Hello!
I received answer to my query about the Do 217. There namely is a loss data for a Do 217 K7+JM (Thanks to Matti Salonen):
"
1944-03-08, 4. Nachtaufkl.St. (FAG 2), Do 217M-1, 326403, K7+JM, (Raum Sarny-Gomel), Unbekannt. Bruch 100 %. Start um 18.50 Uhr.
Flugzeugführer Olt Wollny, Erwin, vermißt
Beobachter Lt Hillebrand, Anton, vermißt
Bordfunker Fw Leonhard, Adolf, vermißt
Bordwart Fw Oesterreich, Rudolf, vermißt "
This location is hundreds of kilometers away from Saaremaa (Ösel) island. Also the time does not rhyme well with the battles over the island. Perhaps location and/or time is wrong or mixed up with some other Nachtaufklärung unit loss? I don't have the answer.
The flights with recorded Do 217 codes in Finnish Air Observation material do not include any K7+JM so no help from that direction.
I think 4.(F)/Nacht summary losses would add clarity to this puzzle but I do not have access to them (do they exist?).
Of the Soviet side issues:
Quote:
276.BAD, not 278.BAD. I know about Vintri due to ill-fated landing of 300.Regiment (Soviet Estonian) in that place on 12.Oct.44.
About Pe-2 wreck at Vintri: maybe it is No.17/286 (Korostylev - Shikhaleyev - Saunin) from 58.BAP 276.BAD, FTR from recce mission to Sworbe on 9.Oct.44.
It was a sole Pe-2 lost in Moonsund operation in Oct.-Nov.44.
|
Thanks a million for this piece of information! Thanks for the error correction, too. I can only blame slip of finger and/or my deteriorating near vision. I should know the 13 VA regiments in my dreams by now.
Quote:
|
As far as I know, Kozhedub never fought in Estonia. In Sept.44 he was on Ukraine.
|
Are there different versions of the memories? Please see a thread I started few years ago:
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=5338
BTW The special unit I was asking perhaps was 2./JG 54 (including Otto Kittel?) which was based at Oberpahlen (Põltsamaa, Estonia) on 2 September 1944 (Thank you Andrew Arthy!).
I also asked about the Estonian base for 176 GIAP in a Russian forum:
http://vif2ne.ru/nvi/forum/0/archive/68/68872.htm
And while I am still in speed. Did 176 GIAP fly La-5 or La-7 in this period? I refer to my question in the same Russian forum years ago (attachments sadly gone by now):
http://vif2ne.ru/nvi/forum/0/archive/100/100845.htm
All the best,
Kari