When M.D. Baranov was shot down ?

[Monaco]

The great soviet early-war ace Ml.Lt. Mikhail Dimitrievich Baranov (23 victories) was s/d in combat with 5 Bf.109s after becoming separated during winter 1941/42.
On 24.12.41 Baranov of MiG-3-equipped 183 IAP (5 RAG RSVGK, VVS Southern Front) future ace was credited with 1 Ju.88 s/d over Cherkasskoye for personal victory No.7.
The Ju.88A-5 was Wnr.3122 of Wekusta 76 s/d over Cherkasskoye, Mariupol, with 4 crewmembers KIA. Maybe after this claim Baranov himself was s/d and WIA, baling out and evading for two weeks with a broken leg before crossing the frontline to be sent to hospital. There he refused the amputation of his leg as proposed by the doctors regarding the future as a pilot and working after the war. The leg was saved in several operations, but it took a long time of recovery. Baranov´s next claim was only in spring 1942 on 17.02.42 (his 6th claim on 08.11.41). As Baranov´s evasion took two weeks and the recuperation probably at least 4 weeks the conclusion can be drawn, that he was s/d at the end of December 1941 or in very early January 1942.
The only german claims in this period (24.12.41-04.01.42) and area against modern inline-engined fighters were made by the following „Experten“ pilots:
28.12.41
Fw. Leopold Steinbatz (9./JG.52) 1 „I-61“ SW Taganrog at 13.31h (victory No.34)
Lt. Hermann Graf (9./JG.52) 1 „I-26“ 20km SW Taganrog at 13.33h (victory No.42)
Hptm. Herbert Ihlefeld (I./(J)LG.2) 1 MiG-3 (nicht bewiesen - score at this time 54 victories)
03.01.42
Fw. Kurt Ratzlaff (7./JG.52) 1 „I-26“ at 15.25h (victory No.22)
04.01.42
Fw. Edmund Rossmann (7./JG.52) 1 LaGG-3 at 13.03h (victory No.33)
Fw. Kurt Ratzlaff (7./JG.52) 1 „I-26“ at 13.05h (victory No.23)

Does anyone have the exact date, when Baranov was shot down or other information?

[kurlannaiskos]

January 15 1943.
he was killed in a flying accident. not shot down.

[Paul Thompson]

Hello Monaco,

I can add that Baranov served in the 183 IAP until September 1942. He then transferred to the 'ace unit', 9 GIAP, in October 1942, flying the Yak-1. He scored his last victories, a total of 5 (4 Bf 109, 1 Ju 87), on the same day, 6 August 1942.

Regards,

Paul

[Dénes Bernád]

Originally Posted by Paul Thompson

He scored his last victories, a total of 5 (4 Bf 109, 1 Ju 87), on the same day, 6 August 1942.

Wow! 'Ace-in-a-day' (and four of the five claims were Bf 109s)! That's an outstanding achievement, indeed. Did someone counter-check his claims with known Axis losses?

[Monaco]

Thanks fellows,
for those, who are interested in his victories, D. Zampini wrote an article about him (http://rkka.es/Otros_articulos/30_Mi...il_Baranov.htm) and found out, that Baranov was a rather accurate claimer of victories, though sometimes a bit speculative it is an interesting read.
About Baranov s/d I was interested in the action, when he was wounded. The circumstances of his death were known to me.
The incident when he was WIA was in winter 1941-42 and has an interesting aspect as he evaded for two weeks with a broken leg and had even to use his pilot Tokarev TT-33 to shoot a german soldier (probably whilst passing the front-line) - all this shows his stamina and will as he seems to me not being physically exceptional.
Baranov is also an interesting early soviet ace regarding multiple victories, which were is probable prove to his extraordinary marksmanship.

[Nokose]

Having looked at the link in Monaco's post here is what Mikhail Bykov listed in his book on Soviet aces from TsAMO.
22 Sep 41 Me-109 (1st) Novo-Avgustinovka
28 Sep 41 Me-109 (2nd) west of Novo-Moskovsk
02 Nov 41 Hs-126 (3rd) Dmitrevka
08 Nov 41 Hs-126 (4th) NE of Kupyshevo
08 Nov 41 Me-109 (5th) SW of Kupyshevo
24 Dec 41 Ju-88 (6th) Cherkasskoe
17 Feb 42 Hs-126 (7th) W. of Kramatorskaya
22 Jul 42 Me-109 (8th) airfield Morozovskiy
24 Jul 42 Me-109 (9th) Plesitovskiy
25 Jul 42 Ju-87 (10th) E. of Ventsy
25 Jul 42 Macci-200 (11) Volodinskiy
27 Jul 42 Me-109 (12) m. Ostrov
27 Jul 42 Me-109 (13) Drobinka
27 Jul 42 Ju-87 (14) sovkh. "10 let Okyabrya"
04 Aug 42 Ju-87 (15) Vodinskiy
05 Aug 42 Me-109 (16) NW of Abganerovo station
05 Aug 42 Me-109 (17) Abganerovo station - Plodovitoe
06 Aug 42 Me-109 (18) N of Kalitinskya
06 Aug 42 Ju-87 (19) Abganerovo station
06 Aug 42 Me-109 (20) Abganerovo station
Me-109 (21) "
Me-109 (22) "

[Monaco]

Thanks Nokose,
you see Zampini also refers to Bykhov, but the claims are more and slightly different in some cases. In some points Zampini is right i.e. the Fi.156 damaged, which was not submitted as an official claim.

[Nokose]

Matching Soviet fighter claims to German losses can be "tricky" without knowing who else made a claim in that area. I thought that I had found one for a JG 54 loss until Nikita pointed out there were 10 Soviet pilots making claims in that same area that day for one Bf 109 loss.

[kurlannaiskos]

Originally Posted by Nokose

.... there were 10 Soviet pilots making claims in that same area that day for one Bf 109 loss.

wow! that Bf-109 is hard to shoot down

(sorry,couldn't resist)

[Paul Thompson]

Originally Posted by Dénes Bernád

Wow! 'Ace-in-a-day' (and four of the five claims were Bf 109s)! That's an outstanding achievement, indeed. Did someone counter-check his claims with known Axis losses?

Hello Dénes,

I am not in a position to comment on Axis losses, but page 63 of Christer Bergström's Stalingrad - The Air Battle contains the following text:

"on 6 August, one of the best Soviet fighter aces in the area - 183 IAP's St.Lt. Mikhail Baranov, who had been credited with 21 victories - was badly wounded in combat with I./JG 53. However, Baranov was not shot down: after claiming two Bf 109s and a Ju 87, Baranov was locked into an uneven combat with several Bf 109s of I./JG 53. When his Yak-1 ran out of ammunition, Baranov rammed one of the enemy fighters - possibly the one flown by Lt. Hans Roehrig, one of the aces in I./JG 53, who barely survived."

Dénes, I have also sent you a PM on a related topic.

Regards,

Paul