[HGabor]

In early February, 1945 for a brief period of time Erich Hartmann had served in Stab I./JG 53 in Veszprém, Hungary. On February 4, 1945 he claimed a Yak-9. Unfortunately no details are known about this claim, so it is almost impossible to match it to soviet losses, not to mention, that the RHAF was also very active this day in the same region. What we know is that this day 2 Yak-9s were lost to Bf 109s in the Budapest area and many more Lavochkins in various locations W-, SW- of the city:

337: – POTENTIAL VICTORY? 4.2.1945 - Yak-9 Stab I./JG 53

2 (Novosibirsk-built) Yak losses this day:

5 VA, 6 GvIAD, 31 GvIAP, Yak-9D (S/N: 2015350), Gv.Ml.Lt. Petr Yakovlevich Vidanov was KIA at Budapest. At 12:50 local, 6 Yaks, covering own troops in combat with 8 Bf 109s. Vidanov went missing.

5 VA, 6 GvIAD, 31 GvIAP, Yak-9 (S/N: 1515321), Gv.Lt. Ivan Andreevich Yangaev. At 12:50 local, 6 Yaks, covering own troops over 5 km West of Budapest at 4500 m. Dogfight with 8 Bf 109s. Yak-9 was hit over Csepel, crashlanded at Rákoscsaba. Plane burned, pilot was wounded in legs and head, taken to Hospital of Isaszeg.

Lavochkin losses of the day - in case if he misidentified his opponent. (I, however, doubt this, as he always attacked from a very close range):

5 VA, 14 GvIAD, 179 GvIAP, La-7FN (S/N: 45210566) Gv.Ml.Lt. Ivan Nikitovich Lebedev was dive bombing and strafing German strongholds in Buda. La-7 was hit by flak and crashed in the target area, pilot was KIA. (Not for Hartmann!)

17 VA, 194 IAD has written-off 2 La-5F this day as (probably losses of prev. days): 39215033, 39215251.

17 VA, 194 IAD, 848 IAP, La-5F (S/N: 39215046) 6 La-5 at 16:00 local, at 2000 m at 2 km West of Sárkeresztes. Shot at by flak and Bf 109s. Vladimir Zaharovich Voronov was hit and crashed. Zavlyalov shot down his attacker, so this Bf 109 was also destroyed. Voronov went MIA.

17 VA, 194 IAD, 848 IAP, La-5FN (S/N: 39212754), at 16:00 local, Ml.Lt. Boris Petrovich Lazarev was MIA after dogfight with Bf 109s at 2000 m at 2 km West of Sárkeresztes. 6 La-5 received flak fire as well. It was heard in the radio as Lazarev passed command to Vasilev, because his engine was overheating and then went MIA.

17 VA, 295 IAD, 116 IAP, 1st Sq. La-5FN (S/N: 39212113) Plane was lost in take-off accident at Kiskunlacháza. Pilot, Ml.Lt. Konstantin Ivanovich Kurenkov was KIFA.

5 VA, 14 GvIAD, 178 GvIAP La-5FN (S/N: 39213685) Gv.Lt. Igor Emelyanovich Sereda was hit by flak during a 2-plane recce. sortie in the Székesfehérvár area. Crashlanded at Rákospalota.

5 VA, 279 IAD, 92 IAP La-5FN (S/N: 39212054) at 13:25 local, at 1500 m, 4 La-5, escorting a pair of IL-2s in the Enying-Lake Velencei area. Combat with 14 Fw 190 and Bf 109, which were attacking the ILs from the sun. While defending the IL-2s, Ml.Lt. Mihail Pavlovich Dimakov’s La-5 was hit, crashlanded at his base.

Gabor