[HGabor]

Koldunov (17 VA, 288 IAD, 866 IAP) was assigned one of the 17 VA's first Yak-3s on September 22, 1944 from the Saratov 292. aircraft factory: Yak-3, S/N: 1711. He flew it until November 15, 1944 when this Yak-3 was transferred to the 659 IAP. Her new pilot was Lt.Col. V. M. Smeskov, who flew her until March, 1945. According to the 4/1944, 4th quarterly mechanical report of 288 IAD (TsAMO), the 17 VA had only 6 Yak-3s on October 1, 1944. (S/N: 1215, 1515, 1711, 2917, 3918, 4516) One of these was Koldunov's No.1711. On October 8, 1944 866 IAP received Yak-3 No.2015 from Zavod 292., in two days, on October 10, 1944 3 more Yak-3s from Tbilisi, Zavod 31.: Yak-3, S/N: 310055, 310081 and 310220. Later these planes were also re-assigned to the 659 IAP.

Since the 17 VA had only a few, superb Yak-3 at that time, it is no wonder that they were assigned to the best available pilots for greater achievements and combat-testing. November 7, 1944 was in the timeframe when Koldunov was still assigned 1711, so I give more credit to the story which says he flew a Yak-3, not a Yak-9 over Nis. (I do not care what the other pilot's saw in the air, - it is a fact that they could not see the differences between the Yak models, only on the ground. Soviet pilots eg. frequently missed the differences even between the Fw 190 and the Bf 109 due to weather and/or distance factors, not to mention the almost invisible differences between the Yak-3 and the Yak-9.)

I hope this helps.

Gabor