Quote:
Originally Posted by Rob Romero
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Rather complicated issue. Khazanov hurried to make this article. If I were him I would have collected more records on the subject than he did. First of all it deals with more or less reliable list of Hartmann's victories as TW list in the majority of cases gives unspecified "Laggs" as victims. The main occusation from the critcs was that Khazanov used incorrect H. claims and compared these claims that H. did not filed at all.
From my experience I should say that the majority of H. claims are questionable, as they could be scarcely found in Soviet loss reports and operational documents. Here are two examples. I have already posted them in Russian on the same Sukhoi forum some time ago. They deal with H. claims on the Aircobras:
1. Septembner 26, 1943. Area of Zaporozhje. stab, III/JG52 and IV/JG51 combating against units of 8 VA. The only division equipped with Aircobras in 8 VA at that time was 9 GIAD (16, 100, 104 GIAPs). Hartman filed two claims in the morning against Aircobras plus two more of that type were claimed by Hrabak and Obleser. 9 GIAD suffered no losses that day. In comparison with this pilots of IV/JG51 shot down real Soviet planes, e.g. obliteration of group of Yak-1s from 85 GIAP, clearly confirmed by records.
2. Second episode: January 8, 1944. Area of Kirovograd. Pilots of I and III/JG52 in the air against units of 5 VA, including 7 IAK (205 IAD and 304 IAD), equipped with Aircobras. Fierce battle begun at around 15.00 (Moscow time) and lasted for approx. two hours. Groups of Yaks from 6 and 427 IAPs and 205 IAD's Aircobras took off first and immediatelly engaged formation of He-111s possibly from KG55, escorted by Bf-109s of I/JG52. On this first stage of battle none of Aircobras from 205 IAD were shot down or damaged in combat. One Aircobra conducted belly landing due to misorientation without battle damage.
On the second stage of the battle Aircobras from 69 GIAP/304 IAD entered the scene. Their task was pimarily to patrol the frontline and engage any enemy plane in the area. Thus, pair of Starshiy Leytenant Belyaev claimed one Bf-109 south-west of Kirovograd. Belyaev was himself attacked by pair of Bf-109s hunters off the clouds. With three bullet holes he conducted landing on the home field safely.
At the same time Hartmann claimed Three! Aircobras between 14.15 and 14.30.
Soviet side filed another Aircobra damaged and made belly landing. That is all.
Thus, in this two episodes from 5 claimed Aircobras, in reality one was shot up and one was possibly damaged by Hartmann.