Air War around Demyansk 1942

[Nokose]

I have decided to start a new topic to fill in a vacate area. Demyansk has been one of those interest’s like Rzhev - Zubtsov. I probably won’t fill a lot of the space for III/JG 3 from January-April 1942, unless material shows up. I./JG 51 and JG 54 will probably be the main Bf 109 units. If you have Jochen Prien’s JFV 9/ II and III that will be my main “Bible” for this thread and what I find in Soviet document sources.

3 June 1942
19:55 (MT) 9 Pe-2 from 72 BAP under escort of 3 Yak-1 from 402 IAP, along with 2 LaGG-3 (1 from 238 IAP and 1 from 295 IAP) bombed German forces in the forest 0.5 -1.5 km to the Southwest of Redtsy. They became involved in an air battle with Bf 109 fighters.
Soviet losses:
Pe-2 72 BAP Leytenant Krivoruchenko and crew parachuted out over Soviet territory.
LaGG-3 238 IAP Leytenant Vasiliy Peshkov (KIA)
LaGG-3 295 IAP Leytenant Pavel Gorel’tsev (Missing? His final status isn’t clear. Listed as having a score of 3 personal and 2 group victories)
(Operational Report of the Staff VVS North Western Front: Report 4.06.1942 [covering the 3 June 1942] TsAMO f. 221. O. 1351, d. 356, l. 251)

JFV 9/II for I./JG 51 has the answer for this fight:
Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Höfemeier 1./JG 51 Pe-2 (.) 18:59 no location
Hauptmann Heinrich Kraft Stab I/JG 51 1 (.) 19:20 no location
Feldwebel Josef Jennewein 2./JG 51 MiG-3 (.) 19:22 no location

(I have seen those claims like Hptm. Kraft’s with “1” and wondered if there was anything to it. Well here to my surprise is a solid 1 but I cannot say which LaGG-3 belonged to him).
I will be adding more as I look over them.

[David Sumerauer]

Dear all,
What was the reason to combine fighter escort from three different units? Were the fighter units in fact annihilated at that time or only seasoned pilots were allowed to cover bombers?

Best. David

[Nokose]

I have ran across this on many Soviet fighter escorts during 1941 - early 1943. Some units were nearly on the point of being wiped out of aircraft, so adding fighters from another regiment was common to make up enough aircraft. On a regiment being withdrawal to be reformed, they gave up what few aircraft that remained.

[Nokose]

07 June 1942
09:05 - 09:15 (MT) 4 Il-2 232 ShAP (part of 6 UAG) led by Starshiy Leytenant Georgiy Chernov attacked the airfield at Khani with 4 Ju 52 and the airfield at Glebovshchina with 7 Ju 52 on the ground. On starting the 2nd approach in the area of Belyaevshchina at an altitude of 30 - 50 m was spotted up to 30 Ju 52 with an escort of 2 Bf 109. In the direction of Glebovshchina went 3-8 Ju 52, which they attacked. The Il-2s claimed destroyed on the two German airfields 7 Ju-52. In the air battle at Belyaevshchina, they claimed a Me-109 and 4 Ju-52. They suffered two losses the Il-2 232 ShAP of Mladshiy Leytenant Nikolay Dzhambazishilli and the Il-2 232 ShAP of Serzhant Vasiliy Piskunov, both listed as missing but survived being shot down and later returned to the regiment. (Operational Report of the Staff VVS North Western Front 08.06.1942 TsAMO f. 221, o. 1351, d. 356. L. 267)

From the German side the answer to the 2 Bf 109 is found in II./JG 54:
Oberfeldwebel Maximilian Stotz 4./JG 54 Il-2 (53) 08:10 no location
Hauptmann Jochim Wandel 5./JG 54 Il-2 (31) 08:12 no location
As far as the Soviet claim for a Me-109, there were no losses reported by II./JG 54 (or I/JG 51 in this area). I don’t have any information on German Ju 52 losses to say yea or nea for this day and the Soviet report did not say which pilots claimed.

I am always surprised by Stotz’s early claims being plausible, considering his later claiming with a certain former JG 2 pilot turned II/JG 54 commander.

[Nokose]

As I put these posts up there will be mention of Soviet claims for German aircraft outside the ream of Bf 109 fighters. I would appreciate any help identifying the units and actual losses that they suffered on the ground and in the air. Hopefully, I will have another post later today.

[Monaco]

I send you a PM...

[Nokose]

11 June 1942
From 08:40 - 09:05 (MT) 6 Hurricanes from 485 IAP patrolled in the area of Bolshiye Dubovitsy at an altitude of 1000 - 1200 m and engaged in aerial combat with 10 Ju 87 and 11 Bf 109 escorts. The battle lasted for 25 minutes. The Soviet pilots claimed to have shot down 4 Me-109 and damaged 2 Me-109 in the areas of Bolshiye Gorby, Byskovo, Nikolskoye and Bolshiye Zakhod. The Hurricane of Mladshiy Leytenant Yakov Bakharev, an ace with 7 personal victories and 5 group was listed as missing in action. The Hurricane of Leytenant Laktimov was damaged and tried to return to his airfield but had to make an emergency landing in the area of Mokry Ostrov. The fighter was wrecked and the pilot was slightly injured. (Operational Report of the Staff VVS North Western Front 12.06.1942 TsAMO f. 221, o. 1351, d. 356, l. 287)

The German side of this dogfight appears to involve I./JG 51. Hauptmann Heinrich Krafft of Stab I/JG 51 made a claim “1” (.) at 07:56 and recorded another “1” at 07:58, both with no location. Feldwebel Josef Jennewein of 2./JG 51 was a little more precise by claiming a Yak-1 (.) at 07:57 with no location. As far as the Soviet claims for 4 Me-109 shot down and 2 Me-109 damaged, there is nothing to even confirm these claims in the records of I/JG 51 (nor the records of JG 54).

[kirche]

Hello Michael,
Guard Starshiy Leytenant Pavel Petrovich Goreltsev completed his military service in April 1947. He was awarded the Order of the Red Star, the Order of the Red Banner, Order of the Patriotic War, 2nd degree, as well as the Medal for Budapest.
Kirill