[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

Keeping in mind that the Germans and the Russians have different dates for the Kursk battle, Bergström in Kursk, The Air Battle: July 1943 states that from 5 through 31 July the Luftwaffe lost 681 aircraft of which 420 were total losses. He also states that between 12 July and 18 August the VVS lost 1,104 aircraft. Gorbach in Nad Ognennoy Dugoy states that the Russian 15th Air Army on the Bryansk Front lost 353 aircraft in July 1943, including about 16 Il-4 twin-engined bombers, 126 Il-2 ground-attack aircraft, 186 fighters, 20 Po-2 liaison biplanes and five reconnaissance aircraft. The 16th Air Army on the Central Front lost 535 aircraft in July 1943, all but 30 due to combat (aerial combat, Flak, missing and bombing raids). These 535 aircraft consisted of 48 Pe-2 twin-engined bombers, 38 Boston twin-engined bombers, 161 Il-2 ground-attack aircraft, 269 fighters, 13 Po-2 liaison biplanes and six reconnaissance aircraft. The 2nd Air Army on the Voronezh Front lost 437 aircraft in combat during July 1943, including 36 Pe-2 twin-engined bombers, four Boston twin-engined bombers, 166 Il-2 ground-attack aircraft, 228 fighters and three Po-2 liaison biplanes. The 17th Air Army on the South-West Front lost 256 aircraft in July 1943, including 17 Boston twin-engined bombers, 168 Il-2 ground-attack aircraft, 68 fighters and three night bombers. Out of this welter of figures one can see that the Russian losses were rather high and the Il-2 units suffered heavily.

Horrido!

Leo