Kapitan Isaak Yirzhak killed on 17 January 1944
 

According to the book "In the Shadow of the Red Banner: Soviet Jews in the War Against Nazi Germany" by Yitzchak Arad, a Kapitan Isaak Yirzhak performed a fire taran on a German position near Orianenbaum on 17 January 1944 after his Il-2 was set on fire by flak and was proposed for a title of Hero of Soviet Union, but was instead awarded the Patriotic War Medal, First Class.

In the book, this pilot is described as the "deputy commander of the Baltic Sea fleet air squadron" (sic).

I would like to know to which unit this pilot really belonged. The name of the gunner will be a welcome bonus.

Thanks in advance

Laurent

Re: Kapitan Isaak Yirzhak killed on 17 January 1944
 

Kapitan Isaak Aronavich Irzhak, born 1908, 35 ShAP KBF, killed on 17Jan44. I think this is who your looking for but I don't see an air gunner who died on that date.

Re: Kapitan Isaak Yirzhak killed on 17 January 1944
 

Фамилия Иржак
Имя Исаак
Отчество Аронович
Дата рождения __.__.1908
Место рождения Белорусская ССР, г. Дриса
Дата и место призыва __.__.1931
Последнее место службы КБФ, 35 ШАП
Воинское звание капитан
Причина выбытия погиб
Дата выбытия 17.01.1944
Название источника информации ЦВМА
Номер фонда источника информации 1787
Номер описи источника информации 2
Номер дела источника информации 256

Re: Kapitan Isaak Yirzhak killed on 17 January 1944
 

Thanks to both of you

The OBD Memorial database has effectively only one dead listed for 35 ShAP on 17 January 1944, Kapitan Irzhak (I tried to search it before posting but was not able to find casualties of 35 ShAP. By using what Michal posted I was able to find it).

At this stage of the war, I think all Il-2 had a gunner, so either he baled out before the crash or his death was not recorded.

Re: Kapitan Isaak Yirzhak killed on 17 January 1944
 

I found the gunner:

Record Number 76783826
Surname Zhdanov
Name Benjamin
Patronymic Alekseevich
Date of Birth __.__.1925
Birthplace of the Kuibyshev region., Pine-Solonetsky borough, pp. B. Solonet
Date and place of recruitment __.01.1943 Molotov RVC, the Kuibyshev region., Molotov rn
Last duty station CBF, 35 PSHAP BBC
Military rank ml. Sgt.
The reason for disposal of dead
Date of retirement 17/1/1944
Name of the source of information TSVMA
Number Fund Source Information 12
Room inventory source of information 5
Case Number information source 234

Original name found on http://allaces.ru/cgi-bin/s2.cgi/sssr/fireram.dat and http://uprava.maryno.net/Istoriy_voyni_18.htm (list of "fire taran"), and above data provided by OBD Memorial

Thanks again to Michal, the Russian writing of unit and pilot name allowed me to do the successful Google search.

Best regards

Laurent