Soviet claims on 22 March 1943 in Kharkov area

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello all,

I found several website bearing the following information (and probably reproducing each another):

"On 22 March 1943, the well-known ace woman Lidya Litvyak was attacked by four Messerschmitt Bf 109s over Khar'kov area. Litvyak managed to shoot down two of the German fighters, while driving off the rest. This aerial engagement coincided exactly with the only two German Bf 109s lost in the same area on this date. The two German fighter pilots shot down were Leutnant Franz Müller (Bf 109G-4, coded "BH + XB") and Unteroffizier Karl-Otto Harloff (Bf 109G-2, coded "yellow 2") of the 9th squadron, fighter wing 3 (9./JG 3). German records have each of these men, who both survived, being reported shot down by Russian fighters."

It is not unusual that when someone tries to identify the victims of an ace, it will only check enemy losses, and not other claims by the ace's side. So I would like to know if other Soviet claims are known in this area this day.

Also, given the known discrepencies between Soviet-era stories and Soviet archives, can someone confirm that Litvyak made two claims this day ?

I post a similar message on the Axis forum to check German losses.

Thanks in advance