Quote:
Originally Posted by HGabor
Hi Paul,
Yes, you are right that the majority of the La-5 losses were combat losses. During the Battle of Budapest only the 295 IAD lost about 25 planes in January, early February, 1945. Konrad I-II-III, then Spring Awakening panzer offensive all claimed several planes. But: these numbers are only snapshots on the first days of the months. Planes were lost and new planes came at the same time, so these numbers are just the actual summary of the changes. It is true that the losses were gradually replaced by newer La-5FNs, which -in March, 1945- changed for more modern La-7s of the Gorky factory. (30 La-7FNs) Fighter cover problems did not disappear with the new models completely, since sometimes still the Bostons 'escorted' their own fighter cover, leading the way ;-)))
Regards,
Gabor
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Hello Gabor,
While I understand that the La-5FN superseded the previous type, the figures reflect a decline in numbers of both aircraft, a sign of combat losses. The 25 losses of 295 IAD would have been about a third of of its strength, am I right?
Did the La-7 arrive in time for the Balaton offensive? It could have helped in escort missions, both because of its higher performance and better navigation aids. I assume the Boston crews had much better navigation equipment and training than the fighters assigned to protecting them, hence they led the whole formation.
Regards,
Paul Thompson