flugplatz Lemonsky

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

ad “Lemonsky”

There were no Soviet air regiment in such location near the border (+/- 15-100 km). Name more resamble to ex-Polish or Bialorussian, but not from Lithuania or Latvia - not such spellin which is more similar to Russian/Bialorussian one or even Polish.

Most of LW (if not all?) units had moved in the first days of Barbrossa on former Soviet's airfields. As mentioned earlier Prużana (stationary base for 33. IAP airfield + 74. SzAP of 10. SAD), or Wilno-Prubanek (42. and 237. IAP + others units) - both there were stationary airfields.

It is rather village names near the airfiled, I suppse.
I have never met on plenty ex-LW's photos taken from captured Soviet airfields such strange name.

regards
mw

[wit661owl]

Hi to all
First: name Lemonsky sounds rether like a name of kolkhoz than geografical name. Lemonsky in russian language is an Adjective of the Noun Lemon which means the same in several languages. I'm sure it was located on the Lithuania because during Barbarossa II./JG 53 didn't operated with rest of JG53 but supported JG54 in the drive of 4. PzGr from Armee Gruppe Nord to Leningrad. It must also lay on axis between Neusidel and Kreuzburg. And II./JG53 moved to it on June 25th so it must be taken by Germans around 23rd. On that day LVI Armee Corps (Mot.) reached a line of Raseiniai and Kedainiai.
All the best

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

ad. Raseiniai and Kedainiai

it is old Polish names like: Rosieny/Rossieny (a base for new formed 240. IAP) and Kiejdany, both in North-Western Front in Lithuania.

In Kiejdany was next Soviet assoult regiment - 61. SzAP. Both from 7. SAD.

There are many photos of I-153 from Kiejdany had done by Germans. So it is possible, that it is that place?


regards,
mw

[wit661owl]

I think so, however unless someone with access to oryginal Luftwaffe maps confirm this it is only a hypotesis or, somebody would have, a speculation. Anyway it seams probale that II./JG53 operated from that area between June 25th and July 1st when it moved to Jekabplis.
All the best

[Pesel##]

I have checked the Polish Town’s Evidence for 1931 (207 Mb file ready for download is here: http://www.mapywig.org/m_documents/P...CI_RP_1931.pdf) and…nothing.
As for temporary Soviet AF airfields, I have only partial list and I haven’t found complete one, though the best available in the net is here: http://www.rkka.ru/i22.htm. Special notice shall be paid to Ленинградский ВО (Leningrad Military District), Прибалтийский ОВО (Baltic Detached Military District) and Западный ОВО (Western Detached Military District). I think others are out of interest. I have check them and…nothing.

Needles to say we are discussing period 1939-1941, when Russian were hastily (with full sense of this word) building their aviation infrastructure on just-captured areas. As for distances of VVS RKKA airfields from the German border, some were pretty close: Tarnovo (129 IAP) – 12km, Dolubovo (126 IAP) – 22 km, Syeburchin (41 IAP) – 50 km, Visokye Mazovietskye (124 IAP) – 40km or Borissovshtizna (13 SBP) – 70 km to mention a few. I doubt our beloved “Lemon Sky” was a kolkhoz field as none were established yet on territories captured by Red Army in period 1939-1941.

I think good idea to narrow down our field of research would be finding a II./JG 53’s target list. An information about it’s losses provided by Larry is a good hint too.

[Larry deZeng]

Hi fellow researchers,

II./JG 53's claims would also be useful, but there do not seem to have been any during the 25-30 June period. I find this impossible to believe, so perhaps the Gruppe's claims paperwork for those 6 days was lost? Claims exist for the rest of the Geschwader for that time frame, but not for II. Gruppe. Strange.

Larry

[Maxim1]

Originally Posted by wit661owl

First: name Lemonsky sounds rether like a name of kolkhoz than geografical name. Lemonsky in russian language is an Adjective of the Noun Lemon which means the same in several languages.

Well, the noun "lemon" is actually "limon" (l-ee-mon) in Russian and corresponding adjective is "limonny", but not "lemonsky".

Lemonsky may be a Russian family name (Лемонский) of Polish or Jewish origin. There are a wood calling "Lemonsky" in Moscow Oblast and Lemonsky district in Voronezh Oblast.

[Maxim1]

Hi again, guys, I can offer you a really crazy theory

Just look at your keyboards. The keys "M" and "O" are placed right near the keys "N" and "I". A typographical error may be? If that's so, then we have "Leninsky" instead of mysterious "Lemonsky".

Best regards,
Maksim.

[wit661owl]

Hallo Maxim1 and all
It's possible that Lemonsky was in fact Leninsky but it doesn't change the fact that we still don't know where it was. To follow the claim list of II./JG53 was good idea but I have alreaddy figured out the same as Larry deZeng before Iplaced the post : no clims for that period. It seems that we may never know exact location unless someone has an oryginal Luftwaffe pilot's map of that area.
All the best

[Larry deZeng]

Hi w.661 et al,

We are rapidly running out of options. I have been hoping that Dr. Prien, an occasional visitor here, might see this thread and provide assistance. After all, it has been over 20 years since he wrote his 3-volume JG 53 Chronik, so I thought that he might have found a map or some additional information by now that would help with the Flugplatz Lemonsky puzzle. Perhaps one of you might care to send Dr. Prien a PM and direct his attention to this thread? His input may be the last option.

Larry