Air War Above Rzhev - Zubtsov

[Nokose]

I have been working on the 2 August 1942 but will stray to another date but in the same Soviet Offensive Operation.

21 August 1942
The 211 BAD despatched 6 Pe-2 from 527 BBAP to bomb German artillery positions in the areas of Arkharovo, Shipulino and Roshcha, that are 2 km southeast of Rzhev. The Soviet bombers reported being attacked by German Bf 109 fighters at 10:27 (MT). In the ensuing air battle they claimed to have shot down a Me-109F at an altitude of 2500 m. The Soviets reported that the Pe-2s of Leytenant Filipp Pakhomov and Starshiy Serzhant Nikolay Tomko were reported as missing after the attack of the German fighters. Strangely, the Pe-2 of Serzhant Aleksey Van’kov was reportedly shot down by German AAA and came down on Soviet territory. Van’kov returned to his unit but would later perish in 1944.

From the German side from the records of 8./JG 51 listed 3 claims with the same time of 09:30 and location of PlQu. 47581.
Leutnant Hermann Lücke Pe-2 (3)
Gefr. Erich Holbein. Pe-2 (3)
Gefr. Alfred Wallys Pe-2 (1)

The only loss for III./JG 51 was caused by Soviet AAA.