[HGabor]

March 14, 1945 was one of the most dramatic, bloodiest days of the last German panzer offensive of WWII in Hungary with full day air activity over the front lines between Lake Balaton and Simontornya. Both sides claimed several dozens of victories. Soviet 17th Air Army, covering the 3rd Ukrainian Front eg. lost ~36 planes, including 8 A-20 Boston bombers. Here I list events of La-5 actions:

17 VA, 295 IAD, 116 IAP lost one of their most famous fighter aces, Capt. Anatoliy Alexandrovich Pantelkin (Hero of Soviet Union, see attached pics. In 1943 group pic. he stands 2nd from left in front of La-5F '37'). Capt. Pantelkin was KIA in his La-5FN (white '69', S/N: 39212869, engine S/N: 8213627) while strafing the Sárkeresztúr area. He led his flight of 4 La-5s, when a "NEW MODEL" Fw 190 shot him down, which quickly returned to his territory with unusually high speed. ("В районе Шаркерестур на высоте 600-800 м 1 ФВ-190 нового типа (удлинненый нос, мотор жидкостного охлаждения) снизу свечей атаковал ведущего четверки и ушел с большой скоростью на свою территорию. Ближайший Ла-5фн сбитый ИА - 17.3. отчет") - This could be a new Bf 109G with methanol injection as well. Any idea about this claim?????

17 VA, 295 IAD, 164 IAP lost 3 La-5FNs in the Székesfehérvár area:

39210906 - мл.л-т Булдыгин Владимир Федорович (crashlanded)
39211637 - л-т Иожицкий Анатолий Викторович (POW)
39210653 - мл.л-т Щукин Иван Федотович (crashlanded)

5 VA, 279 IAD, 92 IAP lost La-5FN (S/N: 39213380) on Ferihegy airfield (Vecsés-N) at landing. Pilot, мл.л-т Андреев Василий Иванович was unhurt.

Lt. Pavel Mikhailovich Dolgarev (17 VA, 295 IAD, 116 IAP) claimed a Bf 109 at Börgönd-N.
Capt. Anatolii Ivanovich Volodin (17 VA, 295 IAD, 164 IAP) claimed a Fw 190 at Zichyújfalu-N.
Capt. Aleksei Dmitrievich Ovchinnikov (17 VA, 194 IAD, 848 IAP) claimed 2 Fw 190s at Simontornya-N.

(The 3rd Ukrainian Front air and ground units tried everything to stop the German tank columns and push them back to Lake Balaton in order to take the last major oil fields of the Reich in SW-Hungary. No price was too high. Fierce tank battles took place eg. in the Seregélyes-Székesfehérvár area. The 18 Tank Corp., 170th Tank Brigade, 2nd bttl. lost 4 burned (1944, December-built) T-34/85s in a quick ambush of the 2./Pz.Rgt 6 Panther Ausf. G tanks at Seregélyes:

T-34/85, turret No. red '536', chassis No.: 4121531, engine No.: 105712, - л-т Талызин Александр Васильевич platoon-commander (KIA)
T-34/85, turret No. red '544', chassis No.: 4121616, engine No.: 105589
T-34/85, turret No. red '545', chassis No.: 4121591, engine No.: 105126
T-34/85, turret No. red '575', chassis No.: 0412228, engine No.: 4090656

18 Tank Corp., 1438 SAP lost 5 burned SU-76M self-propelled guns at Seregélyes:

SU-76M, turret No.: white '1838', chassis No.: 410150, engine Nos. (L-R): 48626, 48638
SU-76M, turret No.: white '1610', chassis No.: 411012, engine Nos. (L-R): 49115, 48299
SU-76M, turret No.: white '410126', chassis No.: 411693, engine Nos. (L-R): 49585, 50112
SU-76M, turret No.: white '410288', chassis No.: 411697, engine Nos. (L-R): 48724, 48564
SU-76M, turret No.: white '410224', chassis No.: 411700, engine Nos. (L-R): 49800, 50244

209 САБр., 1953 SAP lost 3 burned (1944, November-built) SU-100 self-propelled guns at Cece:

SU-100, turret No. red '462', chassis No.: 411161
SU-100, turret No. red '463', chassis No.: 411162
SU-100, turret No. red '465', chassis No.: 41193

Etc, etc, etc. But this leads too far...)
Gabor