Paul Schalk was very much convinced he had a Russian aircraft in his sights...at least the first one. In the Hearing
after the shoot-downs he states his reasons why he acted like he did.
He there mentions a conference with his superiors on the 13th of May, before the shootings. There they were all convinced, through the flight patterns of the enemy machines so close to the Latvian border, that they must be Soviet planes. Only a Oberst Dangers (Jagdabschnittsführer Ostland) mentioned, casually obviously, that they could be Swedish (App 2).
But Schalk says he didn't think this remark was of importance. Furthermore he says he never got any thorough instruction regarding the 3-milezone, and his knowledge of Swedish markings was - as we've seen above - poor...
So, when he attacked from the back and underneath, he saw some insignia - and I'm quite certain he saw them clearly, those huge yellow and blue markings underneath the wings. But his belief that they were Soviet planes just made him push the gun-button...and there perhaps we've sort of an explanation - because of poor, even misleading information...in his mind...
he was attacking Russian planes before he even saw them...
More questions arise by the second shooting though, the next day. At that time he knew it was a Swedish plane he had taken down the day before - and now, same plane, same markings, but still he shot the second one down too...
His explanation in the Hearing is the following:
"
By the new encounter on the 15.5., with the same kind of aircraft, I didn't have the slightest hesitation in attacking it, because immediately (it showed a) defensive reaction and moved away towards the west, instead of showing its peaceful intention and moving towards the coast." (App 1).
Quote:
Originally Posted by Juha
I have one question, what was the "in sort of a secret mission in Finland"? I know and the Soviets knew in 1944 that before its transfer to Baltic II./JG 5 had operated from Lappland. I'm pretty sure thatn also Swedes were aware of that.
Juha
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You misunderstood me there, Juha. In my attempt trying to explain why Paul Schalk and his Jagdkommando were left out of the German censored report, I wrote that perhaps "II.JG5, Jagdkommando Libau came
from Finland in sort of a secret mission"...not
in Finland...
Greetings Hans K