Eastern Front, 8 April 1942

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

I have two questions about German fighters on 8 April 1942:

1) I have a note that a Bf 109 force-landed near/at Gradina airfield on this date. Pilot unhurt, damaged of AC not known. Possibly of JG 51. I would like to know the usual details (unit, WNr, % damage).

2) on this date Serzhant Pavel Timofeevich Lomonosov of 762 IAP was killed when his I-16 was shot down in an air battle near Bannoe, Donetsk. He was buried in the cemetery of Yarova, near Bannoe, and that is his probable crashplace. I have not Mr Prien book about this period, and so only have the claim list by Tony Wood, that show two claims against I-16 by two aces of Stab I./JG 77, Hptm Herbert Ilhefeld and Oblt Fritz Geißhardt, first with no hour second at 1530 hrs. There is no location, but I./JG 77 was then based at Stalino so this can match. Can anyone provide more details on these German claims ?

Thanks in advance

Laurent

[Nokose]

Laurent,
I checked JFV 9/I for the 8Apr42.
(1) IV/JG51 had no losses on the 8th but 2 there on 10th and 3 on the 18th.

(2)Only lists Hptm Herbert Ihlefeld I-16 (#84) and Lt Friedrich Geisshardt I-16 (#48). No time and no location.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks Nokose