Russian Air Detachment - Bari - 1944

[Leendert]

The VVS had a small detachment at Bari, Italy during 1944 with a dozen C-47 transports and 12 x Yak-9DD fighters to help Tito's partisans in Yugoslavia. This under nominal control of the RAF 334 Wing.

I wonder if the detachment suffered any air loss in that period?

Furthermore, the group seems to have been called AGON - Special Duties Air Group (?), but am looking for the Russian term for it.

Thanks for any info.

Regards,

Leendert

[HGabor]

No idea about that time period, but later Lt. Boris Vasilevich Arsenev (1921-1945), one of the 12 Yak-9DD pilots in Bari, Italy was killed over Baracska-Ráckeresztúr, Hungary on January 8, 1945 in a dogfight with Bf 109s in his new, Yak-9T/M (serial: 2515344, engine: 415-2536), belonging to 17 VA, 288 IAD, 611 IAP, 1st Squadron.

Gabor

[HGabor]

Some info on the 12 Yak-9DD pilots in Italy in the summer of 1944:

- Maj. Ivan Ivanovich Ovcharenko - Sq. commander - crashlanded Yak-3, S/N: 4516 on January 15, 1945 in Hungary (17 VA, Stab. 288 IAD)
- Capt. Victor Aleksandrovich Shukin - Deputy Sq. commander - flew Yak-3, S/N: 1515 & 310055 over Hungary & Yak-3 S/N: 1711 between April 4-30, 1945 over Austria (17 VA, 659 IAP)
- Lt. Boris Vasilevich Arsenev - KIA over Hungary on January 8, 1945 in his Yak-9T/M, S/N: 2515344 (17 VA, 611 IAP)
- Lt. Aleksandr Mikhailovich Bebin - Bf 109 victory over Hungary on March 21, 1945 in his Yak-3 (17 VA, 866 IAP)
- Lt. Aleksandr Efimovich Bogdanov
- ml.Lt. Dmitrii Dmitrievich Kostin - shot down over Hungary on January 14, 1945 in his (original???) Yak-9DD, S/N: 0115334 (17 VA, 611 IAP)
- Lt. Ivan Sergeevich Malakhov
- Lt. Valentin Borisovich Merkulov - Flight leader - shot down over Hungary in his Yak-9, S/N: 9102 on ~December 25, 1944 (17 VA, 659 IAP)
- Lt. Petr Konstantinovich Rogachov
- st.Lt. Ivan Ivanovich Soshnikov* - Sq. navigator - shot down over Hungary on November 21, 1944 in his (original???) Yak-9DD, S/N: 0115315 (17 VA, 659 IAP)
- st.Lt. Ivan Fedorovich Sichev - Flight leader
- ml.Lt. Mikhail Mikhailovich Rudenko - belly landed in Hungary on March 17, 1945 in his Yak-3, S/N: 310044 (17 VA, 659 IAP)

*Soshnikov returned safely on December 25, 1944 without his plane!

Cheers,
Gabor

[researcher111]

Gabor

A side comment ,in 1944 and to my knowledge no VVS YAK-9's or other Russian fighters were stationed at Foggia Main or Bari in conjunction to Tito close air support and escorts , in 1944 however most of the air drops for Tito partisans were performed by A-20's from Balti, Moldova escorted by YAK-9's which landed in Bari and returned back to origin after a few days at San Severo and Foggia Main. As into the VVS LI-2's or DC-3's stationed overthere I have also no information, nor of any losses in 1944 if at all.

BR
Alex K

[Leendert]

Gents,

Thanks for the info. The losses appear to be from the period after the Russians had moved from Italy to a base in Yugoslavia after the liberation of latter country.

As a last question: when establishing the detachment at Bari, I understand the transports flew from Russia via the Mideast (Iraq - Egypt...) and the fighters straight from Beltsy (now Balti, Moldova) to Bari?

Regards,

Leendert

[HGabor]

Looks like all Yak-9DD fighter pilots, participating the Yugoslavian/Italian missions in 1944 later ended up in one of the regiments (611, 659, 866, 897 IAP) of the 17 VA, 288 IAD.

Kostin, for instance, lost his planes several times:

On November 21, 1944 -along with Soshnikov (Yak-9DD, S/N: 0115315, engine: 425-529)- he lost orientation, ran out of fuel and crashlanded at Pécs (Hungary)-NW, approx. 40 km in his Yak-9DD, S/N: 0115311, engine: 425-339. (Both: 17 VA, 288 IAD, 659 IAP)

On January 3, 1945 during the relocation from Madocsa, Hungary to Székesfehérvár, Hungary, he belly landed near Székesfehérvár. Plane broke, pilot unhurt.

A few days later, on January 14, 1945 Kostin was shot down in a frontal attack dogfight with Bf 109s in Yak-9DD, S/N: 0115334, engine: 415-2538. Plane broken, pilot unhurt again. Returned on foot on January 23, 1945.

On May 5, 1945 he broke another 659 IAP fighter: Yak-9M, S/N: 3115321, engine: 425-1268. Kostin was unhurt again.

He was an exceptionally lucky guy ;-)))))

Cheers,
Gabor

Notes:
- S/N: xx153xx - Novosibirsk, factory No.153 built Yak-9s
- Soviet "IAP" = U.S. "FG"
- Sorry, on November 21, 1944 Soshnikov was not shot down, he just lost orientation during a mission, ran out of fuel and crashlanded. Returned on December 25, 1944.

[researcher111]

Leendert

The single thing I am aware of are the A-20's escorted by YAK-9D's from Balti flying over Romania in Sept and October 1944 flying air drop missions for Tito's partizans then remaining for a few days in Italy before returning back to Balti. Rest of other details are unknown to me . Over Yugoslavia they encoutered heavy flak though accomplished the mission unscaved ,

[researcher111]

Gabor

An interesting fact ,on August 25, 1944 Maj.Nyuhtikov a 861 BAP A-20 plt. was assigned a unique mission in the history of his war time . On the eve of Aug 24,44 he got assignment as flight leader of several A-20 Bostons escorted by 20 Yak-9DD to fly from Balti Moldova over part of the occupied Romanian territory , Bulgaria and over Yugoslavia on purpose to drop supplies to Tito then land at Foggia main . During this mission at some point in time one Yak-9DD was hit by AA either over Bulgaria or Serbia and may have gone down or may have performed an emergency landing somewhere . Do you have any records on such event ? Also was this 659 or 866 IAP which escorted 861 BAP ?

Alex K

[HGabor]

Sorry, no, that area -and especially time frame- is too far from my research. I know only about the 3 lost 866 IAP Yaks at Nis on November 7, 1944 in 'friendly' dogfight with 82 FG P-38s.
Gabor

[researcher111]

Thanks Gabor I am aware abou the incident whereby 82nd FG straffed Lt.Gen.Kotov's Army leading to his death and the retaliatory measures by VVS something I researched in the past and still researching .