Identifications of German victories over East Prussia in October 1944

[Courtois Laurent]

I will try to do the same work as the one done for October 22 for the whole of me.

I want to apologize because I deal with the day in disorder to follow the progress of my work on the Normandie-Niemen.

Today we are going to look at October 23.

This day the JG52 claims 8 victories, 7 Lagg and 1 Il-2 in the sector of gumbinnen.




This day the 1st VA (Air Force) loses 11 planes of which 7 (6 IL-2 and 1 Yak-9) are shot down by the Flak and 4 are reported missing (4 Il-2)

1 Gv ShAD (Sturmovik Division) has two 2 il-2s shot down by Flak. The flight division from 12:50 p.m. to 6 p.m.
331 ShAD has 2 Il-2s shot down by Flak + 1 missing. The flight division from 12:45 p.m. to 6 p.m.
182 ShAD has 2 Il-2s shot down by Flak + 1 missing. The flight division from 2:40 p.m. - 6 p.m.
The 64th ShAP carried out a bombardment mission from 2 p.m. to 2:40 p.m. of the Gross Trakehenen sector protected by Lagg-5s of the 805 IAP
For the 397th ShAP: no information
For the 539th ShAP: no information, but protected by the Lagg of the 805th IAP.
277th ShAD two 2 Il-2 shot down 1 missing

The 130th IAD had a 1 Yak-9 shot down by the Flak.

The 129th IAD protect IL-2 of the 182nd ShAD and 277th ShAD. 1 combat without victory or loss between Lagg (805 IAP) and German planes (425 cartridges of SchVAK used).
790 IAP = no information.
805 IAP = 1 combat between 2 la-5 and two Me 109 without result. The time is not specified in the regiment's report.
863 IAP = no information.

- 303 IAD => 12 la5 and 8 La7 of the 523rd IAP fly during the day. 1 fight has binds in the day.

from 4:30 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. two La7s encounter two Me-109s near Gumbinnen and the attacks one Me 109 is shot down and crashes 4 km SE of the town.



this fight matches that claim :

Wilhelm Batz of the Stab III./JG 52 shooted down a LaGG at4000m at 14:39 in the sector 25389.

this victory is not confirmed by the Soviet archives


The Soviet sources available to me do not allow me to identify the other battles that led to German claims. However, the lack of loss of Lagg-5 and Lagg-7 during the day suggests that all of JG52's victories come under Overclaiming.