What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

There clearly were some minor air units manned by technically Soviet citizens for the Luftwaffe.

However, what do we actually know about the composition of Russian-manned air units?

I can only find internet references to such units, most apparently going back to something entitled, "Luftwaffe der Streitkräfte der Völker Rußlands ROA", which claims a mini airforce of some eight squadrons embracing all arms of service including fighters, bombers, reconnaissance aircraft and transports and even a single Me262 jet fighter! Yet it appears to entirely lack sourcing.

Is this largely urban myth?

What do we actually know from primary sources about such claimed Russian-manned units, if anything?

Many thanks,

Sid

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

From Bundesarchiv.
Junker

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

Not my thread, but thanks Junker!

Is there any reason why the flying units of the ROA are so "randomly" numbered (5,8,11,14)?

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

Not my thread too, but I learned something today...For me ROA units were only Whermacht related...never thought or heard that there were LW units and flying Russians as well!

Congratulations for JU55DK and for the thread's starter.

A.

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

This study will tell you everything you always wanted to know about Vlasov's ROA Air Force but were afraid to ask:

Hoffmann, Joachim. Die Geschichte der Wlassow-Armee, Freiburg, 1984.

Very detailed and mostly from primary documentation. At least 34 pages on the Vlasov/ROA Air Force. Joachim Hoffmann was an archivist at BA-MA Freiburg, fluent in Russian, and the author of a number of books on volunteers from the USSR who served in units under the Third Reich, 1941-45.

Also see:
Neulen, Hans Werner. In the Skies of Europe: Air Forces Allied to the Luftwaffe 1939-1945. Ramsbury (Wiltshire): The Crowwood Press, 2000. ISBN: 1 86126 326 0. Pages 313-320.

L.

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

LARRY,

Although not my main area of interest, it is fantastic to see that a vast number of amazing books are being published; and that there is indeed a reference book about the ROA Air Force!

Thank you for sharing this with us. Your work have been reference and helpful to many of us during the years, by the way.

A.

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

I recommend everyone in this chain to carefully read Die Geschichte der Wlassow-Armee by Joachim Hoffmann, referred to by Larry de Zeng above. On page 107 the planned organisation of Luftwaffe der ROA im Rahmen der Russischen Befreiungsarme as signed 19 December 1944 by Hermann Göring, Reichsmarschall des Grossdeutschen Reiches und Oberbefehlhaber der Luftwaffe is as follows:

- 1 Jagdstaffel mit 15 Jagdflugzeugen Me 109 G 10 vorgesehende

Ausserdem sollen... so schnell wie möglich gebildet werden:

- 1 Schlachtstaffel mit 12 Ju 87,
- 1 Kampfstaffel mit 5 He 111,
- 1 Kurierstaffel mit 2 Fi 156 und 2 (sowj. Beuteflugzeuge) U-2
- 1 Ergänzungsstaffel mit 2 He 111, 2 Ju 87, 2 Bf 109, 2 Me 108, 3 U-2.

Die kriegsstärke der Luftwaffe der ROA sollte sich zunächst auf rund 4500 Offiziere, Unteroffiziere und Mannschaften belauften.
Reference: GenStGeQu 2.Abt (P1/I), Nr.15231/44gKdos, 19.12.1944, BA-MA RL 2 III/460.

There are however no details how the organisation really grew, and it apparently never reached planned volume.

Nevertheless Hoffmann writes on page 120:
... Flugzeuge der Nachtschlachtstaffel haben am 13. April 1945 den Angriff der 1. Division der ROA auf den sowjetischen Brückenkopf Erlenhof südlich von Fürstenberg durch Bombenangriff unterstützt.

Following references are mentioned: Artem´ev: Istorija Pervoj Russkoj Divizii (1962), S. 17, Pozdnjakov: Andrej Andreeviĉ Vlasov (1973), S. 348 and Hoffmann´s personal archive.

Thus at least this operation was performed by VVS KONR.

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

This is an interesting subject to me although I don't know much about it. It appears Vlasov and KGJ 6 were having a private war against the Soviets.

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

The original question was "What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?"

My answer: "A whole lot more than I did before this thread started", so thanks everyone.

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

thanks, this greatly interests me too.

