 2 U-2 (MIA) - ? 696 НБАП (Pilots Plyusch and Kornilaev; navigators Kolosov and Khokhanov. Crew separation not known to me)
VVS 52A - 2 U-2 (MIA) - ? 662 LBAP (Koltayevskiy-Ryzhak; Revyakin-Goryachev)
VVS 59A - 1 U-2 (MIA) - ? 660 NBAP (Silayev-Lazarev)

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Thanks Kirche for posting these additional details. Having read and digested your reply, may I ask one question; where can I find Glebovshchina airfield? The only place with this name that I can find on Google maps is in Belarus, NNE of Minsk, and that is outside the area were 5./JG54 operated on this night (in the Demyansk area).

Cheers, Theo

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

.. and one additional question: who can tell me where 8./JG54 and the Stab III./JG54 were based during the final week of June 1942?

Cheers and thanks, Theo

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Hello Theo,
Glebovshchina (Gljebowschtschina) - this is the main airfield of Demyansk (3 km North-East of the city)
http://etomesto.com/map-atlas_osteur...43&y=57.662987
Kraseya (Korseja) is North of Glebovshchina

Re: II. and III./JG54 nighttime victories Eastern Front summer 1942
 

Thanks for explaining! Cheers, Theo