|
Re: 151 Wings and Hurricanes later
Sovites did send a see assult (Ozierko Bay) on the German back on 29 VII 1941. It was divesion attack because Germans troops had began to attack the Murmansk.
In this time Soviet could use for air support mainly 72. SAP of NF and 145., 147. IAP, 137. BAP of 14. Army aviations.
There were not so called tightly co-ordiation in this FAA/ VVS RKKA air attacks.
FAA planes were attacked by Me 109s, Me 110s of I/JG 77. German fighters had claimed 17 victories. LW had lost in FAA attrack: 1 Me 110 of 1.(Z)/JG 77 and 1 Ju 87 of 12. (St)/LG 1. In Kirkenes were hit and sunk 2 ships and the next 2 were dameged.
RAF did sent 151. Wing and Hurricanes a few weeks later. RAF did begin to create whole 151. WING on 29 VII 1941 on Isle. The Bristish Hurricanes had come to Murmansk and Archangielsk on 31 VIII -1 IX 1941.
Soviet did beging to fly on Hurricanes in IX 1941. The first Soviet regiment (78. IAP of NF) did beging to use/fly HCs in mid October 1941. They had used the 33 HCs of ex-151. WING planes.
Soviet VVS (navy and army aviation) had supported own land forces on the frontline. So they could attacked assulting German land troops, which had been moving towards Murmansk or support own assult forces.
Anyway Soviet had very bad command (air, navy) and they could not overcame/win having much bigger air and navy forces with much more smaller German air and navy forces. Soviet had in this time numericaly suppriority and Soviet planes were not so bad if you know that German had used Me 109 E-1, E-3, Me 110 D and also slowly Ju 87 B. There was of course Ju 88 A-5, A-6 in 3., 6./ KG 30.
72. SAP had I-16 typ 24 (M-63 engine) made mainly in 1940. So it was quite moder fighter.
Regards
Mirek Wawrzyński
PS
In 2000 I had written a story about 151. Wing RAF over Murmansk (Militaria i Fakty no 5-6/2000) and all this data coming from this material. All text in Polish no English.
__________________
Mirek Wawrzyński
|