LW losses 28th May 1942 (Leningrad front) x 4 GIAP KBF

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Good afternoon to all members.

After identifying the crew of Oblt. Perzelt (Bo) of KG 1 and the crew of his Ju 88 A-4, thanks to the help of JUTTA and other members, I found that KG 1 and other He-111 units were attacked by I-16 RATA from 4 GIAP KBF.

The Russian pilots claimed 13 victories over the Leningrad área (Lake Ladoga, etc) that day (28th May 1942), of which 11 were positively identified by ground forces and corroborated (see here: http://allaces.ru/p/episode.php?id=856)

Am slowly translating the above text from the Russian, but would it be possible to have an overall perspective from the Luftwaffe with the losses of Bf 109, Ju 88 and He 111 recorded THAT DAY?

On the other hand, we do have some I-16 and I-153 claims made by JG 3 (Lt. Wilhelm Lemke), JG 54 (Zweigart and Schilling + Nowotny on the afternoon) and JG 77, that same day.

Am trying to identify and have a broader view of these combats that day. If someone can help with any LW or additional VVS loss (fighters), it would be great.

Most sincerely
Adriano B.

[Monaco]

This is the infos (from various sources) I have:
Luftflotte I launched two major raids against the Lake Ladoga ports of Kobona and Lednyovo with 80 bombers and Stukas. Alarmed by RUS-2 radar stations units of VVS-Leningrad Front and VVS-KBF rose to intercept.
MiG-3 equipped 159 IAP (CO: Starshiy Leytenant Petr Likholetov) attacked the leading group of Ju.88s from III./KG.1 head-on. In the meantime 6 I-16s of 286 IAP attacked the same group flying stubbornly nose-to-nose. The german bomber pilots were not prepared to face such an attack and the formation scattered as individual pilots attempted to avoid collisions. 159 IAP claimed 3 Ju.88s (including 1 each by Lt. Viktor Alexeevich Zotov and Petr Yakovlevich Likholetov) and 2 He.111s s/d, the latter probably from I./KG.53 (Lt. Pyotr (Petr) Yakovlevich Likholetov (25+5 AV, Winter War veteran) flying a Yak-7 (Polak/Shores), but more likely a P-40E Kittyhawk, of 159 IAP claimed 1 Ju.88 s/d in the Leningrad sector). 286 IAP was credited with 3 more bombers. One of it´s successful pilots, Serzhant Sergey Kotelnikov, received 3 bullet wounds in the process and his I-16 was hit 46 times. Above the fighting the German fighter commander and CO JG.54, Major Hannes Trautloft, tried in vain to control the situation. As 22 more I-16s of 4 GIAP/VVS-KBF (led by Starshiy Leytenant Vasiliy Golubev) attacked the rear group of Ju.88s he led his 24 Bf.109s down into a high-side attack.
4 GIAP/VVS-KBF suffered the following losses:
In the first pass: 2 I-16 badly shot up, both pilots WIA including ace St.Lt. Gennadiy Tsokolayev.
In the dogfight: 1 I-16 s/d and exploded in a ball of flame (Serzhant Vasiliy „Vasya“ Zakharov, KIA), 6 more I-16s damaged (1 more pilot WIA). Serzhant Zakharov was attacking Major Hannes Trautloft´s Bf.109F-4 (White „<<-+- “) when he was hit by his wingman.
Before Starshiy Leytenant Vasiliy Golubev (16+23) had claimed 2 He.111s s/d for his victories No. 20-21 and he had evaded an attack by Trautloft, who overshot the agile I-16 (Leytenant Vasiliy Fedorovich Golubev (39+12 AV, CO 3 AE) flying an I-16 from 4 GIAP/KBF claims his 20th & 21st victories over 2 He.111s in defense of Leningrad and Lake Ladoga).

