Isetcha or Izotscha airfield in Russia 1943

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

In January 1943, a part of JG 54 was based in an airfield called depending of sources "Izotscha" or "Isetscha", about 20 miles southwest of Velikiye Luki, to support the German troops fighting around this city.

I have been unable to find this place on GMap or Maplandia. As usual I tried to replace German "phonetic" writing by Russian one (replacing sch by sh or ch, w by v, etc...) but found nothing.

An Internet search of "Izotscha" brought me several accounts of the ground battle in the area in German or English (but using German forms of place names), but rather strangely I could find neither of the places listed.

So if anyone can help me, thanks in advance

Laurent

[Ota Jirovec]

Hello Laurent,

Just try the English transcription: Izocha and it can be found pretty easily:

http://www.getamap.net/maps/russia/p...blast/_izocha/

Hope this helps,

Ota

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks Ota,

You site seems more efficient than the two I cited above. I had tried Izocha but could not find it either.

Best regards

Laurent

[Larry deZeng]

Here is a little bit more on it giving the correct German and English rendering of the name:

Isotscha (e. Izocha) (56 09 N – 30 04 E)
General: landing ground (Feldflugplatz) in NW Russia 15 km NE Nevel and 2-3 km NE of the village of Trushkovo and along a railway line at the north end of Ozero (lake) Bol’shoy Ivan.
Air Units: elements of Stab, I. and IV./JG 51 (Jan – Feb 43);
Station Units:

It was a hastily improvised and little-used field airstrip, in fact it doesn't seem to have been used at all other than during that January - February 1943 period.

L.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks Larry, very interesting

Did this data come from a published source or from your own homework ? If the first is true, I will be interested to know wich source you use.

By the way elements of JG 54 were also based there in Jan 1943

Best regards

Laurent

[Larry deZeng]

Hi Laurent - it came from microfilmed wartime German documents and maps found in the Anlagen zum KTB for Pz.AOK 3, AOK 4 and AOK 9. In addition to going through all the microfilmed surviving Luftwaffe documentation, I also worked my way through some 1,200 rolls of Heeres Dokumentation.

Yes, I will add JG 54 per your Post #1 above. Thanks!

L.