[Juha]

Hello John
I must admit that I disagree
a) damaged plane is clearly different thing than destroyed plane, a plane usually didn’t fly every day during the WW 2, especially bombers, and for ex RAF fighter sqns had most of the war 18 planes but was expected to fly its missions with 12 planes formations. So a lightly damaged plane usually only meant extra work for its ground crew. Badly damaged planes had temporary effect on mission capacity but were usually economically less damaging than a lost plane.

b) IMHO all planes which were forced to land/crash-land outside a/fs because of combat damage were shot down but it is also true that a plane that flew hundreds of mls after being hit frankly had not fulfilled the criteria demanded (at least by RAF and by FiAF) for a plane allowed to be claimed as destroyed. At least on the backside of the form of air combat report of FiAF there were printed the claim criteria for destroyed and damaged claims and they were strict.

Few examples of damages that have some effect on unit’s mission capacity:

44-06-09, c 0630, MT-235, 1./HLeLv 24, ?* unhurt, Karelian Isthmus, during air combat 20mm hit on right aileron, next combat sortie 140644 1130-

44-06-10, c 1045, MT-231, 1./HLeLv 24, kers A Koskelainen unhurt, Raivola-Kivennapa, 3 hvmg hits 1 on tip of right wing 1 on fuselage 1 on rudder, repaired next combat sortie 140644 1800, from combat report

44-06-12, 2345, JK-254, 1/PLeLv 44, P: ltm Martti Perälä O: vänr Simo Huovinen W/O: alik. Matti Malmberg G: ? all unhurt, Tirttula - Joutsenselkä, 2 40mm AAA hits left tailplane and elevator the hole in tailplane was 100 x 50 cm, next combat sortie190644 2230- , Unit history

44-06-12, 2355, BL-196, 2./PLeLv 42, P: vänr. Jaakko Kausalainen O: lt Erik Anttinen G: alik. Aimo Vesanen all unhurt, Karelian Isthmus, fighter and AA got 4 hits one into left fuel tank, next combat sortie 160644 1430-, Unit history

And some of those which didn’t have effect on units mission capacity:

44-06-09, c 1240, MT-213, 2./HLeLv 24, Ltm Yrjö Turkka unhurt, Valkeasaari-Joutsenselkä, 1 hvmg hit on left wing during aircombat, repaired next combat sortie on same day 1610, from combat report

44-06-10, c 1050, MT-227, 2./HLeLv 24, Ltn Urho Sarjamo unhurt, E of Kivennapa-Lempaalanjärvi, 1 hvmg hit into radio receiver, repaired next combat sortie same day 2020, from combat report

44-06-13, 0005, JK-268, 3./PLeLv 44, P: lt Kalevi Heiskanen and crew unhurt, Polviselkä – Lintula Karelian Isthmus, fighter got hits into left engine gondola, next combat sortie 140644 1650-, Unit history

44-06-14, c 1200, MT-419, 3./HLeLv34, kapt Olli Puhakka unhurt, Tyrisevä, 2 20mm hits during head-on attack La-5 aileron rod severed, repaired next combat sortie 150644 0955, from combat report

And one case that shows that sometimes a fairly light damage might led to a chain of events that led to a total loss:

44-06-17, 1155, MT-419, 3./HLeLv34, kapt Olli Puhakka unhurt, SW of Muolaanjärvi/Heinjoki a/f, 3 hvmg hits 1 hit to radiator 2 hits in blades during aircombat Il-2#### during forced landing onto Heinjoki a/f right u/c retracted, right wingtip bended blades chipped destr during transport to repairs 200644 during the bombing of Elisenvaara station SOC 300844, from combat report and ac papers flight time 26h 20min 8 victories

Juha