4 GIAP/VVS-KBF was credited with 6 victories in this combat, but with the loss of 9 I-16s (destroyed/damaged) and 4 pilots (KIA/WIA) was in complete disarray.
Amongst the pilots of 4 GIAP/VVS-KBF which took part in the fighting was St.Lt. Mikhail Vasilyev (CO 1 AE) who´s score stood at 2+16 victories at that time. He flew an I-16 Mark 17 „White 28“ armed 20mm ShVAK cannons. On 14.06.42 he was appointed HSU, but he was KIA on 05.05.43 with a score of 22 victories. Other pilots of 4 GIAP/VVS-KBF at the end of May 1942 were D. Dimitriyev, L. Petelinskiy, Yevgeniy Tsyganov, Valerian Bakirov, S. Suvorkin, G. Lagutkin, D. Sotsenko, Yemelyan Strel´nikov, Filatov, Potapov, Petr Kozhanov, Boris Mikhailov (CO), Beznosov and G.A. Bagirov.
On 28.05.42 Ml.Lt. Shakro Yasonovich Bedukadze of I-16-equipped 4 GIAP-KBF was credited with 1 Ju.88 s/d over Zelenets O. for personal victory No.2 and 1/2 Ju.88 shared s/d over VMB Kobona area.

Against 14 soviet claims Luftflotte 1 lost in the morning raid 1 Ju.88 of KG.1 and 1 Ju.87 of III./StG.1 and in turn made 3 claims.

Anyway the soviet efforts prevented the bombers from accurate bombing and only gunboat Bira was sunk, some loaded trains were destroyed and some port installations and the railway station were hit. The ports remained operational.

In the evening Luftflotte 1 returned with circa 90 bombers and Stukas escorted by 61 Bf.109Fs of JG.54. Again alerted by radar fighters of 158 IAP (MiG-3/P-40), 159 IAP (MiG-3/P-40) and 4 GIAP/VVS-KBF (I-16) scrambled to defend the eastern ports, but Osinovets on the western shore was the target this time. Osinovets was defended by only 7 I-16s of 123 IAP led by St.Lt. Vasiliy Kharitonov that could not be supported as the other units were compelled to stay to their asssigned area according to soviet doctrine. 123 IAP made only ineffective gunnery runs. Anyway Osinovets was saved by the strong AAA barrage that took the wind out of the bombing, the provisions and store houses were set ablaze creating huge smoke columns and 8 railway wagons were destroyed, but the port installations could be made serviceable within a short time.

The attacks led only to temporarily decrease of tonnage brought to Leningrad via shipping on the Lake Ladoga from 1,743t (27.05.42) to 1,309t on 28.05.42.

Interception of a massive bomber raid:
The enemy in the middle and at the end of May of 1942 carried out several massive attacks on the ports at the Ladoga lake for disrupting the transport. In the interception of the raids the pilots of 4 GIAP (61 IABR-KBF) actively participated accepted. The largest enemy attack took place on 28.05.1942. In the morning 104 Ju-88, He -111 and Bf-109 aircraft attempted to deliver an attack on Kobono-Karedzhskom port.
*
At 09:40 the commander of 4 GIAP, B.I.Mikhaylov, obtained the order on the main portable radio of the eighth army to pass the duty unit into readiness No. 1 and to await the signal for departure with motors working.
The signal for departure was given at 09:44.
Six I-16s took off at 09:45: (G.I.Tsokolayev, S.S.Suvorkin, Ye.I.Dmitriyev, G.I.Rochev, Ye.F.Strel'nikov and Lt. Sh.Ya.Bedukadze). The remaining crews were transferred to readiness No. 1.
Six echelons of enemy bombers of 12-15 Ju-88s and He –111s per group approached the guarded object at a height of 2000-2500 m. The bombers were covered by 18 Bf-109s flying at the heights of 2800-3000 m. At the moment of the arrival of the first group of Soviet fighters two echelons of the enemy already had time to dive and to drop bombs on Lednevo. The regiment-commander saw with KP that more bomber were coming in ordered additionally two groups into the air.
Eight I-16s scrambled at 09:47 into the air: V.F.Golubev (leader), P.P.Kozhanov, A.Yu.Baysultanov, A.I.Kuznetsov, V.I.Petrov, P.F.Kravtsov, Kulikov and V.N.Zakharov.
At 09:56 one more group of eight I-16s rose into air (M.Ya.Vasil'ev, G.G.Lagutkin, S.D.Filatov, I.L.Tvorogov, V.M.Dmitriyev, D.A.Kirillov, Litvinenko and D.V.Pushkin.
Each group had in its composition two I-16s as a covering group and 6 I-16s in an assault echelon. On the approach to the enemy the covering group went in to attack the covering fighters and assault echelon conducted an attack on the bombers.
Following the 3rd to 6th echelons of bombers (in all 20 aircraft) approaching Kobony region at a height 2500-1500 m. the soviet pilots produced the first attack on the bombers on the move head-on and upset their battle formation. The german crews dropped their bombs in disorder and without attempting to break through to the target and by dive they tried to leave from the pursuit. After the first attacks the battle became single fight nature. The Soviet fighters began to produce attacks in pairs, also singly, each independently selected themselves a target. Attacks were conducted from all directions: from behind, on top, from the front, from below. Not only the components, but also the squadrons were mixed towards the end of the battle. The pilots flew with a feeling of responsibility for the covered object and did not depart from it to pursue enemy aircraft.

