Mosquito claim over Rumania on 3 August 1944

[researcher111]

Do you by chance have the date of these RAF Musquitos at Poltawa ? On the various books on Ops Frantic Joe and Frantic I posses, nothing is mentioned
about presence of RAF Musquitos at Poltawa nor I ever saw such photo.
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Originally Posted by Alex Smart

Hello,
From what I have read over the years and concluded.
The Mosquito aircraft in Russia over the "Poltava" time were RAF and 8th AAF 7th Photo Group a/c. Flown from the UK and Italy.
Alex

[Alex Smart]

Hello researcher 111,
I note with interest your break down of the 117 photo recce ops in support of Frantic Joe and other frantic missions.
Any chance that you could go a step further (by PM) and break down to the number of missions by aircraft type and force for me please ?
Alex

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Here are the KU details for the 3rd August 1944.

Alex

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Just to update:
1st FG had 2 P-38 "losses" on the 3rd both within Italy at Sal Sola.
and
This may not be a help but Lt.James Small had a landing accident at "Station 559"(Poltava) on the 4th August 1944 in P-38J-10-LO 42-68162 of the 95th FS,82nd FG.
Aircraft was a write off.
Also on the 4th.
The 82nd also lost the following:
P-38J-15-Lo 43-28757 - Alfred H. Ellison - POW.
P-38 - James C. Hardin - KIA - S/D near village of Dalwati(spelling?), Rumania.
P-38 - 42-104145 - William P. Litton - POW - Location given as Focsani (South) A/D, Rumania.
P-38 - 43-28811 - Thomas W. Vaughan - POW - Location 5 mi NE of Focsani A/D.
P-38 - Richard E. Willsie, rescued by Richard T. Andrews after he force landed out of fuel.
( further can be seen at: http://raf-112-squadron.org/usaaf_ho...21943_mto.html

Alex

[researcher111]

Unfortunately, I don't have recon details breakdown , none of the books
available provide complete details. Poltawa remains a dark chapter on
the 15th AF history and this of VVS, both sides claimed to be Allies
in reality however they acted otherwise which was a partial factor leading
to the task force disaster on June 21, 44 at midnight.

As into my question , it remains still open namely the dates u've
mentioned reg. RAF Recon Musquitos present at Poltawa
which is not mentioned on any of my books and would
be of specific interest to me.

PS: From Russian sources I was confirmed again that both
recon planes were DH Musquitos which may have taken off
from Kharkov or Skadovsk on purpose to perform high alt.
recon over Romanian targets which as described by JG77
were intercepted somewhere around Zilistea's perimeters

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
Again I do not know if this will help.
540 Sqdn had a detachment in the USSR mainly I think for recce on the Turpitz later on.
Other Mosquito Squadrons had the ability I beleive to overfly Rumania includind 60 SAAF and other RAF/USAAF Sqdns from Italy and the Balkans.

I checked AB serial number books and nothing seems to fit, although there have been typo errors in the past that have come to light. I Checked "W", "DA-DZ", "LA-LZ","MA-MZ" - I may be wrong, but from NA onward production would be too late.

As an after thought maybe it was misidentification after all, and so if you exclude the Soviet types and look at RAF types there were the following ( I may have missed some?) twin engined a/c in the middle east/Italy region.
Albermarle; Baltimore; Hampden; Hudson ; Warwick; Welllington; Blenheim; Beaufighter; Mitchell; Marauder; Catalina (with floats retracted), [ Some were also bases in the USSR, Russians also produced copies too and one even defected].

Alex

[researcher111]

Hi,

Thanks for your feedback but the subject you mentioned is out of my research
area nor of interest to me and is off topic.

As into your other comments , SAAF 60th Sqd performed at least 3 times
high alt.recon over Rumania post Ops Tidalwave on Aug 3,43 and again during
Sept ,Oct 1943 and possibly last on Dec 1943 . From 1944 on. recon over Rumania
was performed by 5th PRG , several times by 376th BG at night ( Radar Mapping )
by each individual BG of the 15th AF and 205th GP during and post actual bombing run.

To my knowledge no RAF acfts except VIP transports were ever involved on Ops
Frantic Joe and Frantic and no RAF Musquitos were ever dispatched to Poltawa.

The Soviets AF & Navy performed substantially more recon missions over Rumania
though due to lack of suitable equipment only at low and medium altitude with
DB-3 & 3F, SB. TU-2 PE-2 and A-20's . Their only high alt.recon mission was done
on Aug 3,1944 returning with recon photos taken at Bucharest, Focsani, Arad , Mizil and
Zilistea airfields, info used next day by 82nd and 52nd FG straffing task force on Romanian
airfields dispatched out of Poltawa .

[muggs_ro]

60th Squadron SAAF performed at least 55 recon missions over Romania between April - August 1944 all of which are documented.

[researcher111]

Are there supporting documents or publications backing up the cited claim of 55 recon missions of SAAF 60 Sqd over Rumania ?

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi,

The Operations Record Book for No. 60 Squadron SAAF is available for free online. See here: http://discovery.nationalarchives.go...s?Uri=C2707702

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com