[oquaig]

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; }

Originally Posted by oquaig

I just read an account about II./JG 53 being bombed on Sarudinye (Zaruden'ye) airfield and losing 6 Bf 109fs on 22 July 1941. As I do not entirely trust this source (especially since it is not referenced) I was wondering if anyone could confirm this event ? Or not.

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

10 Jul 41: II./53 transferred to Kerpova. (p.360)
10 Jul 41: II./53 scrambled in late morning and intercepted 4 SB-2 bombers that were inbound to attack their field at Kerpova.
15 Jul 41: II./53 scrambled and claimed 3 attacking Russian bombers over the Gruppe’s airfield.
16 Jul 41: II./53 lost two of its aircraft on the ground when enemy bombers attacked the Feldflugplatz Korowje-Selo. (p.374)
18 Jul 41: II./JG 53 transferred to Krussicha in Estonia. Here the Gruppe found bad weather so operational activity was minimal. (p.377)
19 Jul 41: II./53, still dealing with bad weather, nevertheless flew missions in the Staraya Russa area. (p.377)
20-25 Jul 41: II./53 flew freelance sorties in the Staraya Russa area. (p.382)

L.

Thanks Larry, I was right not to trust that other source. That particular author has a tendency to conflate facts and get a little creative with history. II./JG 53 did suffer losses on the airfield just at a different time and place.

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

There were two airfields at Dorpat (Tartu), one on the NE side of town and the other on the SW side of town. One was the main airfield and the other was a Hilfsflugplatz (auxiliary airfield).

Tartu Airport – Ulenurme – Reola whatever one wants to call it, I did not know until now that it was an airfield in 1941. The history of the airport does not mention its origins. Just for the sake of argument, let's say they were here. Is Staraya Russa really too far away for them to operate ? It is 225 km away. The 4th SAD was based there, LVI Panzer Corps was still withdrawing from its encirclement at Soltsy and the VVS was making a major effort in support of their attack on LVI Corps. Maybe the flying weather was better there. Then, the weather conditions in the area of central Estonia in general and Tartu in particular:


“On that day (14 July) the good summer weather was replaced by rain and thunderstorms, worsening the road conditions and hampering operations...” - Baltic Review No.9 Vol.1/2003 (pg.178)


This seems to confirm the weather conditions.


Last, Krussicha may not be a town village or hamlet, it may just be nick name given to an unfamiliar place...there is no town of Korowje-Selo (literally “cow pasture” in Russian) so maybe Krussicha is “крушение” (plane wreck).