Suvorkin from behind and above attacked a Ju-88 to the right with two RSami from a distance of 700 m and from a distance of 150 m fired his machine-guns. The right motor on the aircraft of enemy began to smoke and the Ju-88 left with a decrease to the side of Shlissel'burg (Schlüsselburg). The second Ju-88 was attacked from behind from the tail: he let out four RS-rockets from a distance of 800 m, which exploded in front and behind the aircraft. He produced several machine-gun attacks on a Ju-88 and a Bf-109, but did not observe results.
Strelnikov let out four RSa on a Ju-88 from the tail and behind: two exploded below and two before the aircraft. The Ju-88 ran up and with a large decrease went in the direction of Kobony (the „mounds“) – probably the one credited shared with Suvorkin. In the progress of combat he attacked an enemy Bf-109, which with a decrease left downward, knocked out from the tail of Tsokolayev.
Tsokolayev and Strelnikov attacked a Ju-88 from behind aiming on the engine mountings, after which it went in the direction to Shlissel'burg with smoke.
Rochev attacked a Ju-88 with RSami from a distance of 600 m from behind and on the side, then with machine-gun fire from a distance of 600-300 m. The RSy exploded to the right. The right motor in the Ju-88 began to smoke. The bomber left in the direction of the „mounds“. He attacked a second Ju-88 from behind and the tail from a distance of 400 m with machine-gun fire. The radio operator-gunner did not conduct fire, apparently he was killed. The aircraft caught fire in the tail section and with a decrease went in the direction to Shlissel'burg. Rochev attacked a third Ju-88 from the front side with two RSami at a distance of 900 m. The RS exploded to the left. He also attacked two Bf-109s from behind and below with machine-gun fire from a distance of 100 m.
Bedukadze and Ye.Dmitriyev attacked two Ju-88s from behind and top with machine-gun fire from a distance of 50-100 m, which with a decrease and smoke flew in the direction „d. it is sticky“.
Bedukadze attacked a Ju-88 from top, behind and the side with two RSami from a distance of 600-700 m. The RSy exploded 10-15 m behind it. In a second attack on the same aircraft he fired one RSom, which exploded near the right wing of the Ju-88, after which it overturned. At this time two Bf-109s latched on Bedukadze´s tail and he turned away. He saw after levelling out, that something fell into the water south of Zelenets Is..; above the water the pilot observed three black spots 200 m from each other. He attacked the diving Ju-88 from the front and top and gave on it a barrage of machine-gun fire from a distance of 200-150 m. out of a left peak. Bedukadze made a chandelle and attacked again from behind, top and the side. After making 5-6 short bursts from a distance of 5 m. the gunners of the aircraft in the forward compartment firstly conducted fire, that then ended. Bedukadze´s aircraft rushed by at great speed and he did not see the Ju.88 again.
Ye.Dmitriyev attacked with two RSami a Ju-88 from behind and top at a height of 2500 m from a distance of 700 m. The RS exploded 30 m behind and on the side. Then he attacked with machine-gun fire from a distance of 200-150 m. By barrage machine-gun fire he attacked a second Ju-88 from the tail from at a distance of 150 m. He did not observe results. He attacked a third Ju-88 from the front and below with two RS from a distance of 800 m. The RS were exploded in front of the bomber and it went downward in the direction to Shlissel'burg with the left bank. He attacked one more Ju-88 from the front with machine-gun fire from a distance of 200-50 m. Results he did not observe. He attacked another Ju-88 from behind and tail with two RS from a distance of 900 m. His shell bursts lay 100 m behind.
Tsokolayev attacked a Bf-109 with machine-gun fire head-on, which zoomed up and showed it´s belly. He gave three additional long bursts on it, after which it went upward, overturned on one wing, sharply went downward and fell in the region „d. black“. He produced several attacks on a Ju-88, but did not observe results. After being absorbed by the pursuit of the enemy, he was detached away from the group and not covered by anyone was attacked by two Bf-109s from behind. As a result the aircraft was damaged, the left side of elevator was hit as was the probit stabilizer from the left side, the wings and other damages were obtained. The pilot himself obtained a bullet injury in the left arm, but he managed to complete a landing on his airfield.

