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Re: identification of the Normandy-Niemen victories : overclaiming my friend!
Concerning the 24th victory
24. 07/16/1943: Krasnikovo: Ju-87 - Pouyade. IF V.
That day, the Ju-87 D3 - n°538 - 10% of III./St.G.1 made a forced landing following on-board gunfire in Zlynij (Zlyn', 15 W Znamenskoe, 53.2776352, 35.8908419), (sources B.ARch. R-2-III-1191, p.43, n°49). Zkin' is located 19 km SE of Krasnikovo
In reality today, the 1st VA claims 7 Ju-87s, including 6 for the 7th Gv IAD (2nd IAK). As this division seems to do a lot of over-cleaming (30 of the 43 victories claimed by the 1st VA, if we add the victories of "Normandie" that makes 39 victories out of the 43 of the day. The other units of the 1st VA wisely claimed only 4 victories) and that I did not find any of these victories in the list of Soviet ace victories, we can argue that these victories were "consolatory" and attributed to pilots who disappeared that day. The 2nd IAK lost 19 planes and the “Normandie” 3.
In conclusion, in view of this and perhaps out of chauvinism, I attributed the victory to the French Ju-87.
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