Walter Wolfrum and the mythical YAK-3

[Frank Olynyk]

As I have said on numerous occasions: You always shoot down aircraft described in the latest intelligence report.

Thus long-nosed 190s in the winter of 1943/spring of 1944. FW 190s in the Pacific, as well as Ju 87s. Etc.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by Nokose

Are you possibly referring to the 16 Jul 1944 when he was shot down by Airacobras of the 9 IAP.

Must be. See Cronauer "Flieger-Asse und Kanonenfutter" with Flugbuch repro stating 'combat with Airacobras' pages 158-161

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

Yes, I did read on the internet that the Russians were only given P-63's with the understanding that they were not to be used on the German front........don't know why!
I'll check through and establish who thought they had made claims over P-63's......Marquardt by memory. Trouble is that they were so similar to P-39's, yet the pilots claiming them usually got within 30 metres of them i.e three aircraft lengths.........that's unbelievably close. Perhaps they deemded them to be P-63's because there performance was superior to P-39's or something.

Anyway I'll get back to you with the claimants.

Johannes

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

Did look through the microfilm for P-63's, and must confess I could find none, must have imagined it.

Johannes

[Juha]

Why were P-63s not used on the German front?
When they arrived there were no overriding reason to introduce a new a/c type. They also climbed very well for a US fighter and had good speed at higher altitude for a fighter in the VVS service, so many were allocated to the PVO (air defence formation) as interceptors e.g. in the Moscow area and besides many were kept in the Far East in case of war with Japan.

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

In Elmar Arensmeyer flugbuch he mentions Kingcobra's threel times:-

14th April 1945 0900-0957 hrs combat with four Jak-3's and two Kingcobrsa.

20th April 1945 1345-1445 hrs combat with sixty Jak-3's and thirty Kingcobra's. Then during this combat witness to Heinz Marquardt's 113th-114th claims..... two Kingcobra's.

On 18th March 1945 he was in combat with Airacobra's, so he makes the distinction between Airacobra and Kingcobra, and mentions them as such not P-39 and P-63.

So were they Kingcobra's, or misidentified Airacobra's?, and if no Kingcobra's were used against the Luftwaffe, then why would he know about them?

A most intriguing riddle.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[Juha]

They knew about Kingkobra because intelligence, foreign newspaper articles etc. Germans were also aware of e.g. B-29, and it was one of the reasons why LW High Command was so worried of possible high altitude bombing attacks on Germany.

Juha

[Johannes]

Hi Juha

Thanks for the explanation. Actually though Arensmeyer states combat with Jak-3's and Kingcobra's, and states he was witness to Marquardt claiming two Kingcobra'a, he then himself claims an Airacobra.

Fortunately I think that B-29's being pressurised would have been unsuitable against Germany. The Japanese could not attack the B-29's, Germany could.

Kind Regards

Johannes