Peter Duttmann 13,11.44 claims

[HGabor]

Thanks Nick, we try what we can ;-) As of the March 23, 1945 dogfight with the 861 BAP Bostons... probably I spoke too fast. I checked the notes and Fekete Ottó zls. ("Ens. Otto Black") reported that the plane he attacked at the end of the bomber formation "exploded" in the air. Well, now we know that none of the Bostons "exploded into pieces", but the left engine of 43-9582 caught fire and "exploded". If you fly behind a plane and an engine flies around you in small pieces, then you see fire and smoke, perhaps you would also describe it as "exploded". Anyways, the word "exploded" is dramatic enough to think that the downed Boston was under Otto's fire. Since I have no other statements from the other 2 guys, I think 43-9582 was probably Otto's victim, - if you have to choose a name. See service record and ferry route of 43-9582 through Brazil, Mid-Africa, Iran to the USSR.

The soviet 861 BAP Boston formation this time was led by Capt. Ivan Grigorevich Petuhov in A-20B, S/N: 41-3230, '28'. Other crews that reported (Hungarian) fighter attacks over Lake Balaton:

A-20G, S/N: 42-86850 ('24') - Lt. Boris Grigorevich Sverdlovskii
A-20G, S/N: 43-10084 - Lt. Constantin Ivanovich Podkopalov
A-20G, S/N: 43-21405 ('8') - Ml.Lt. Alexei Savelevich Lilienko

Obviously two of these were the other 2 Bostons, that the Hungarian fighters (~Báthy & Nyári) claimed, but finally they all landed back safely on their bases with different damages.

And an interesting question: soviet records say that C-47A, S/N: 42-24140 was lost in Hungary on November 16, 1944. American record of the same plane says it was delivered to Australia. (Check my prev. attachments.) How did this C-47A end up in Soviet service if she was delivered to Australia? Any idea?

Cheers,
Gabor