659 IAP KOLDUNOV

[HGabor]

Kurtl,

April 11, 1945 was 'relatively' calm. Only a few losses over Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, but mainly in accidents during changing airfields, or AC transfer.
At 12:25 5 VA, 7 GvShAD, 130 GvShAP eg. lost an IL-2 (S/N: 1871980, AM-38F engine: 4519777) with Zhuravlev-Novikov crew onboard at Parndorf, Austria during take-off in the strong side-wind. Plane turned to the left and broke. Crew was OK.

5 VA, 4 GvShAD, 90 GvShAP lost IL-2 (S/N: 18833122, AM-38F engine: 2514432) to AAA at Lanžhot, Cz. The Nikolaev-Chuprov crew perished in the crash. They were the flight leader of their 6 IL-2s at 8:35 local time.

Flight of 18 (2 x 3x3) Douglas A-20 Bostons of 17 VA, 244 BAD, 861 BAP bombed the Marshalling yard of Sankt Pölten, Austria. (No bomber losses.)
IL-2s of 5 VA, 4 GvShAD, 90 -AND- 91 GvShAP attacked Lanžhot, Cz.
14 IL-2s of 17 VA, 306 SAD, 672 ShAP attacked Zeling(?), Austria.
IL-2s of 17 VA, 189 ShAD, 615 ShAP attacked Vienna, Austria with FAB-250 type bombs.
IL-2s of 17 VA, 189 ShAD, 707 ShAP attacked Floridsdorf, Austria.

I hope this helps.

Gabor

[researcher111]

Gabor

I hope that this won't deviate the thread too much. My area of interest is also the incident dated Nov 7,44 whereby Koldunov and his wingmen Lt.Krivonogyh and ML.Lt.Schipulya were shot down by Lt's G.Bowers and J.Blumer of 82nd FG and those shot down out of 82nd FG by Koldunov such as Capt King ( possibly also due to flack) and 2nd Lt's Couldson and Brewer (both KIA )

Can you cite clear evidences which point out to the YAK-3 of Koldunov ? According my references a group of 6 YAK-9 led by Koldunov and Capt.Bondary including the two pilots mentioned above shot down 8-10 Km North of Nish airfield , were scrambled by Soviet ground forces to retaliate a straffing incident caused by 82nd FG which lead to the death on ground of Gen.Kotov. Some sources indicate that 2-4 additional YAK-3 were also involved, some cite only YAK-9's .

Pse advise

[HGabor]

Koldunov (17 VA, 288 IAD, 866 IAP) was assigned one of the 17 VA's first Yak-3s on September 22, 1944 from the Saratov 292. aircraft factory: Yak-3, S/N: 1711. He flew it until November 15, 1944 when this Yak-3 was transferred to the 659 IAP. Her new pilot was Lt.Col. V. M. Smeskov, who flew her until March, 1945. According to the 4/1944, 4th quarterly mechanical report of 288 IAD (TsAMO), the 17 VA had only 6 Yak-3s on October 1, 1944. (S/N: 1215, 1515, 1711, 2917, 3918, 4516) One of these was Koldunov's No.1711. On October 8, 1944 866 IAP received Yak-3 No.2015 from Zavod 292., in two days, on October 10, 1944 3 more Yak-3s from Tbilisi, Zavod 31.: Yak-3, S/N: 310055, 310081 and 310220. Later these planes were also re-assigned to the 659 IAP.

Since the 17 VA had only a few, superb Yak-3 at that time, it is no wonder that they were assigned to the best available pilots for greater achievements and combat-testing. November 7, 1944 was in the timeframe when Koldunov was still assigned 1711, so I give more credit to the story which says he flew a Yak-3, not a Yak-9 over Nis. (I do not care what the other pilot's saw in the air, - it is a fact that they could not see the differences between the Yak models, only on the ground. Soviet pilots eg. frequently missed the differences even between the Fw 190 and the Bf 109 due to weather and/or distance factors, not to mention the almost invisible differences between the Yak-3 and the Yak-9.)

I hope this helps.

Gabor

[researcher111]

Gabor

Indeed and thanks for the very detailed info. I was wondering if on that day Koldunov was under his old GP 866 IAP or already with 659 IAP / 9 ScHAK .Either way his temp. assignment with 659 IAP may have ended already by the end November 44 coze from December on he is shown back at his old IAP . 659 IAP indeed operated YAK-3's. Interesting are Capt King's conclussions describing Koldunov as the one resp.for the victories but on Koldunov's roaster none of the 3 P-38's shot down on that day were ever listed.

[HGabor]

You are welcome! I don't know, as this battle has always been out of my main interest. I think he just did not want any political complications later with the friendly fire victories, even if it was the Americans' fault. The soviets, however, lost 3 Yak-9s in this battle, all from the 153rd Aircraft Factory (Novosibirsk, - xx153xx):

Yak-9D, S/N: 2715396, engine: 415-2297 (Yak-9M?)
Yak-9D, S/N: 2415351, engine: 415-2530 (Yak-9T?)
Yak-9T, S/N: 1215370, engine: 415-1269


As you see, none of the Yak-3s was shot down. (I think 2715396 could be a Yak-9M, as it was already from the 27th batch. Standard, main plane of the 866th IAP was the Yak-9T, later the Yak-3.)

Gabor

[researcher111]

Gabor

Thank you once again and very useful info. Indeed the 3rd pilot was Lt.Shestokovsky who managed to bail out on the cute and was returned after injuries back to the Sqd., and as you stated
must have all been YAK-9 series

[HGabor]

No problem. Only issue is that the soviet mechanical reports do not detail crew and mission/battle info for the lost planes (such info can be found in Regiment diaries), so here I cannot match the pilots to their lost Yak-9s. Soviet mechanical papers for the losses give only plane/engine serials, dates and the brief cause of loss. (and unit of course in the header). See sample below. Cheers,

Gabor

[researcher111]

Many thanks for your efforts Gabor and keep up your excellent research work, always a pleasure to talk to you !

Happy new year

[HGabor]

Thanks, I try.

[Kurtl12]

Thanks for that info Gabor! And sorry to all others for deviating that much from the original topic!

But the info of the raid against St. Poelten is again unique! That city isn't too small and someone on ground should have noticed the Soviet attack. Amazing that there is no German record available to my knowledge.

The raid of 306 SAD, 672 ShAP probably was against Zeiring or Zeltweg (Zeling?) at the transport route Liezen - Judenburg or Leoben - Judenburg.

Kurtl