VVS operations 6-8 may & 8-10 june 1943, claims and losses.

[Evgeny Velichko]

Briefly I can tell, that the most TRAGICAL raids were:

6 may 1943
16 VA raids:
2 - Raid to attack airfield Orel-GVF (~14:30)

16 x Il-2 of 41 shap escorted by Yak-1 of 896 iap:

- claimed 2 x Bf109
- lost 16 x Il-2 !!!, and 2 Yak-1....

6 may 1943
16 VA raids:
5 - Raid to attack airfield Orel-Central (14:30 - 14:35)

15 x Il-2 of 79 gshap, with escort of 8 x Yak-1 of 563 iap and 8 x Yak-7B 519 iap:

-claimed 8 x Fw190;
-lost 7 x Il-2, and 1 Yak-1

7 may 1943
16 VA raids:
1 - Raid to attack airfield Bolshaya Kulikovka (~5:22)

14 x Il-2 of 218 shap, with escort of 12 La-5 of 297 iap and fighter sweep of 8 x Yak-1 of 896 iap:

-claimed 2 x Fw190;
-lost 6 x Il-2, 3 x La-5, 2 x Yak-1.

2 - Raid to attack airfields Khmelevaya (5:50-5:55) and Orel-Central (~6:00)

6 x Il-2 of 79 gshap, 6 x Il-2 of 58 gshap, with escort of 5 x Yak-1 of 563 iap and 5 x Yak-1 of 176 iap;

-claimed: 3 x Fw190 and 2 x Bf109;
-lost: 3 x Yak-1, 12 x Il-2!!!

8 VA raids:
5 - Raid to attack airfield Kramatorskaya (~5:10)

18 x A-20 Boston (861 bap) with escort of 7 x La-5 of 5 giap, and 7 x Yak-1 of 867 iap;

-claimed: 1 x Fw190 and 5 x Bf109;
-lost: 1 x La-5 and 6 x A-20...

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

Again, many thanks to Nokose and Evgeny for their efforts. In attempting to match up which units engaged which raids, could it be that:

6 May 1943
Orel-GVF at 14:30 was opposed by Stabsstaffel and I./JG 51
Orel-Central at 14:30 was opposed by IV./JG 51
Kramatorskaya at 19:15 was opposed by III./JG 3

7 May 1943
Kramatorskaya at 5:10 was opposed by III./JG 3

However, the raids against Bolshaya Kulikovka, Khmelevaya and Orel-Central seems to have been opposed by I., III. and IV./JG 51 and I am unable to sort out who fought who. Do either of you guys have any idea how to figure this out if it is possible? Of course, I realize that in an engagement such as this with multiple units engaged in the same general area and time it is most likely impossible to do so.

Horrido!

Leo