[Bubek]

Originally Posted by Monaco

Hi Nick & Theo, interesting thread!

About the loss on 17.04.43 (17.4.43/2154 Fw. Melschert of 10(NJ)/ZG 1 claimed a DB-3F. Was this from 8 GAPDD? Crew of Gen. Mikhail Nikolayevich Urutin Navigator-Colonel Hevesi Akos Akoshevich and shooter-guard radio operator Sergeant Aleksandr K Garankin were shot down by a fighter this night)
I assume that the DB-3 maybe was a victim of the Prinz Sayn-Wittgenstein of IV./NJG.5, who claimed 2 DB-3 on 17.04.43. His unit was based at Insterburg quite near to Danzig at that time, whilst Melschert with 10.(N)/ZG.1 operated within LF.4 from Bagerovo over Kertsch peninsula.

I assume, that Melschert maybe was responsable for the loss of 3 DC-2 crews of 102 AP.

The loss of three DC-2 crews:
On the night of 18.04.43, the second day after arrival of 102 AP DD (1 BAD ADD) in the Kuban area, the crews of the regiment delivered a raid on the airfield near Zh.d.Stantsii of Kerch'- II. Three crews did not return to their airfield near the cossack village Labinskaya. Two DC-2 collided with enemy balloons, one was s/d after fulfillment of it´s assignments.
The crews of St. Lieutenants A.F.Kostyuchenko, A.N.Sidoryak and M.A.Petukhov perished. Together with them perished AE navigator Major A.S.Artemev, navigator Ml. Lieutenant N.Ya.Tsidilin, chief of AE communications St. Lieutenant R.A.Mezhlumov, flight mechanic St. Lieutenant of tech. services A.N.Zhuravlev, St. technician of the squadron M.D.Dedyurin, copilot Ml. Lieutenant A.V.Tyupaylov, radio operator-gunners Sergeants D.N.Balabanov, A.E.Gryaznov and P.P.Evseev.

Probably one or all 3 DC-2 crews from 102 AP fell victim to Fw. Heinz Melchert of 10./ZG.1. Melchert gained 6 victories, before being KIA in air combat on 28.05.43.
17.04.43 Fw. Melschert 10.(Nachtjagd)/ZG 1 Boston 66 612: no height 21.50 Film C. 2032/II Anerk: Nr.
17.04.43 Fw. Melschert 10.(Nachtjagd)/ZG 1 Boston 66 532: at 3.400 m. 21.54 Film C. 2032/II Anerk: Nr.
17.04.43 Fw. Melschert 10.(Nachtjagd)/ZG 1 DB-3F 66 124: at 2.000 m. 22.22 Film C. 2032/II Anerk: Nr.

What do think about it?

Hi, guys.
One of them was Li-2 from 3 APDD with all st.ltn. A.L. Chmielnicky' crew of 6 perished somewhere NW of Kersch...