Attack of Sarabuz airfield on 8 April 1942

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

A Russian source says that 10 Il-2s of 103 ShAP attacked Sarabuz airfield, in Crimea, on 8 May 1942 at dawn, after taking off from Bagerovo in the dark.

It claimed that the Soviet pilots surprised 80 German bombers ready to take off and did great damaged for the loss of one pilot, Leyteinant Georgiy Dmitrievich Ugolnikov, shot down and killed by Flak over the target.

According to a partisan report received the next day, this attack destroyed 38 bombers and 41 German crew!

But I have found no trace of it in German loss lists available to me. I found only that one crew of III./KG 55 was wounded this day and the place is listed as Sarabuz airfield and the cause machine gun fire, but it is probable that this man (Ogfr Adolf Frenk of 9./KG 55) was wounded in action over a target and that the bomber returned to base where the loss was noted.

This day saw the start of the German attack on the Soviet bridgehead of Kertch, that was crushed in some days, and also saw heavy air battles over the front where Soviet suffered heavily. So maybe this dawn attack was the propaganda response to these defeats.

I would like to know if there is one trace of it in surviving German documents or histories. At the time of the attack, these bombers should be ready to take off to support the German offensive and such an attack by Il-2s, even unsuccessful, should have scared some German commanders.

Thanks in advance

Laurent