5 GIAP Bases 1945
 

Can somebody provide me with an accurate list of bases of 5 GIAP for teh period 1.1.1945 - 8.5.1945?

Thanks,

John

Re: 5 GIAP Bases 1945
 

John,

I put a little chart together from the data I have. See the actual fighter force at each instance. Since airfield names are from Russian text, I do not know if they are accurate, or the airfields still exist under the same, or similar name.
Not a complete list, but hope helps a bit.

Cheers,
Gabor

Re: 5 GIAP Bases 1945
 

Checking the numbers: between March 19-25, 1945 the 2 VA, 11 GvIAD, 5 GvIAP lost only a single La-7. (One of their two.) During this time period flight-leader guards-1Lt. Aleksandr Borisovich Masterkov (Hero of Soviet Union) was KIA on March 20, 1945 due to parachute failure, so he must have crashed with this La-7 (not with one of the La-5s) near Gran?enberg, regardless his 'La-5' entry in his loss report. This was probably just a common typo, especially, because his unit's main fighter model was the La-5 along with 2 older La-7s, still from 1944. Interestingly La-5 units in 1944-45 (before switching to La-7) very often used 1-2 La-7s in their flights for testing(?) purposes. 295 (La-5) IAD of 17 VA for instance used a single La-7 (S/N: 3811716 from factory no.381) between the fall of 1944 and March 29, 1945, when finally they received their first 30 new La-7 fighters from factory No.21. (S/N: 4521xxxx)

Gabor

Re: 5 GIAP Bases 1945
 

Yes, as expected, unit's combat diary correctly states Masterkov's plane on March 20, 1945 as a La-7. (His personal loss card with AC: 'La-5' is wrong!)

Re: 5 GIAP Bases 1945
 

Hello Gabor,

Many thanks, this is really helpfull. Did the unit stay at Sprottau until May 1945? Did they suffer any casualties in the period April 15th till April 30th?

Many thanks,

John

Re: 5 GIAP Bases 1945
 

Hi John,

Unfortunately I have no op. records for the last two months of the 5th GIAP. According to the pilot loss reports there were no casualties in the mentioned weeks, but certainly planes could be lost where the pilots walked away unhurt.

Cheers,
Gabor

Re: 5 GIAP Bases 1945
 

John,
Here is the 2 VA, 11 GvIAD, 5 GvIAP fighter-list for February 16-18, 1945 from the combat diary. (This can be seen in my prev. chart.) You may identify the airfields according to the Russian names.
Cheers,
Gabor

Re: 5 GIAP Bases 1945
 

With 28.04.1945 5 GvIAP in Ogrosen (? Огрозен) on west at base of 11 GvIAD - Cottbus (? Коттбус).
lat=51.712716 lon=14.041541

Re: 5 GIAP Bases 1945
 

Some more data on 5 GvIAP airfields and fighter strength in 1944, as well as two pics of their La-5s from Wings Palette.
Cheers,
Gabor