Quote:
Is it appropriate to quote Bergstrom's quote by Hugo Dahmer re 26 September, wherein he & his chums laid into 6 of us - "don't know how many got shot down....some may have escaped....but all were hit"? All our records (via those on the ground) show that not one of our aircraft was damaged.
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About Bergstrom's books (both about Barbarossa, from 2000 and next from 2007) I can say as about 10 years or so about his 1-st book, there are plenty of error and many mitology, and a few facts. Bergstrom writes fast, messy, shallow and with plenty of mistakes! The same he has done in second "improved" edition.
1. The same is with Dahmer's claims in his book. One big error.
In fact he Dahmer did it, but not on 26.09.41, but on 16.11.41. German shot down all zvieno of 3 Soviet Hurricanes (3 pilots KIA) from 3./78. IAP VVS NF. Dahmer writes about shot down of 6 Hurricanes in autumn of 1941 (not specifie exacte data as 26.09.), which he and his unit total destroyed. In fact Germans destroyed only 3 Hurricanes in this battle and they did it as he wrote: from near distans, from the tails of Hurricanes, pilot were total unexpected. One of KIA was an ace P. Siemienko, who had already 7 victories. Next two KIA were: Bulytsev, Kabatski. There were unaware of their deaths.
So, Dahmer was right but had made 100% overclaiming, as with memories sometimes happend, but it had in fact happend.
2. Yes there were no Me 109 F-4 on this area in 1941. This type had coem to the North next year spring-sammer, when all units had got this verson.
During 1941, there were only Me 109 E-1, E-3, E-7 and some version T.
3. So, it looks like Griffin had done a first mistake, which later were repeated many times for the next.
4. There are for Soviet side (about 6.10.) such information: 2 Ju 88 shot down by Soviet fighters and next one by A/A battery, all 3 Ju 88. Next Soiet source mentioned about 5 Ju 88 shot down. Maybe this 5 victories including 2 British one?
14 Ju 88s had attacked 2 soviet airfields: Vayenga-1 and Vajenga-2.
Regards,
mirekw