Küstenfliegergruppe (coastal air groups)

[Raponda]

I am editing my father's war memoirs from the Murmansk Run (convoys JW52 and RA53 during the winter of 1942-43). His Liberty ship, SS Cornelius Harnett shot down on 1 March 1943, in friendly fire, an Airacobra that was on the tail of a German Stuka over Kola Inlet (Murmansk River). The book, "Liberty's War" will be published in May coincident with a museum exhibition about the story at the American Merchant Marine Museum, Kings Point NY (Long Island). I am looking for a high res. photo of a Soviet Airacobra for the book and museum show. Most images found on the Internet are not sharp enough. Can anyone help?

I have had no luck identifying the downed pilot or his unit, and have read the translated works of Anton Palov and Valeriy Romanenko and the reminiscences of Soviet airman Nikolay Gerasimovitch Golodnikov. My hunch is that the pilot flew from the naval air base at Vaenga and belonged to the 2nd Guards, 19th Guards, or 78th IAP. Suggestions, anyone?