Yak-9s in Italy
 

Hi Folks,

can you tell me which soviet Yak-9DD unit (? VA, ? IAD and ? IAP) escorted the 15th AAF B-17G Fortresses back to Italy from Ukraine in the summer of 1944? The unit had white wingtips and red star on the spinners. Thanks,

Gabor

Re: Yak-9s in Italy
 

the 236 IAP used the Yak-9DD in "Operation Frantic"

the white wingtips are actually the 210 IAP that used the Yak-9D also for
"Operation Frantic"

there was also a P-39 Airacobra unit there too ! (VVS)
but, I do not know what one.

let me look around I have a color photo of White 04 on the 236 IAP.

http://sovietwarplanes.com/board/ind....msg791#msg791

Re: Yak-9s in Italy
 

BTW are there any western allied accounts about the Bari-Yaks?

Re: Yak-9s in Italy
 

If i am not confused, the Soviet fighters flying with the Frantic shuttle missions were based in Ukrain and returned there at the end of the escort (ie never landed in Italy).

But there was a Soviet fighter unit based in Italy. It was escorting Soviet C-47s bringing supplies and people to the Yugoslav partisans. At least according to what I read on the Internet, but this unit has never been identified in the websites I have found. It is supposed to have been a part of the Balkan Air Force. The presence of Soviet C-47 in Italy is confirmed by several sources.

Re: Yak-9s in Italy
 

It was discussed previously in these threads:

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...=6208#post6208

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=1328

Re: Yak-9s in Italy
 

And this was the image in the threads, but now gone (hope nobody minds me posting it):

http://server2.uploadit.org/files/SU...BariPalese.jpg


Should be a Kodachrome photograph, and the border to the star appears to be silver.

Re: Yak-9s in Italy
 

IIRC, there is a russian report stated that yak-9dd flew comparsion with british spitfire IX. Is there any western cofirmation about that?

Re: Yak-9s in Italy
 

I've seen it written about, but not any original comments. What I've seen was fairly predictable: the Yak 9 was more maneouvrable at low level. Nothing about higher levels nor top speeds. There has also been comment about low maintenance requirements, but how much of that was original and how much afterthought I don't know.

Re: Yak-9s in Italy
 

Hi Folks,

Thanks for your very interesting comments on the soviet Yaks in Italy.

Well, the REAL reason for opening this topic is that I am still looking for data on the markings of the Yaks of the 611. IAP. Several sources state that the long-range Yak-9DDs escorting the 15. USAAF B-17G Fortresses back to Italy in late August, 1944 belonged to the 236. IAD.

Now, the point is, that the 611. IAP was assigned to the 236. IAD UNTIL September, 1944, - later it was re-assigned to the 288. IAD of the 17th VVS. In early 1945 the whole 236. IAD was sold to the new Yugoslav AF. From this time period, when the fighters received the new markings of the YAF none of the planes show the markings of the Yak-9s we can see in the pictures taken in Italy, ie. big white ‘2’ on the side, red star on the spinner, white wingtip, etc.

My theory is that maybe these Yak-9s with the red stars on the spinners, at the end of the summer of 1944 belonged to the 611. IAP, 236. IAD indeed, and since in September they were re-assigned to the 288. IAD, they could not be present among the sold 236. IAD Yak fighters in Yugoslavia in 1945.

Any idea pro or contra?

Thanks,

Gabor