[Adriano Baumgartner]

Dear Gabor, Nick and Kirill,

Sadly the language indeed was and Always will be a problem for most of us. For instance my first published work (biography of Captain Gordon Fox Rule, DFC, CdG* - Brazilian Greatest Ace of the Great War, 1914-18) was written in Portuguese, although there are several foreigners interested in Reading it in English language too.

I was eager to read the PRIEN Series about JG 27 and also am interested on several Works about KG 55, KG 6, KG 66 and JG 77 (an Oberfeldwebel Wilhelm Baumgartner may be a distant relative of mine), all written in GERMAN (Deutsch) language.

Thankfully am able to read in FRENCH and ENGLISH therefore, most of the books I have acquired were on those two languages.

Like most of us, the appearance of Internet allowed us to have a huge access to relatives, to Editors, to new sites (like this one) and a fantastic exchanging of experiences, knowledge, pictures, documents, etc...WE ALL do gain with that broader Picture.

I do confess that it is indeed very very difficult for South Americans like myself to have access to authoritive Historians and their work about the Russian Front. Am aware that there are several of you in Russia, Hungary, Slovenia, etc...doing a fantastic job; sometimes discovering wrecks and writing about the stories behind those ghosts of the past.

I translated from the Russian language the passage for the 5th December 1943 from one of the sites you shared. One can see that both the German side (LW) and Russian original reports (VVS) do have "a bit of Propaganda style". I do not blame either side....it is transcribed like it was...

Just for instance a friend of mine found some harsh words of the Brazilian Commanding Officer of the 1st Brazilian Fighter Squadron (attached to the 350th FG) about at least one case of indiscipline. Those words or comments were Always ommitted inside the "Official Sources" and the case was totally "covered"...Anyway, just to show that even cross-checking sources, etc...we will NEVER be 100% accurate....we can have our own ideas of one side of History, just one vague idea....

Returning to the LAGG 5FN claim of Lipfert on 4th January 1945...although it was only the 16th combat mission of Suhorukhov, LIPFERT on his memories (War Diary) do write that this Russian pilot was "his match or equal" in hability!

I am now working on a major book-tribute about the Brazilians that flew for the RAF, RCAF, SAAF, etc. in WW2...and am considering writing it in English rather than Portuguese language, so a broader range of persons will be able to read...and honor them....Hope to read some books about the Russian Campaign too, in a near futur, by one of you, Members of this Fórum, to enhance my knowledge.

Again I do thank you both, for the patience and sharing of your knowledge and expertise about those 3 claims I was looking more details of Lipfert's amazing career.

Congratulation to the Russian Historians quoted on this thread whose sites and researches are just amazing. Keep going guys...

Humbly yours,
Adriano Silva Baumgartner, ASV 00.344