German overclaims in the East. Hartmann and others...

[HGabor]

Szentgyörgyi Dezső (in Bf 109G, code: W-1+77) and Tóth Lajos (both from 101/2. squadron) claimed 1-1 La-5 at Bicske in the morning. Szabó József (101/4. squadron) claimed a La-5 separately on another mission during the day. So the 3 Hungarian claims were NOT scored together on the same mission, but on two.

Szentgyörgyi Dezső and Tóth Lajos (the two leading Hungarian aces) probably downed the first two 530 IAP La-5s of the day at 9:15 and 9:30 at Bicske-SE. (La-5FN, S/N: 39211920 and 39211023.) Soviet flight had 4 La-5s, their leader was Ivan Petrovich Vashenko of the 3rd squadron. 2 La-5s were lost, the other 2 La-5s, including Vashenko returned. Vashenko was shot down on the very next mission after refuelling at 10:30 near Martonvásár!!!!

Szabó's reported La-5 victim is unknown. As no details on the German times and locations, only Lipfert's claim can be identified. But it looks 100%.


The five 17 VA, 194 IAD, 530 IAP La-5 losses on January 4, 1945:

09:15 - La-5FN, S/N: 39211920, tactical ‘20’, piloted by ml.l-t Fedor Fedorovich Orlovsky (OK). - Bicske area at 3500 m. (4 La-5 against 8 Bf 109.) crashlanded after the battle far away in the South, near Cece. Plane broken, pilot OK. Probably Tóth's or Szentgyörgyi's victim.
09:30 - La-5FN, S/N: 39211023, engine: 8212014, tactical ‘23’, piloted by ml.l-t Aleksandr Petrovich Dyakov (KIA). - Bicske area at 3000 m. (4 La-5 against 8 Bf 109.) Probably Tóth's or Szentgyörgyi's victim.
(These two were probably in the same battle with the same planes)

10:30 - La-5FN, S/N: 39211488, engine: 82111529, tactical ‘88’, piloted by Ivan Petrovich Vashenko (OK). - Martonvásár area. (4 La-5 against 8 Bf 109.)

11:20 - La-5FN, S/N: 39211399, engine: 82111418, tactical ‘99’, piloted by ml.l-t Aleksei Stepanovich Suhorukhov (KIA). - Tarján area. 6 530. IAP La-5 covering 14 639. ShAP IL-2. (Downed by Lipfert for sure at Tardos-Tarján)

14:55 - La-5F, S/N: 39215048, engine: 65033077, tactical ‘48’, piloted by ml.l-t Maxim Yakovlevich Efimov (KIA). - 6 La-5 covering 12 IL-2 near Bicske at 800 m. Shot down at Bicske-NW, 12 km in dogfight.

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When calculating claims, let's not forget that 5 VA, 279 IAD, 92 IAP also lost a La-5FN, S/N: 39213325, engine: 82131274, tactical '25' at Budapest, Ferihegy airport when crash-landed with battle damages after a mission at 15:20. Pilot, ml.l-t Vasilii Fedorovich Panov was OK, plane was later repaired.

Gabor