Details on two Abschüsse Einsatzkommando Helsinki 16-17.2.44?

[Theo Boiten]

Dear all,

According to Reschke's Jagdgeschwader 301/302, page 42, the Einsatzkommando Helsinki of I./JG302 claimed two victories during the night of 16/17 February 1944 guided by the German Flak-/Jägerleitschiff Togo laying in the Gulf of Finland. Of the 11 pilots from the Einsatzkommando Helsinki, 6 were later awarded the Finnish Flugzeugführerabzeichen (probably after being credited with a victory?): Hptm. Richard Lewens (18.2.44), Ofw. Egbert Jaaks, Ofw. Xaver Neumeier, Ofw. Dieter Rusche (Dietrich Reiche), Uffz. Werner Dienst on 26.2.44 and Hptm. Karl-Heinz Dietsche on 12.5.44. Is it likely that Lewens and Dietsche scored the two victories on 16/17.2.44? Is anything more known about these two Abschüsse? (I failed to find them in the OKL/RLM Absschussfilme).

Cheers, Theo

[Kari Lumppio]

Hello!

It's been years, but IIRC Togo was not ready to lead nightfighters during the three Helsinki raids.

Germans had also ground based radars for 4./NJG 100. These were based on Estonian Northern coast (Kuusalu, at least) and able to guide over Gulf of Finland.

There's this book:
Nachtjagd-Leitschiff "Togo"
https://books.google.fi/books/about/...AJ&redir_esc=y

Which IIRC again has logbook entries.

I hope Andrus is able to provide you better info. I simply do not have time to dig this more.


All the best,
Kari

[Theo Boiten]

Hello Kari,

It has been a long time indeed since we've last been in touch -good to be hearing from you. Thanks for your useful comments. I'll dig up and check the book on Togo.

BTW; could you mail me the contact details of Andrus?

Cheers and thanks, Theo

[Kari Lumppio]

Hallo!

I am pretty sure Andrus answers here if he has info.

Cheers,
Kari

[andrus]

Hello,


only thing I was able to find in files Kari sent me was following:
On 17.02. Lfl 1 reported for last night:
Nachteinsatz der Jäger: 18 Nachtjäger (4 nördl. 14 b. Helsinki)
Abschüsse u. Verluste: -

I did look reports dated until end of February, but found no Nachmeldungen.


Related to Nachtjagd between Finland and Luftflotte 1 there are some directives in following file: http://wwii.germandocsinrussia.org/d...zwischengrenze

[andrus]

From finnish papers:

12 Me 109 started at 20:15
3 Me 109 reported as started at 00:02
(as there were no finnish flights reported during this time, probably all were german ones)

Night fighters were in action at the start of attack, but because of problems with searchlights were not able to attack enemy.

One or more Ju 88 starts from Tallinn. One report says that Ju 88 from Tallinn probably? shot down 2 enemy planes.

http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=4435781
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=4435782
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=4435783
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=4892724

[igorrB]

According to ship's KTB, TOGO leave Kiel only at 5.3.44, so she can't guide any fighthers.

[Theo Boiten]

Excellent info Andrus and IgorrB, many thanks for sharing. It appears then that the details presented in Reschke's work for this night are partly wrong.

How many Soviet aircraft were employed during the 16-17 February 1944 Helsinki raid, are how many losses did the bomber force suffer during this raid?

Cheers, Theo

[Laurent Rizzotti]

According to Wikipedia (sic), 383 bombers were used for the second raid (on 16/17).

The following link https://www.sshs.fi/binary/file/-/id/3/fid/705/ points to a Finnish document written by C J Geust. Page 20 it gives the ADD losses for the raids in the period (to Helsinki and other Finnish targets).

For 16-17 it has the following:
Lost: 1 Li-2
Did not return: 1 B-25, 2 Li-2, (5 prisoners of war in Estonia)
Other losses: 3 Li-2, 1 B-25

The online PDF https://www.arkisto.fi/uploads/Julka...NOIDUT_WEB.pdf is a long documents about Soviet airmen captured by the Finnish during the war. There is a list of the POW, February 1944 being page 260. No airman shot down during all three Helsinki raids was captured in Finland.

Another way to search for losses is the OBD Memorial database. The link above gives 42 men shown as being killed during the night of 16 to 17 February 1944. It is possible that not all were killed during the Helsinki raid, but I tested some and they belong to units that took part in Helsinki raids.
https://obd-memorial.ru/html/search....1944%22&ps=100

PS: during a quick search for this case, I found the following link in Russian about a B-25 of 14 AA DD shot down by a Bf 110 on 6 September 1943. 4 crew MIA, one returned to Soviet lines. Possibly the one claimed by Alois Lechner ? http://allaces.ru/p/people.php?id=21321

[Joerg Dietsche]

Dear Theo,
Hptm Karlheinz Dietsche became detachment commander at Malmi Helsinki April -15 May 1944 and was awarded with the Finnish Flugzeugführerabzeichen. He never mentioned any air combat to me in this period. Due to the fact he got shot down by a P-47 at Stendal on 29 March 1944 I doubt he was on flying status while in Finnland.

Regards
Jörg Dietsche