Losses of FK I on 29.5.44

[yogybär]

Andreas, thanks a lot!

I also collected some bits from the VVS-side and try to write a small summry on these aerial and ground fightings.

During these 10days, the Luftwaffe & ARR flew up to 700 sorties per day over this 25km-wide strip of frontline... the intensity of the air battle must have been similar to some days at Kursk, although smaller and shorter in extension.

[Jan Gazda]

The air fighting was very intense indeed and the analogy with the Kursk battle fits to some extent. It is interesting, however, to compare the German claims to Soviet losses. Throughout the Kursk battle the German claims were almost at par with total Soviet losses which indicates very moderate overclaiming while troughout the Battle of Iasi the German claims were highly inflated. On 30 and 31 May German fighters reported 156 Soviet aircraft while 5 VA lost only seventy. Also, larger share of the claims was achieved by the top layer of the Jagdflieger than in the Battle of Kursk. For example, 21 out of 25 victories credited to III/JG 52 on 31 May was achieved by just three pilots : Batz, Hartmann and Birkner. So while the Iasi battle was without any doubt a victory for Luftwaffe when just comparing losses and victories it also showed that Jagdwaffe at that time was already a spent force on the Eastern front when compared to the Kursk Battle with ever shrinking number of aces bearing the brunt of the fighting.

Jan

[yogybär]

Jan,

thanks for your input. I see it as as you said: The air battles definitely had a very positive result for the Luftwaffe in terms of kill-to-loss-ratio.

But when it comes to good protection of the ground forces, JG52 failed: I.e., several attack by Pe-2 dive bombers were conducted w/o fighter interference. A problem for the german air defence of 8.Armee was the scarcity of 2cm-ammunition, so that a lot of the numerous guns had to stay silent.

On the ground the targeted improvement of the "Brückenkopf Iasi" failed. The situation developed so bad that an operation further east at 6. Armee had to be cancelled because the Luftwaffe's support in the Iasi area had to be prolonged due to soviet counterattacks.

[yogybär]

Originally Posted by Andreas Brekken

Hi!
I./SG 2

30.05.1944 1 aircraft, total loss, combat
30.05.1944 1 aircraft, damaged, combat
31.05.1944 1 aircraft, total loss, combat
06.06.1944 1 aircraft, damaged, combat

Regards,
Andreas B

Originally Posted by Andreas Brekken

OK, more summary losses:
III./S.G.2:
30.05.1944 1 aircraft, total loss, combat
01.06.1944 2 aircraft, total loss, combat
01.06.1944 1 aircraft, total loss, non-combat
02.06.1944 1 aircraft, damaged, non-combat
03.06.1944 1 aircraft, total loss, combat
05.06.1944 2 aircraft, total loss, non-combat

Hope this is of interest.

Regards,
Andreas B

Hello Andreas,

sorry for requesting your help again...

There is a story about a Stuka being shot down in this timeframe N of Iasi. The pilot was able to bail out, while the Bordfunker died in the crashing plane. But another Stuka landed near the pilot on "the other side" of the frontline and saved the pilot.

Do you maybe know wether one of the above-mentioned Ju87 total losses is connected to "only" a KIA Bordfunker?

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi, Yogy

I do not have access to the NVM's for these units so I cannot give you an exact answer.

But there are indications for several of the losses for III./SG 2 where I have one person KIA only for a loss of an aircraft.

Does not seem to apply for the dates listed.

Regards,
Andreas B

[yogybär]

OK, thanks anyway for looking.

One more loss: Don't know exactly why we didn't look into 14./SG9, but their only loss in June occured on 2nd June:

Hs129B-2 100%, Flg. Bruno Nindler KIA, attacked by fighter(s) at Cucuteni, 15km W Iasi
Source: Martin Pegg, Panzerjäger.



So altogether we get 2 german and 4 romanians Hs129 listed as 100% loss during these operations.