"Normandie" claims over Bf110, 13 july 1943
 

Hi all!

I am trying to find out Normandie claims over Bf110 on 13 july 1943. Any info?

How many? Times? Locations? May be combat reports...

Best wishes!

Re: "Normandie" claims over Bf110, 13 july 1943
 

In aerojournal HS number 3 on Normandie Niemen :
Littolff, Castelain & Durand each claim 1 Bf110G while escorting IL-2s over Koselsk : 19h40 (East European Time ?)
The patrol face 24 Bf110s, and 5 of them try to intercept the Il2s
On the German side, the Bf110G2 Wk Nr 6111 (2.ZG1) is highly damaged, and G9+BA is destroyed (Major Joachim Blechsmidt kimmodore of 1.ZG1 and the rear gunner killed). They most probably meet French claims.

Re: "Normandie" claims over Bf110, 13 july 1943
 

An account, in French here :
http://mairie.pagespro-orange.fr/fre.../m+soviet.html

And the Aerojournal HS gives an account from Castelain

Re: "Normandie" claims over Bf110, 13 july 1943
 

Hi! Thx for answer!

From SKG 210 / ZG 1 damage/losslist by John Vasco:

13-07-43
Bf 110 G-2, Stab./ZG 1, S9+BA, W.Nr. 6295, 100% , Obstlt. Joachim Blechschmidt (MiA), Uffz. Hans Wörl (MiA), Force-landed behind Russian lines lines following combat with Russian fighters. Both crew seen to leave the aircraft. Uljanowo - Bolchow (Actually Ulyanovo - Bolkhov)

Bf 110 G-2, 2./ZG 1, W.Nr. 6111, 25%, Damaged by enemy fighters. Near Uljanowo.

Bf 110 G-2, 3./ZG 1, W.Nr. 6292, 15%, Technical problem. Uljanowe- Bolchoff.

Vitaly Gorbach, author "Nad Ognennoy Dugoy" book about air combats during Kursk Battle. sayd that it is thought that Blechschmidt became PoW and somewhere in archives there are report of questioning.

For this day and area I received following data.According combat report of 303 iad:

14.49-15.47 (briefly, report of 198 shap is large): 4 Il-2 of 198 shap (leader - Kap.Malinkin) with escort of 4 Yak-7 of 172 iap (leader Maj. Vyazovik), mission to attack enemy retreating troops on road Durnevo-Sorokino-Ulyanovo, came under attack of 6 Bf110 from 6 oclock and 6 Bf110 + 2 Fw190 from 12 oclock.

1st pair of Il-2 was attacked by 4 Bf110, 1 of them attacked Il-2 of Kap.Malinkin, but Bf110 was hit by Il-2 wingman (Efimov) and breaked. Another Bf110 shot down Il-2 of Malinkin. 2nd pair of Bf110 attacked Il-2 of Efimov, but breaked because Il-2 gunner fire.

2nd pair of Il-2 came under attack of Bf110's, failed to return on combat missions.

Claims:
Bf110 damaged by Il-2 Lt. Efimov, 198 shap (attack from behind, ~30 metres - result : "left engine burned, heavy smoke);
Bf110 shot down by Yak-7 Maj. Vyazovik;
Both in area of Ulyanovo.

Losses of 198 shap:
Il-2 (Zav.Nom. 7353), Malinkin (Pilot), Smirnov (Gunner) - KiA;
Il-2 (Zav.Nom. 5667), Zinovsky(Pilot), Rezodubov (Gunner)- MiA;
Il-2 (Zav.Nom. 1295), Nemira(Pilot), Ivanov (Gunner)- MiA,

"19.22-20.20 8 Yak-9 (leader Kap. Littolff), escort mission to Durnevo area. Air combay on alt.=800-1200 against 20 Me110. Claims - 3 Me110 (Littolff, Castelain, Durand). All 3 Me110 crashed in area of bridge. Durand fought against 8 Me110, Castelain made attack from below."

Must add: in area of bringe across Vytebet river was heaviest battle of 11 Guards Army, tryed to forse it. All over the day bridge was under attack of german aviation.

Your report says: Ktsyn (Кцынь) area. But it is far away from Ulyanovo-Durnevo area.

Map: http://pics.livejournal.com/bersrk/pic/0000tkfw

Durnevo - Дурнево
Ulyanovo - Ульяново
Sorokino - Сорокино
Ktsyn - Кцынь
Krapivna - Крапивна (Herrmann KiA of AAA on thext day, 14.07.43 over it)

In that fight 198 shap vs ZG 1 one Il-2 claimed by Hptm. Herrmann, directly in Ulyanovo area. No more claims of Bf110 in that time and area, but it known that 2 other Il-2's were shot down by Bf110.

As for me, I can only propose that they are "unclaimed" victoryes of Blechschmitt, who attaked least pair of Il-2's, shot them, and then attacked leader of 1st pair, but was damaged by Lt. Efimov and breaked, trying to emland with burning engine. In same time Hermann "finished" Il-2 of Malinkin.

Anyway, to be 100% certain, we need TIME of loss of Blechschmitt. But we have no.

Re: "Normandie" claims over Bf110, 13 july 1943
 

Where exactly is the account in the link that you have given?

Re: "Normandie" claims over Bf110, 13 july 1943
 

Translated using Google :)

Re: "Normandie" claims over Bf110, 13 july 1943
 

Very interesting account, thank you.
Do you know which version of Yak7 the y used, was it the "bubble canopy variant ?

Re: "Normandie" claims over Bf110, 13 july 1943
 

Last versions of Yak-7B had such, as Yak-9. Difference is: 7 had 2 UBS guns, but 9 had 1.

Re: "Normandie" claims over Bf110, 13 july 1943
 

Being the author of the book on Normandie-Niémen, I must be fair.
Castelain statement is as follows:
"The sudden dive and the smoke belching from the 110 leads me to believe in a positive result, but being attacked by another Me 110 I was not able to watch it crash".
The claim will be confirmed by ground witnesses.

Littolff's claim is less doubtful, since he watched "his" 110 crash 5 km NW Kstin bridge.

Which one is Bleschmidt's -if any - remains an open question.

Chris

Re: "Normandie" claims over Bf110, 13 july 1943
 

[quote=Evgeny Velichko;59422]Hi! Thx for answer!

From SKG 210 / ZG 1 damage/losslist by John Vasco:

13-07-43
Bf 110 G-2, Stab./ZG 1, S9+BA, W.Nr. 6295, 100% , Obstlt. Joachim Blechschmidt (MiA), Uffz. Hans Wörl (MiA), Force-landed behind Russian lines lines following combat with Russian fighters. Both crew seen to leave the aircraft. Uljanowo - Bolchow (Actually Ulyanovo - Bolkhov)




Hello,
I'm trying to find out some details about Blechschmidt's last aircraft. If it was equipped with any Rüstsätze? For example, in early 1943 several planes from ZG 1 was equipped with the Bordkanone BK 3.7. What about BF 110 G-2 ( code S9+BA ) ?