DKiG awarding.

[Larry deZeng]

"Tschekotz" is the German transliteration from the Cyrillic name for this location. The English transliteration would be "Chekots", I believe. I checked Google Earth for the area 16 km E of Staraya Russa and found myself in the middle of an unpopulated tract of forests and swamps. There is no settlement by this name anywhere near there.

The territory between Staraya Russa and the river 15-20 km east of it was retaken by the Soviet 11th and 27th Armies during January and early February 1942. So "Chekots"/16 km E of Staraya Russa would have been in Russian hands on 9 April 1942.

L.

[noggin]

Thanks Larry

[udf_00]

Übersichtskarte von Osteuropa [W59] - Nowgorod (1944)
http://www.landkartenarchiv.de/uvm.p...od_Ausg_3_1944
If it is Staraja Russa (unfortunately on map [W58]) south of Illmen-See, there is a Schtschekotez at the bottom of map [W59]

[Larry deZeng]

Nice find, udf_00. The larger village of "Ssloboda" (Sloboda) on the west bank of the river is still there today and makes a handy reference point. Shchekotets (no wonder I couldn't find it - the Germans misspelled it) is on the east side of the river 3.75 km NNE of Parafino and 6 km east of Sloboda. On 9 April 1942, the Russians probably had a supply dump there or perhaps it was a troop assembly point before crossing the river and moving forward toward the front line at Staraya Russa.

L.

[noggin]

Lt Gunter Rudolph , Hahn , Schwarz were KIA and Groper was WIA when their aircraft 5J+JH ( 4594 ) crashed due to flak damage in 8/2/42. Stab. KG 4 had relocated to Pskov in Jan 42 and were flying supplies to the Demyansk Pocket in Feb although I suppose they could still fly bombing missions as operational needs dictated. Probably some Tech knows if the aircraft needed any form of refitting to do this. Although with Groper being listed as WIA I would have thought an injured Germans future would have been bleak with the Russians and he would just have been "KIA".