02Apr45 USAAF & VVS dogfight

[Nokose]

Thanks Gabor. Two Russian sites had the 513 IAP as equiped with Yak-1's and Yak-9's for that period. Wonder if Grigorev went down during the exchange or if the P-51's continued the exchage after the Yaks had stopped. The answer I guess might be in the 318 FS reports.

[HGabor]

Correct. 513 IAP flew Yak-9D, Yak-9T, Yak-9M, Yak-1B fighter versions and some Po-2 messenger planes. (Novosibirsk 153. factory produced Yak-9M fighters after the 25th batch. Grigorev's plane was the 33rd plane of the 19th batch, so it was still a Yak-9T = 19-(153)-33 = 1915333) His plane had tactical number white 33. (the 5 VA, 331 IAD regiments usually marked their planes with the plane ID part of their AC serial number, which -in this case- was 33. It was also listed in the January 14, 1945 plane list (mechanical report) of the 513rd regiment.)

Gabor

[Frank Olynyk]

The only P-38 claims by the USAAF in the ETO or the MTO is a Me-109 by 1st/Lt Samuel H Lyons between 1520 and 1530, and a Me-109 probable by 1st/Lt Thomas J Newell at 1530. Both are listed as vicinity of Eggenburg, 48-33N, 15-45E. Eggenburg is in NE Austria, near the Czech border; and the time doesn't match the 11:05 local time given in Gabor's post. So possibly the combat was not reported.

Enjoy!

Frank.