Two unknown claims (10./ZG1?) 17.Jun.43

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

According to war diary of German Admiral Black Sea, during the Soviet air raid on 17.Jun.43 at 09:50 against a convoy near Cape Opuk (45 km sw Kerch, Crimea) 3 attacking planes were downed by AA fire and then 2 planes by fighters (2 weitere Abschüsse bei dem abfliegenden Feindverband durch später eintreffende Jäger). Can't find any claim by 1-mot.fighters. Maybe they were Bf110 (10./ZG1) or somebody else?

Best regards,
Andrey

[Johannes]

Hi Andrey

The daily mikrofilm entries were in use at this time. For 17th June 1943 in the East there were fifteen listed, but thirteen of these between 0512 hrs and 0530 hrs, then two later with JG54. However if there was a slight mistake in the timing i.e twenty-four hour clock then we have Josef Kociok of 10./ZG1 claiming two Bostons at 2100 and 2120 hrs on 16th June 1943 grid references 66364 and 66881. Other than that JG52 would be in the Krim region, only the Slovakian 13./JG52 claiming, and the times nowhere near match.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

Hello Johannes,

Kociok indeed had attacked the "Bostons" at night 16/17.Jun.43 near Kerch. Two B-3 were lost - according to other crews reports, one was downed by fighter and one - by AA fire.

As for 09:50+ claims: Luftwaffe sometimes had used the recce planes to protect the convoys in the areas where appearance of Soviet fighters was unlikely. Don't know if it possible that claims were their.

Kind Regards,
Andrey

[Johannes]

Hi Andrey

ALL claims in the East should be on the daily mikrofilm sheet for 17.06.1943, the AG and NAG Geschwader are included, but none for this day. These units claims are most often O.Z i.e without witness, and are marked as so, guess they usually flew alone with cameras.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

Thank you, Johannes!

How complete do you think this data is?

Can you check 5.Nov.42? I-16 (40.IAP) was downed by a recce plane near Achikulak (North Kaukasus)

Kind Regards,
Andrey

[Johannes]

Hi Audrey

I would say that the data from the mikrofilms is almost 100% at this point, the only variable is the SG units who's claims on the mikrofilms are usually a bit patchy(judged by the abschusseliste of Hermann Buchner and Helmut Mischke). Sometimes also JG5, but they were nowhere near the Krim area.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

Hi Johannes,

Thank you for explanation!
Can you check the case 5.Nov.42, mentioned in my previous post?

Kind Regards
Andrey

[Johannes]

Hi Andrey

The mikrofilms show forty-seven claims this day. Of these six were I-16/Rata's, all of these must have been in the South as were claimed by II./ZG1 and III./JG52:-

Oblt Karl-Heinrich Matern 0815 hrs 200 metres II./ZG1
Ofw Heinrich Borgen 0820 hrs 200 metres II./ZG1
Lt Egon Albrecht 0825 hrs 50 metres II./ZG1
Uffz Werner Hohenberg 0755 hrs 800 metres 8./JG52(grid ref.44814)
Fw Werner Mielenz 0915 hrs 900 metres 9./JG52(grid ref.44843)
Lt Karl Maliva 0852 hrs 600 metres 8./JG52(grid ref.44751)

The grid references relate to an area of around Ordshonikidse, Kaukasus, in each case a little North, but for Maliva just a few km's North-East.

THere are no AG unit claims this day, just JG and ZG units, and if one of these six I-16/Rata claims was made by a lone pilot, it should hve be marked A.S.M, and none were.

Keep well

Johannes

[Andrey Kuznetsov]

Thank you, Johannes!

Achikulak is 170 km N of Ordshonikidse, somethere on the border between L.Qu.454 and 456, so all these claims are irrelevant.

Kind regards,
Andrey