Ivan Shamanov

[PMoz99]

Michael, you can easily translate any page (as I just did with the link you provided) - if you open the page in Google Chrome, right-click on the page and click Translate and it will (should!) translate the page into the language set as default on your computer
Peter

[knusel]

Originally Posted by kirche

Hi Michael,
...
There were only three regiments of bombers that carried out the task of combating other aircraft.
Best regards,
Kirill

Good evening Kirill,

which three regiments do you mean ?

Michael

[kirche]

Michael, good morning.
111, 112, 113 AP NOB DD (night hunters-blockers) - 1943-1944.
But these are not fighters - this is an analogue of the "intruders" of the RAF.
Best regards,
Kirill

[knusel]

Good evening Kirill,

Soviet intruders ?
What were they flying ? Polikarpov U-2's ?
;-)

Michael

[HGabor]

U-2? Come on... ;-) They flew B-25 Mitchell and A-20G Boston gunships and claimed several night victories against eg. Me 110G, Do 217N? night-fighters. Later unit names and actions are better known as 26 & 27 GvAP NOB DD ... (Some of their Bostons were: 42-53627, 42-53677, 42-53722, 42-53734, 42-53739, 42-53748, 42-53897, 42-54258, etc.) They mainly blocked/disabled the enemy night-fighter airfields with their 20 mm cannon fire and bombs during soviet night raids for the safety of their IL-4, Li-2 bombers.

[kirche]

Michael,
There were also two regiments of long-range night fighters on A-20G aircraft (they were equipped with Soviet radar systems). But their military successes were insignificant - only in 1945 they made a significant contribution to the disruption of the air bridge to the surrounded Breslau.
It's 56 IAD (45 APON and 173 APON).
After the war, the A-20G was returned to the Americans (without radar) and the regiments were armed with a fighter version of the Tu-2.
Kirill

[knusel]

Good morning Kirill & Gabor,

very interesting.
I assume no aces were generated during these activities ?

Michael

[HGabor]

Perhaps most famous (B-25, then) A-20G night fighter, Gv.Maj. Nikita Andreevich Krapiva (HSU) of 27 GvAP NOB DD had several night kills. Not sure if ground kills were added to their toll as their main role was to block/disable NJG airfield traffic at night, during nearby soviet air raids with their radar equipped gunships. They used radar to catch enemy night fighters in the dark and destroyed them with deadly and concentrated fire power of their 4 x 20 mm nose cannon compartment, or 6 x 12.7 mm machine gun fire.

[HGabor]

Soviet intruder A-20Gs of 27 GvAP NOB DD, prepared for a night mission in 1944. Note unit's lightning mark and the 4 nose cannons. Usually 6-8 A-20s blocked the nearby NJG airfields during the night attacks of the soviet IL-4, Li-2 bombers.

[HGabor]

Soviet mission entry sample for the Gv.Lt. Ponomarenko crew (27 GvAP NOB DD, A-20G, S/N: 42-53748) on Belostov airfield in the night of July 8/9, 1944. (Soviet A-20G night intruders had a crew of 3, while standard daylight A-20 bombers had a crew of 4 -, a bombardier/navigator in the nose instead of the cannon compartment.)