Kozhanov let out four RS rockets from a distance of 600 m from behind and top, which accurately exploded near to a Ju-88. The aircraft was wrapped in smoke and went with a decrease in the direction „mounds“ and fell. He attacked a second Ju-88 from the front and below with machine-gun fire from a distance of 100 m, which also left in a decrease in the direction of Kobony („d. mounds“).

Kutznetsov (Blacksmiths ?) attacked a Ju-88 from the front and top with BS and SHKAS-SHPITAL'NYY-KOMARNITSKIY 7.62 MM RAPID-FIRE AIRCRAFT MACHINE GUN from a distance of 150 m. He also attacked a Bf-109 to the distance of 50 m. He attacked a Ju-88 at the moment of ist´ output from a dive from behind and below at a distance of 150 m. The bomber left with large black smoke to the direction Zelenets Island.

Petrov attacked a Ju-88 from the front and above with five RSami from a distance of 900 m. One of the projectiles exploded near the motors, one near the tail. Petrov continued to attack aircraft with BS and SHKAS-SHPITAL'NYY-KOMARNITSKIY 7.62 MM RAPID-FIRE AIRCRAFT MACHINE GUNS from behind from distance of 100 m. The bomber fell near the lighthouse „mounds“. Then Petrov attacked He–111 together with an aircraft from 1st AE from behind and the side. The right motor of the bomber stopped after the attack. From the distance of 200-250 m he fired from BS and SHKAS-SHPITAL'NYY-KOMARNITSKIY 7.62 MM RAPID-FIRE AIRCRAFT MACHINE GUN. The aircraft of the enemy went in the direction of Shlissel'burga with a decrease.

Pitelinskiy attacked a Ju-88 from behind and below with BS and SHKAS-SHPITAL'NYY-KOMARNITSKIY 7.62 MM RAPID-FIRE AIRCRAFT MACHINE GUN after which the right motor began to smoke. He turned to the left by 90 degrees towards a Bf-109, which rushed by from above. He then attacked a He -111 from behind with BS and SHKAS-SHPITAL'NYY-KOMARNITSKIY 7.62 MM RAPID-FIRE AIRCRAFT MACHINE GUN from a distance of 100 m, which at the same time was attacked by two other I-16s from below in the belly.
Kravtsov let out two RS on a Ju-88 from behind and the side, which lay next to it. Together with Rochev he attacked a He-111 from behind and top with machine guns from a distance of 100 m. They did not observe results.

