Possible Finnish air battle 21 Aug 1941

[Nokose]

I came across an air battle that happen over "Kotly" (Maybe Kotlin Island) at 13:25-14:07 (Moscow). I thought at first it was II/JG 54 but the time that they were in the air was 11:53-11:52 making claims in which none were I-153. No other JG unit comes close. There are no ZG units listed even though the Soviet pilots described there being ten Bf 110 and six Bf 109 attacking them after they went after 8 Ju 88. Then on checking Finnish claims there is three I-153 claims on the 21 Aug 1941 from 14:15-15:05 for the Lvev 32. Is Finland's time faster then Moscow? Also I'm not sure of the locations indicated.

[Raimo Malkamäki]

Hi,

indeed there were three claims by LeLv 32. Capt Bremer, 2 Lt Lakio and Sgt Pallasvuo flew Curtiss Hawk 75As and they claimed an I-153 each.
Time given is 14.50 - 15.05.

The place were the battle was fought is given in Finnish records "over Rautu". Rautu is a Finnish municipality just next to the old (1917-1939) border on the Karelian Isthmus. Please check the map here:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...cation_map.PNG

Rautu is marked red on the map.

I have no idea what or where is "Kotly"? It definately doesn´t sound like a Finnish name. Anyway, I have heard that name before, and it could be Koitlin island. But the Finnish claims are not very near that area.
Sorry that I can´t help you more.

Best wishes,
Raimo

[Nokose]

Thank You! I finally found Kotly in the Leningrad Oblast. It was used by III/JG 54 as an airfield in Sep 1941. The date turned out to be wrong, it was the 25th which kind of threw things off. It turned out it was two I-153 of the 12 OIAE KBF and one I-16 from the 13 OIAE KBF. The wreckage of one of the I-153 was recently found. Still who shot them down is unknown as there isn't anything on ZG 26 for that time that I know anything about. The I-16 was claimed by Lt. Josef Poehs 5./JG 54.