Russian Air Detachment - Bari - 1944

[HGabor]

Yes, 2 Yak-9Ts (№1215370, №2415351), 1 Yak-9M (№2715396), a P-38J (43-28662) and 2 P-38Ls (44-24392, 44-24035) went down. It was one of the most serious 'friendly fire' incident of the war.

Gabor

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showpo...54&postcount=4

[researcher111]

This how it was especially involving the death of Lt.Gen.Kotov. This type of hidden disputes between US and Russian Forces seems to continue as we speak . They did not end there, in Berlin in Korea, Cuba ,Vietnam, nor Middles East etc ...Americans and Russians will never get along and it seems that one day we may all pay the ultimate price for their Burger King and Vodka unsettled differences

[HGabor]

Hope not... ;-))))

[researcher111]

yeah

[HGabor]

Alex,

On August 25, 1944 17 VA, 659 IAP Yaks escorted A-20 Bostons of 17 VA, 244 BAD, however, the Yak losses this day were from 866 and 897 IAP: ml.Lt. Victor Vasilevich Yablochkin (866 IAP) later returned and was killed on March 8, 1945 in his Yak-3, S/N: 310099 from Tbilisi (engine: 422-166) in dogfight with -probably Hungarian- Bf 109s over Dömsöd, Hungary. Other Yak loss was Yak of famous 897 IAP squadron commander: Capt. Pavel Petrovich Karavai, who also returned later.

So no clue about the Yugoslav mission, perhaps the escort was from a spec. Yak-9DD group, not from a regular 288 IAD regiment.

Gabor

[stukapilot]

AGON was set up in accordance with the soviet GKO (State Defense Committee) decree in june 1944 and was subordinate to the chief of the soviet military mission in yugoslavia, lieutenant-general N. V. Korneev and an squadron (эскадрилья) of 12 Yak-9DDs escorted those cargo aircrafts from august. but i can't find any russian info to point out the loss of those fighters in that period.
and about AGON: it's the abbreviation of russian "Авиа-Группа Особого Назначения", literal translation is "air group of special purposes". but Leendert, i have to say that Авиагруппа (Aviagruppa), strictly speaking, is not equals to Group. Aviagruppa is just a temporary formation under the single command, especially for those reserve, transport or task groups. one Aviagruppa always consisted of 3 —8 regiments while the AGON in Bari had only 12 transporters for a squadron.

[researcher111]

Thanks for this update. In my vew the YAK-9DD based at Balti ,Bivolari and elsewhere in Moldova were part of 5th VA , to my knowledge 17 VA did have fighters based in Moldova during that time frame . Therefore 6 IAP / 427 IAP , 149 IAP , 178 IAP may come in question. The YAK Polk selected must have had some prior long range training in order to fly such specific mission .From Russian records I was never able to determine which Avia Polk escorted the Bostons. 659 IAP was on Aug 25 not located at Balti but Ratzdelnaya and after Aug 31, 44 at Izmail and Galati . I therefore doubt that 20 fighters from this group were dispatched to Balti. Russian aviation history ends sometime with guessing . One last thing, YAK-9DD's from a Poltawa and Pyriatin Avia Polk escorted 15th AF bombers during one or two Frantic Missions to Romania eventually elsewhere as such there is also a great possibility that this Polk was dispatched from Poltawa to Balti specifically for this purpose due to their long range experience and prior joint training with 15th AF crews from Italy.

BR
Alex

[HGabor]

Well, my guess is that it was only a temporarily selected, politically trustworthy group of skillful pilots, not a regular air unit. But: those 12 Yak-9DD pilots (at least most of them) later showed up in various regiments of 17 VA, 288 IAD.
Gabor

[researcher111]

Yes, thats why my guess is Poltawa Air Regiment ! not from 17 or 5 VA assets ! possibly 86 GvIAP

[Leendert]

Thanks for all the info that has come to dazzle me. I sure have quite some catching up to do when it comes to the air war in those regions.

Regards,

Leendert