Kotly AB attacked

[FPSOlkor]

On 20/03/43 AB Kotly was raided by a group of Il-2 planes. Sveral Ju-88's were claimed as damaged and destroyed. Which LW group got hit and what were the results of this raid according to LW archives?

[Kari Lumppio]

Privet!

Most probably it has been Aufklärungsstaffel Ostsee at Kotly. A friend at militaar.net -forum has posted a quote from Kriegstagebuch der Seekriegsleitung:

"21.03.1943 Von Aufklärungsstaffel Ostsee werden jetzt bereits laufend Bombenangriffe auf Lavansaari und Seiskari durchgeführt."

Apparently the same source has earlier mentioned that the bases for the unit (then under name Sonderkommando Diehl ) were to be Kotly and Reval (Ülemiste). Maps from Heeresgruppe Nord yearbook 1943 do show AGr Ostsee at Reval (Tallinn) both for Feb 26th and March 26th, 1943. Ohter Luftflotte 1 bomber/long range recce units (twingengine planes) are at Pskov-Dno-Gosstkino area, too far from Kotly in my opinon.

AGr Ostsee does not report losses for March 1943 Durch Feindeinwirkung ( http://www.ww2.dk/oob/bestand/aufkl/bostsee.html ).
Little unit info at:
http://www.ww2.dk/air/recon/ostsee.html

Little is known about the unit and data has to be collected from circumstantial references ( KTB der Skl, Finnish Air Observation logs etc.). A work which has not been started yet. At least not by me. Interesting little unit nevertheless.


Udachi,
Kari

[FPSOlkor]

I have a poststrike image of this airfield dated exactly by 20\03\43, where at least one damaged Ju-88 is seen... But i can't find any mentioning about German bombers being damaged at this AB so far.

[Kari Lumppio]

Hello!

3.(F)/Aufklärungsgruppe lost four Ju 88D-1 Durch Feindeinwirkung March 1943 (see: http://www.ww2.dk/oob/bestand/aufkl/b3ag22.html ).

How much details does the photo show? Is the Ju 88 in white winter camouflage? 3./AGr 22 did usually have rather thin yellow Eastern Front band on fuselage far back, just forward of the empennage. The two details might help with identification. 3./AGr 22 normal base was at Dno so if they were at Kotly it was something special.

I do not know any certain photo of AGr Ostsee planes for comparison, unfortunately. The unit had Ju 88 repair shop at their home base Tallinn so even damaged plane may have remained in their books ( = not "Abgang" by definition) even if was in real life under repairs.

Does the photo show any signs of the plane individual letter on fuselage side?

Regards,
Kari

[FPSOlkor]

Let's move to E-mail...

[andrus]

Zablotskij and Larintsev in article "Sky over Finnish bay. Year 1943" in Aviatsija i Vremja 2/2008 claim that according to german documents planes were from I./K.G.1 "Hindenburg".
They arrived from Ukraine on 19.March. Remains of group were moved to Dno on 23.March and on 7.April they were sent to East Prussia.

[jvmasset]

Originally Posted by FPSOlkor

Let's move to E-mail...

Why? Don't you think your photo could be of interest to others?

[Csaba B. Stenge]

IIRC I have some detailed stuff about these raids from German side, I'll check them ASAP.