I/JG 54 losses on the 01 Aug 44 at Latvia

[Nokose]

Have just read about two dogfights conducted by four La-5 FN from the 32 GIAP on the 01 Aug 44. The Soviet pilots claimed two Fw 190 in the area SE of Mitava (Jelgava, Latvia) . Then later in the day to the SW of Tetele claimed two more Fw 190. Did I./JG 54 actually loss any Fw 190s in this area?

[Laurent Rizzotti]

I./JG 54 only loss this day according to the summary of Luftwaffe losses was an aircraft "damaged by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, not observed by enemy".

II./JG 54 lost two aircraft "destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, observed by enemy". Uffz. Heinrich Schlömann (Fw 190 A-6 531056) and Uffz. Hans Weinbergmair (Fw 190 A-6 550514), both of 4./JG 54, were posted missing during an air battle over the Gulf of Finland (I don't know if they were lost in the same fight).

SG 4 was active in the general area with Fw 190s and reported:
_ for I./SG 4 one aircraft "destroyed by anti-aircraft artillery during operational flight"
_ for II./SG 4 one aircraft "destroyed by anti-aircraft artillery during operational flight", one aircraft "destroyed without enemy action on operational flight", one aircraft "destroyed without enemy action on non-operational flight" and two aircraft "damaged by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, not observed by enemy".

So both I./JG 54 and II./SG 4 had Fw 190s damaged in air battles, but none was lost.

[mars]

I wonder that the sentence ""damaged by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, not observed by enemy". means? Enemy fighter fired at something he did not see?

[Nokose]

Mars, Thank you. It looks like a lot of over claiming by the 32 GIAP.

Kapt. Aleksey Ivanovich Markov
# 16 Fw 190
# 17 Fw 190

St. Lt. Vasiliy Yakovlevich Kalinin
#6 Fw 190 SW of Tetele
# 7 Fw 190 Silyni (Maybe Zalite?)

I can't really tell for sure on the German claims without a Soviet mission time.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Originally Posted by mars

I wonder that the sentence "damaged by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, not observed by enemy". means? Enemy fighter fired at something he did not see?

My understanding is that the damaged aircraft landed out of sight from the enemy.

There is also a category called "destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, not observed by enemy". Exemples are aircraft hit in battle and ditching or crashing while returning to base away from the battle area.