Re: Air War Above Rzhev - Zubtsov
 

Thanks Andrey! It looked more like a ШАП, then a ГИАП but you can read cursive Russian. The Operational Report of the Staff 209 IAD didn’t provide any times on the 19 August 42 but the Journal did.

Re: Air War Above Rzhev - Zubtsov
 

Thanks Andrey (and Michael)

That explains it.

Cheers
Stig

Re: Air War Above Rzhev - Zubtsov
 

9 August 1942

At 10:25 (MT) took off 5 Pe-2 from 793 BBAP to bomb the railway station at Osuga. On their return journey crossing over the area of Zubtsov, they ran into German fighters. Oberfeldwebel Paul Finkler of 4./JG 54 claimed a Pe-2 (1) at 10:13 for the first kill against the Soviet bombers. Oberfeldwebel Maximilian Stotz of 4./JG 54 claimed a Pe-2 (60) at 10:15 and followed with another Pe-2 (61) at 10:17 for the last loss from this formation. At the completion of the mission at 11:45 (MT) the aircraft crews of Mladshiy Leytenant Avdokhin, Serzhants Aleksey Volynchchikov and Ivan Moiseev were listed as missing. (TsAMO f. 311, o. 0004495, d. 0052, l. 87 Operational Report of the Staff 211 BBAD)

Re: Air War Above Rzhev - Zubtsov
 

With clarification of the Soviet unit from 5 ShAP to 5 GIAP, I will be rewriting this episode with more details later. Sorry about the discrepancy.

Re: Air War Above Rzhev - Zubtsov
 

As promised a revised update.

19 August 1942

At 15:12 (MT) took off LaGG-3 (# 3234) flown by Kapitan Pavel Emel’yanov of 21 IAP as a wingman for two LaGG-3 of 5 GIAP led by Kapitan Laveykin. In the area of Burkovo at 15:30 (MT) at an altitude of 1300 m, they met in battle two Bf 109. A second pair of Bf 109 were seen above at 300-200 m but did not engage. The Soviet pilots reported 1 Me-109 as damaged but Kapitan Emel’yanov was listed as missing after the battle. From the German side, Oberfeldwebel Heinz Klöpper of 11./JG 51 claimed a LaGG-3 (61) at 14:25 at 18 km to the northwest of Rzhev.

At 17:07 (MT) took off LaGG-3 (# 3237) flown by Serzhant Mikhail Mintrakov of 21 IAP as a wingman for 5 LaGG-3 of 5 GIAP in the area of Rzhev. At 5 km northeast of Rzhev at an altitude of 3000 m the Soviet LaGG-3s met in battle with 6 Bf 109. After 5 minutes, another 4 Bf 109 entered into the fight bringing the total to 10 Bf 109. The battle lasted a total of 30 minutes and the altitude fell to an altitude of 1500 m. The Soviet pilots reported damaging 2 Me-109. On returning to the Soviet airfield was missing the LaGG-3 of Serzhant Mintrakov from 21 IAP. Also missing were two LaGG-3 from 5 GIAP flown by Guards Leytenant Dmitriy Shtokolov and Guards Serzhant Ivan Lavrenko (Both of these future Soviet aces would return to their unit on the 20th). From the German side there was only one claim, Gefreiter Erich Hilbein of 8./JG 51 claimed a LaGG-3 (2) at 16:40 in that area. The Germans had no reported damage to their fighters. Unless it was less then 10%. (TsAMO f. 22020, o. 044524, d. 0006, l. 1 page 63 Journal of Combat Operations of 21 IAP and TsAMO f. 311, o. 0004495, d. 0050, l. 111 Operational Report of the Staff 209 IAD)

Re: Air War Above Rzhev - Zubtsov
 

19 August 1942
19:35 (MT) above Aleshino 3 Pe-2 from 793 BBAP were attacked by 9 Bf 109, after the first attack the Pe-2 of the leader Starshiy Leytenant Kolesnikov was set on fire, the aircraft with a sharp turn went to the ground, on a course to the east. One from the crew escaped on parachute (this was Kolesnikov) on Soviet territory. The rest of the crew died in the crashing bomber. The wingman Leytenant Dmitriy Avdokhin was attacked simultaneously with Kolesnikov but kept on course to the east with the German fighters pursuing up to Staritsa. The fate of Avdokhin’s Pe-2 was not observed by the surviving Pe-2. From the German side, Unteroffizier Hubert Strassl of 9./JG 51 claimed a Pe-2 (7) at 18:35, Pe-2 (8) at 18:37, Pe-2 (9) at 18:40 and a Pe-2 (10) at 18:41. (TsAMO f. 311, o. 0004495, d. 0052, l. 97 Operational Report of the Staff 211 BBAD)

Re: Air War Above Rzhev - Zubtsov
 

I am starting work on the final day that I will do on this thread.

3 August 1942

Between 05:46 - 07:07 (MT) 9 Pe-2 from 134 BAP bombed at an altitude of 2000 m the concentration of German forces and artillery in the village of Dobraya and the forest, that was 400 m to the southeast of Dobraya. In the target area, according to Soviet aviators attacked 7 Bf 109. The Pe-2 flown by Starshiy Politruk Bykov caught fire, after being damaged by fire of a Bf 109. The Pe-2 came down on its fuselage in the area of Staritsa. From the German side, Oberfeldwebel Georg Seidel of 9./JG 51 claimed a Pe-2 (29) at 06:00. The Soviet fighter escort was engaged in battle during this time. (TsAMO f. 311, o. 0004495, d. 0070, l. 4 Journal of Combat Operations of the 3 VA and TsAMO f. 311, o. 4495, d. 8, l. 251 Operational Report of the Staff 285 BAD)

Re: Air War Above Rzhev - Zubtsov
 

On this day I will be including the Soviet fighter pilots claims, which are far more then the losses listed by the Germans but attempting to link the actual Soviet pilot or pilots to them. Some Soviet reports have no times listed and the Germans having no times listed with their losses doesn’t help. Will start with a continuances from post # 27 concerning the Soviet fighter escort.

3 August 1942

Flying as fighter escort were 4 LaGG-3 from 21 IAP having taken off at 06:20 (MT) to join with their charges. During the mission they were involved in a dogfight with Bf 109 (apparently 9./JG 51) but suffered no losses and made no claims. They finished their mission at 07:20 (MT). (TsAMO f. 22020, o. 0445247, d. 0006, l. 1 Journal of Combat Operations 21 IAP)

Re: Air War Above Rzhev - Zubtsov
 

3 August 1942

Between 11:32 - 11:37 (MT) 4 Pe-2 from 205 BAP bombed German forces and artillery at the village of Svin’ino. In the area of Boguslovo, they were attacked by according to Soviet aviators by up to 4-5 Bf 109. From the German side, Hauptmann Joachim Müncheberg of Stab/JG 51 claimed a Pe-2 (84) at 10:32 to the north northeast of Rzhev and another Pe-2 (85) at 10:36 to the north northwest of Rzhev. The Soviets reported the loss of two Pe-2 with the crews of Mladshiy Leytenant Ivan Svidovskiy in the area of Batyuki and Mladshiy Leytenant Aleksey Skobtsov in the area of Voronicheno being listed as missing. (TsAMO f. 311, o. 04495, d. 8, l. 251)

Re: Air War Above Rzhev - Zubtsov
 

Svidovskiy and Skobtsov