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

Hi ju52dk, Larry deZeng and Carl-Fredrik Geust,

Thank you very much for the primary and secondary material you have put up here.

It is very much appreciated and shows the sort of expertise that justifies specialist sites such as this.

Thanks again.

Sid

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

Only Jagdstaffel and Nachschlachtstaffel were set up. BAMA
Junker

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

An 18-year belated thanks to those who answered my question.

Sid

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

Over the years some interesting information about Soviet AF defectors has been found in the Finnish National Archive.

At least four Soviet pilots defected to Finland in 1943 with their aircraft:

- starshina Ilya Savkin (691 SAP) defected and belly-landed with his I-16 (tactical ¨31¨) at Finnish-occupied Aunus (Olonets) on 24 January 1943. In spring 1943 he volunteered to join Luftwaffe in Germany, where he served in 3.Staffel/Gruppe Süd des Flugzeugüberführungsgeschwader 1, which was responsible for ferrying new fighters from aircraft factories to LW frontal unites. This unit seems to have been loosly attached to Vlasov´s air force (VVS ROA). Savkin was killed 18 August 1944 when ferrying Bf 109 G-14 (W.Nr. 780698) in a mid-air collision at Darmstadt-Griesheim with another ex-Soviet fighter pilot, Lt. Aleksandr Yakovlev in Bf 109 G-14 (W.Nr. 780807) who was also killed.

- Lt. Konstantin Marchenko (1 GvIAP) defected 9 February 1943, belly-landing his Yak-7B (tactical ¨37¨) on the ice of Lake Ladoga SW Olonets. Marchenko spent the rest of the war in Finnish POW camp. After the Finnish-Soviet preminary peace treaty signed 19 September 1944 he was repatriated to USSR on 21 October 1944.

- Sn.Lt. Ivan Panchekhin (872 ShAP) defected with his Il-2, and bellylanded in the Olonets region on 23 July 1943. His MG-gunner starshina Aleksandr Bondarchuk did not agree to defect, but could not resist, and was also taken prisoner. Panchekhin was also repatriated to USSR on 21 October 1944.

- Jn.Lt. Gusman Faizhulin (pilot) and private Gabdurakhman Kamakayev (gunner, both tatars, 943 ShAP) attempted to defect with their Il-2 near the Finnish AF base Suulajärvi on the Karelian isthmus on 26 July 1943. As the Finns were no aware of their intention to defect, the Finnish Bf 109-pilot Flight Master Yrjö Turkka intercepted the Il-2 which crashed killing Faizhulin, while only lightly wounded Kamakayev became POW. Kamakayev was also repatriated to USSR on 21 October 1944.

After these four defections a special leaflet with maps of "safe belly-landing sites" was spread over Soviet AF bases, but there are so far no information of further aviator defections on the Finnish front.

Furthermore Jn.Lt. Aleksei Chasovnikov (piloting Pe-2 c/n 16/141, 121 BAP) was shot down by a German fighter (apparently from JG 5) on 29 March 1943 near Petsamo. The gunner Sgt Ivan Matveyev was killed in the air, while the navigator Sn.Lt. Nikolai Teterin was killed at arrest on 4 April 1943. Chasovnikov was transported via Finland to Germany, where he also joined 3./FlÜG 1/4 Süd as ferry pilot. He was killed on 3 September 1944, when piloting Bf 109 G-14 (W.Nr. 782159), which crashed in bad weather near Bodenmais.

Carl

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

Hptm. Dr. Josef Weismüller, Staffelchef 3./Süd FlÜG 1 has 20-25 russian ROA Pilots under his command (1944). I know from 3 more ROA Pilot lost their life flying with this Unit. One of them, crashed near Panyöfö/Hungaria 11.Sept. 1944 (Ltn. Cyrill Karelin?).
h.

Re: What do we really know from primary sources about Russian-manned air units in the Luftwaffe?
 

Good morning,

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/album....pictureid=1681

I do not know if this "primary source" has been posted before. It is from RL 2-VI/214 p. 0092.

best regards,

Jim

P.S. The proposal for a Russian "Luftwaffe" can be found in RL 2-III/459 p. 0009 and the establishment in RL 2-III/460 p.0003.