Wk.nr. 10145 'Yellow 3'

[Rune Rautio]

The story of Knier is interesting, but it is questionable if his story was true - or if he just made it up to, say, get away from the Eastern Front...

He was shot down by a Soviet Jak-1 of 20. IAP VVS SF (JLt. Nuzhin) near lake Retinskoe, on the western side of Kola bay. This means that he had reasonable good opportunities to escape and get home. Such trip would easily take 10 days (he came back 27 July).

I can not say for sure that this was the story, but I find it odd that there are no mentioning of him being captured in the Soviet records and - more important - there is no interrogation report on him in the Soviet archives.

This is in contrast to the case with Fw. Josef Kaiser of 8./JG 5. He was shot down by AA over the Murmansk frontline on 26.12.42. He then voluntered as Soviet agent and was disembarked by Russian plane 31.05.43 at Nautsi. Reported himself to German troops 05.06.43.

For Kaiser the time span is more realistic for agent training - and there is an interrogation report on him in the Russian archives.

Rune