[HGabor]

Franek, very interesting thoughts... I have not even thought of that.

Some info for March 7, 1945. Hartmann claimed 2 Yak-9s this day as his 242nd and 243rd claims. I do not have further details. I have two Yak-9D losses for this day in Southern-Poland. I am wondering if these losses were in Hartmann's op. area, or they were too far from it and therefore they were lost to somebody else?

4 Ukr. Front, 8 VA, 100 OKRAP, Yak-9D, S/N: 1515363, engine: М-105 пф №4-3191 from Novosibirsk, factory No.153, lost at Ochaby (Drogomyśl-S, 3 km), in Southern-Poland, near the Czech border. Took off at 15:00, local. Pilot, Gv.Ml.Lt. Vasilii Ivanovich Bizyaev (1922-1945) was MIA. His assigned PL-3M parachute number was: ПЛ-3М-109230. Single IL-2(KR?) of 100 OKRAP, escorted by 2 Yak-9D of the same unit was flying recce. mission in the Прухна-Драгомысль area. Leader: Lt. Vladimir Fedorovich Stakanov, wingman: Vasilii Ivanovich Bizyaev. Flight was attacked by pair of Fw 190s, Bizyaev was shot down. (It could be pair of Bf 109s as well around the Czech border.) No further info.

4 Ukr. Front, 8 VA, 100 OKRAP, Yak-9D, S/N: 3015340, engine: М-105 ПФ №435-440 from Novosibirsk, factory No.153, lost at Drogomyśl-S, 2 km in Southern-Poland, near the Czech border. Took off at 14:20, local. Pilot, St.Lt. Valerii Vasilevich Kremeshkov (1921-1945) was MIA. He was the leader of the other Yak-9D pair, escorting another single IL-2(KR?) photo-recce. plane of the 100 OKRAP. The number of his assigned PL-3M type parachute was: ПЛ-3М № 16721. He was also downed by a pair of 'Fw 190s' (which could be Bf 109s as well). No further info.

ЦАМО, фонд 100 ОКРАП, оп. 466940, дело 1, л. 26.
ЦАМО, фонд 100 ОКРАП, оп. 354724, дело 4, л. 39-41.
ЦАМО, фонд 100 ОКРАП, оп. 354722, дело 5, л.79.

(I must emphasize, that I am not familiar with Hartmann's op. areas out of Hungary! These are just guesses, being close to the Czech border.)

Gabor