3 GIAP KBF 14Feb43

[Nokose]

On the 14Feb43 16:40 (Moscow) in the Krasny Bor (Leningrad) the LaGG-3s of 3 GIAP KBF intercepted two groups of Ju 87 under escort of JG 54 Fw 190s and Bf 109s. The following pilots claimed victories.
Tikhon Sviridovich Zhuchkov
Ju 87 (group)

Ivan Efimovich Minaev
Ju 87 (group) and a Ju 87 (damaged)

Nikolay Ivanovich Shestopalov
Ju 87 (3rd personal)
Ju 87 (4th personal)
Ju 87 (1/2 group)
Ju 87 (1/4 group)

Ivan Ivanovich Tsapov
Ju 87 (1/2 group)
Ju 87 (1/4 group)
Ju 87 (personal)

Sergey Semenovich Ryabushkin
Ju 87 (1/4 group)
Fw 190 (1st personal)

Dmitry Mitrofanovich Tatarenko
Ju 87 (personal)
Ju 87 (1/4 group)

Does anyone have the Ju 87 unit and actual losses? The Fw 190's listed with JG 54 has only two damaged but only as enemy flight with nothing to link them to this dogfight.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

At this adress http://sammler.ru/index.php?act=Atta...ost&id=1048571 is a file listing the Ju 87 losses on the Eastern front (or at least pretending to).

Only one loss on 14 Feb 1943, the Ju 87R-4 WNr 6268 of 3./St.G. 5 was damaged beyond repair (at 80%) in a forced landing at Konaschewo due to Flak. Crew OK.

[Nokose]

Thanks Laurent. It seems like with the number of claims for Ju 87s there would at least have been one or some damaged Junkers. Tatarenko is a very interesting Soviet ace and doesn't seem to exaggerate his exploits. Is St.G. 5 even the unit operating over Leningrad at this time?

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi,

According to the German loss list transcribed by Andreas Brekken, three Ju 87s of I./St.G. 5 were damaged by anti-aircraft fire on 14 February 1943. The location given for two of them was north-east of Krasnogwardeisk, and the other force landed at Konaschowo (the latter is the one mentioned by Laurent).

No FW 190s of I./J.G. 26 or J.G. 54 were lost or damaged in combat on this day.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com

[Nokose]

Thanks Andrew. As I look through JFV 12/III there is one listing for I./JG 26.

14.02.43 3./JG 26 N.N. Bruchlandung, Bodenverhaeltnisse, Rjelbitzi, 20% - Feindflug Fw 190 A-4 #2350

The Russians mentioned that the Fw 190 was seen going down at this location. The AAA damage reported could have been done by fighters as it wouldn't be the first time it was misreported by both sides. It does seem strange that both versions occurred this day. It also depends on the time the German incident took place.

[Juha]

Hello
according to Caldwell's The JG 26 War Diary Vol 2, I./JG 26 mission for that day was to strafe Russian infantry that were massed along the shores of Lake Ilmen and attack the motorised sleds and horse-drawn supply trains in the Russians' rear. So IMHO AAA damage would not have been surprising under those circumstances.

Juha

[Nokose]

Thank you Juha. The other two Fw 190 that I found in Stab/JG 54 suffered 10% from problems with the engines. So the Fw 190 claimed was possibly less then 10% or no damage at all. I remember in Christopher Shores book on the Mediterranean Air War that western pilots often confused the exhaust smoke from the engine as a sign of damage as they fled the scene on the Bf 109. So the smoke on the Fw 190 might have done the same thing as Soviet pilots describe that for Bf 109s and Fw 190s on leaving the scene of a dogfight.

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Michael,

One of the Stab J.G. 54 aircraft was damaged at Riga, so it was definitely not involved. A quick check of this forum shows that the 14 February 1943 combat has been discussed before, and the son of the Sergey Semenovich Ryabushkin contacted me a couple of years ago about it. Conclusions then were the same as above.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com

[Nokose]

Thanks Andrew (hope to see Courland soon). Have placed this in with my combat history of JG 54 for 1943 so as I'll have it again in the future. No, I'm not writing a unit history but I am matching up events as I find them.