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

[Evgeny Velichko]

Addition to

1 VA raid to Sescha 20:20 - 20:25.

Some combat reports.

Main attack was leaded by 2 Officers of 198 shap: Major M.Z. Bondarenko (CO 198 shap) and Kapitan V. Malinkin (CO 2nd eskadrilya of 198 shap). Both of them were very skilled pilots. Bondarenko , one of the most scilled VVS shap pilots and CO's, gain his first combat expirience in Winter War, and to june 1943 had ~200 combat mission, HSU (6.6.42). Malinkin joined VVS in 1940, was an instuktor, participated in GPW from first day. At time of his death 13 july 1943 under guns of Hptm.Herrmann, he had 10 german fighters at his score, ~ 200 combat missions, and large ammount of ground targets destoryed.

From combat report of 198 shap:

Groups of 198 shap start theyr attack on Sescha at 20:24 - 20:25. On the ground they saw: ~20 twoengined aircrafts in NW part of airfield, ~30 two- and singeengined aircratfs in N part, ~20 singleengined (probably fighters) aircratfs in E part of airfield, and in S part - ~15 covered twoengined aircrafts.

Attack started from altitude 800-900 metres from 25-30* dive (pilots used RS-132 rokets), followed to 300metres (crews dropped theyr HE and Splitter bombs), and to low level strafing (using 23mm VYa and 7,62 ShKAS). Exit from attack was in SE direction.

Crews spotted: as result of direct hits of RS-132 3 two engined aircrafts burned in NW part of airfield, and more 3 - in the center of airfield. On the N part of airfield spotted 2 big explosions, with altitude of flame and smoke to 250-300 metres (as noted "one explosion of black color, another - orange-red") It is beleived large fuel and ammutition depots exploded. Also, in the N part of airfield large group of ground personal (or pilots), ~50 peaple, who runed from building (probably from officers dining room) were attacked by VYa and ShKAS.

Fighter escort of 309 iap noted "18 fires in the area of aircrafts, and several strong explosions".

Report of U-2 crews of nightbomber regiment, wich flew to Sescha in night 8.06 - 9.06.43, "several large fires continued untill the morning"

Airfield was covered by german fighgters. First attack was made in area Chekalina Sloboda, in 3 km from Sescha airfield. German fighter were trying to drag escort from Il-2's, and then attack leaders of Il-2 groups to split theyr formation.

Leader of 1st group, Major Bondarenko, came under attack straight over airfield, when 2 Fw190 attacked him in Head On. After attck Bondarenko turned to heading 70*, and was attacked by another 2 Fw190. Defending his life, gunner of Bondarenko crew, Kapitan Bessmertnov, was badly wounded in head and in both legs, but could shot down one Fw190 (wingman) from very close distance, as stated "enemy fighter overturned on low altitude, and burning crashed to earth in area of Zagorjye (6km E from station Rekovichi)". Fw190 (leader) stopped his attack, climbed to left and went off.

After that Il-2 of Major Bondarenko was attacked by lone Bf109, who made totally 7 attackes, chasing Il-2 to Lyudinovo area. Enemy fighter made attacks from 6 oclock below, from distanse 100-200 metres. As a result Il-2 was badly damaged engine, and tail control cables. Bondarenko himself was woinded, but could emlanded at Krasny Gai airfield.

Second group of Il-2's, leaded by Kapitan Malinkin, was intercepted 2 kms before airfield Sescha by 2 Fw190. German fighter made unsuccessful attack from alt 1000metres on the Il-2 of Malinkin with angle 3/4-4/4. After that Fw190 (leader) exited from attack in front of Il-2 group and started slight right combat turn. In that moment Malinkin turned his Il-2 a little to right and opened fire from distanse 70-100 metres from VYa. Fw190 exploded, lost parts of wings and crashed in the swamp near airfield Sescha. Victory was confirmed by Kapitan Pitzkhelauri and St.Lt. Volkov, wingmen of Malinkin.

Aircraft of Major Bondarenko:
http://pics.livejournal.com/bersrk/pic/0000geq0

I beleive that He111's, destroyed and damaged at airfield Sescha, were 198 shap crews "job".

Best wishes!

P.S. Sorry, my english is not perfect.

[Dénes Bernád]

On May 6, 1943, there was a strong Rumanian fighter presence in the Kramatorskaya and Sslavyansk area (SE of Kharkov), with both victory claims and losses on their part. In that period, Hungarian '109s were active in the Kharkov-Byelgorod area. They should be included in the equation, too.

[Evgeny Velichko]

THx Denes!

I'll post info about 6 may attack a bit later (very long lists)...

