Bf109 pilot lost 10/10/41 in Russia Far North

[Laurent Rizzotti]

According to the Luftwaffe summary losses database, only one German fighter was lost that day. He belonged to II./JG 54 and was entered in the category ""destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, not observed by enemy".

I don't have the JFV book for the period, but the old JG 54 loss list by the later Gunter Rosipal has also one loss for II./JG 54 that day: the Bf 109 F-2 WNr 12678 of 6./JG 54 was damaged beyond repair (at 70%) at "Wolwotizy" (probably Germanized version of a Russian place) due to "motor damage". From the above, it was not engine failure but the engine was probably hit by a Soviet aircraft in an air battle. The category "not observed by enemy" usually means that the aircraft did not fall in the battle area, but away from it, force landing or crashing in friendly territory while trying to return to base with a damaged aircraft. The pilot of WNr 12678 was unhurt and his name is not recorded in Rosipal's list.