Fw Schellknecht's kill claim
 

On may28, 1943 Fw. Bernhard Schellknecht from 3./JG26 claimed soviet Curtiss O-52. Does anybody know any details of this action?

Re: Fw Schellknecht's kill claim
 

The opponent came from 13 OKAE.
Crew of Starshina Yakovlev and Starshiy Leytenant Savitsky both KIA

Re: Fw Schellknecht's kill claim
 

Лётчик старшина Яковлев Павел Игнатьевич (1923);
Лётчик-наблюдатель старший лейтенант Савицкий Александр Иванович (1918).

Re: Fw Schellknecht's kill claim
 

Thanks for update/correction of first names

Re: Fw Schellknecht's kill claim
 

Thank You both for answers, but those details were already known to me. I'm rather looking for any axplanation what Schellknecht was doing so far away from his base in Orel-West. Kill location; Pl. Qu. 35Ost/07 583 seems to point on area W of Velikie Luki. Was he on recon or ferry flight? Another matter is that russian sourses say, Curtiss of Yakovlev/Savitsky was shot down by a Messerschmidt rather then by a Focke-Wulf.

B rgds

Re: Fw Schellknecht's kill claim
 

English only on the forum unless you are quoting from an original WWII document.

Re: Fw Schellknecht's kill claim
 

Hi Witold,

on 20 May 1943 one part of the I./JG 26 transferred from Ossinowka to Orel, another part to Smolensk. The rest of the group remained in Ossinowka.
On 28 May the base of Fw Schellknecht was not Orel. He took off either in Smolensk or in Ossinowka to Welikije Luki/Velikie Luki.
On 2 June 1943 he was missing north of Kursk in his Fw 190 A-5 WNr. 7365 yellow 8.
Source: JFV Vol. 12/III.

Regards
Leo

Re: Fw Schellknecht's kill claim
 

Hallo Leo, Nick, John
I don't question that after 20 may 43 staffeln of I./JG26 were divided between several airfields, but I've doubts about that particular case of Fw. Schellknech. The same very day of his claim another pilot of his unit, Fw. Willius claimed soviet LaGG in Pl. Qu. 35Ost/63 253, which is evidently in the area of Orel. And Schellknecht died in crash due to engine failure in Pl. Qu. 35Ost/62 158, in my opinion operating from Orel-West.
B rgds

Re: Fw Schellknecht's kill claim
 

The LaGG-3 claimed by Willius apparently came from 160 IAP. Does anyone have details of the pilot and his fate?