Post above, about 198 shap raid to Sescha was on 8 june 1943.

Best wishes!

[Nokose]

Evgeny,
Is there any listing in your source of the Luftwaffe raid on the Kursk railway junction on the 02Jun43 approx. 05:00 (Moscow)? I believe there were claims made by 30GIAP and others against the bombers also ZG1 and JG51.

[Evgeny Velichko]

Continue:

6 may 1943

1 VA raids:

1 - Raid to attack airfields Shatalovo and Borovskoye(~4:30)

To Borovskoye:

10 x Il-2 (leader Major Karyakin, 198 shap)
6 x Il-2 (leader Ml.Ltn. Egorov, 62 shap) with close escort of ?? x Yak-1 (leader St.Lt. Seroglazov, 162 iap)
4 x Il-2 (leader St.Lt. Alferov, 312 shap).

To Shatalovo:

5 x Il-2 (leader Major St.Lt.M.Stupishin, 312 shap) with close escort of 2 x La-5 (leader Kap.Chalbash, 49 iap)

--------------------------
Road to target:

Over Yelnya group of 312 shap came under attack of 6 x Fw190+Bf109's.

Losses:
Il-2 (Ml.Lt. I.Pastukhov, 312 shap) shot down by Fw190, crashed at 10km NE Yelnya;
Il-2 (Ml.Lt. L.Komarovskiy, 312 shap) shot down by Fw190, crashed at area Shatalovo;

--------------------------
Over the target:
Result of attack on both airfield is not seen because of aircombat.

---------------------
Road from target to home bases:

~6:25 group of 32 shap came under attack of 1 Bf110.
~6:30 group came under attack of large group of Fw190

Losses:
Il-2 (32 shap) heavy damaged by Bf110, crashlanded at his base airfield;
Il-2 (32 shap) heavy damaged by Bf110, crashlanded at his base airfield;
Il-2 (32 shap) heavy damaged by Bf110, crashlanded at his base airfield;

Claims:

Bf110 shot down by Il-2 gunners (Ml.Serj. Zubrarev - WiA, 62 shap), crashed in area of Baltunino;
Fw190 shot down by Il-2 gunners (312 shap), crashed and burned in area of Borovskoye;
Fw190 shot down by La-5 (Kap.Chalbash, 49 iap), crashed in area of Zhary;
Fw190 shot down by Yak-1 (St.Lt. Seroglazov, 162 iap), crashed in area of airfield;

[Nokose]

Evgeny, Tony Woods list has Uffz August Mueller 8/JG51 claiming a Il-2 at 04:25 (44733) and 04:30 (44881). Is this in the area that the 312 ShAP was targeting. The book "Broken Sky" doesn't have any maps. From what I've been able to understand so far the 49 IAP said that they missed the airfield by 1 km to the west and aborted.

[Evgeny Velichko]

Yes, You are right, mission was aborted, and was remade at evening, but with strong interception and losses.

About Bf110, claimed by Il-2 gunners: I can only porpose that it was reconaissanse Bf110, because I./ZG 1 had no lost or damaged Bf110 on that day. Also, there are no claims of I./ZG 1 on that day.

About maps: unfortunatly, there are no names of bases of most of regiments particopated in raids in many times, so I cant say in what plases directly aircombats were. I know only target place , so we just can only imagine what heading had attacking groups and what rout they had.

[Andy Fletcher]

Thanks Evgeny for the May43 data.

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

[Evgeny Velichko]

Its only VERY short part...

I'll drink a bit coffe and... will type the continue May be some 2-3 hours and You will got all May raids here.

[Nokose]

07 may 43 Airfield raids
Kharkov-Sokol'niki
6 Il-2 820 ShAP
8 Yak-7b 6 IAP
Kharkov-Aleshki
6 Il-2 800 ShAP
8 Yak-7b 183 IAP

Losses to 800 and 820 ShAP: None
(claim made against 820 ShAP by Lt Paul-Heinrich Daehne 2./JG52 but no kill)
Losses 6 IAP: two Yak-7b
(First was by Ofw Rudolf Trenkel (2/JG52) but unclear if Trenkel, Oblt Herbert Planer or Hptm Johannes Wiese got the second)
Losses 183 IAP: 3 Yak-7b forced landed behind Russian lines.
(Oblt Rudolf Miethig (3./JG52) claimed 2 LaGG-5 and a LaGG-3 and Lt Max Geissler (3.) claimed a LaGG-5)
VVS claims 4 Bf-109's ( I/JG52 no losses)
800 ShAP claimed 7 Bf-109 and 3 Bf-110's on the ground
820 ShAP claimed 4 aircraft on the ground