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Re: Poltava defence in June, 1944
Red Phoenix by Von Hardesty pages 201-203 has this raid showing 44 USAAF B-17's and P-51 destroyed also states 15 VVS aircraft destroyed. On the day that they landed Bejamin Kelsey wanted to take his P-51 back up to shoot down the LW recon plane but was refused permission by VVS base CO. Base was bombed after midnight for 1 1/2 hours by 80 Ju88 and He111. US officers complained of poor AA defence and were later ordered by US general Carl Spaatz not to critize the VVS defence of Poltava. VVS General A.R. Perminov told them that VVS fighters had been sent out before the raid to disrupt the LW airfields to prevent the attack.
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