Golubyov attacked a He–111 from behind with two RSami, after which it left downward in a decrease. He fired at it with machine-guns from 70 m.
The same He -111 it was attacked from the side by Serg. Vasiliy Nikanorovich Zakharov (0+2 AV). This Pilot was absorbed by his attack, cut into the enemy formation and substituted himself under the fire of a gunner from a second He-111 and a Bf-109, which attacked him from behind. The He-111 and I-16 Type 29 of Zakharov fell in the Zelenets Is. region.

? attacked a Bf-109 from the front with machine-gun fire from a distance of 100 m, then after turning attacked it from the tail from a distance of 100-300m. The same Bf-109 was attacked from the front by two additional I-16s, after which it went upward and then sharply downward.

Kirilov (The Cyrils) attacked a Bf-109 east of Zelenets Is. from top and behind, after which it went downward in a left-hand turn, where it was attacked by Vasil'yev and Tvorogov. It went with a decrease and the smoke to the West.

Vasil'yev and Tvorogov attacked two Bf-109s from below and front from a distance of 500-50 m, one of which left upward, the second - downward. The lower was attacked head-on by Lagutkin, after which it sharply went downward.

V.Dmitriyev attacked a Ju-88 three times, after which the bomber left with smoke in the direction of Sinyavino („d. it was sticky“).

Lagutkin attacked a Ju-88 from behind, after which the aircraft of the enemy with a sharp decrease and the smoke went in the same direction (credited with 1 Ju.88 shared with Dmitriyev and Litvinenko over Sinyavino).

Litvinenko attacked a Ju-88 from below from a distance of 250 m at the moment of the dive and on leaving from the dive from behind from distance of 100-50 m. He lit up to it´s left motor. The same Ju-88 was attacked by two additional pilots and fell in the Sinyavino region.

Kirilov (The Cyrils) attacked a Ju-88 from top and behind from a distance of 500-250 m, after which the bomber began to smoke strongly and the gunner ceased fire. It went with a sharp decrease to 300 m in the direction of Shlissel'burg.

Vasil'yev attacked a Ju-88 from below, then after an attack from the tail from with guns from a distance of 300m the aircraft went downward. Vasil'yev pursued it to a height of 100 m, where his observation ended, since he attacked two other Ju-88s.

In the fortieth minute of combat, when in the Soviet aircrafts fuel and ammunition ended, fifteen He-111s and twelve Bf-109Fs approached Kobony. Golubyov led six I-16s into a head-on attack on nine He-111s and one of the bombers was s/d. In the pair led by Kozhanov the ammunition ended and their head-on attack was a failure.

Together the pilots stated about killing 13 enemy aircraft, after refinement and obtaining of confirmation from the ground forces to the pilots of the 4th GIAP were credited with 11: Golubyov and Zakharov- one He-111; Vasil'yev, Tvorogov and Kirilov- one Bf-109; Vasil'yev, Lagutkin and Capt. Ivan Leont'evich Tvorogov - one Bf-109 in the Kobony area; Lagutkin, Litvinenko and Ye.Dmitriyev - one Ju-88 in the Sinyavino area, Suvorkin and Strelnikov - one Ju-88, Ye.Dmitriyev and Bedukadze - one Ju-88, Kuznetsov, Petrov, Kozhanov, Bedukadze (over Zeleniy Island) , Rochev - on one Ju-88.
Rochev, Kozhanov, Kozhanov, Petrov each one Ju-88 personally.
*
14:35-15:15: Five I-15s, one I -153 and four I-16s of 11 IAP accompanied a TB-3 on it´s flight from the airfield of N.Ladoga to Leningrad. In the Osinovets region they conducted an air combat with ten Bf-109s at a height of 1000 m. As a result two Bf-109s were s/d and one Bf-109 was hit.
*
Throughout the day according to the data of the armed forces communique of VVS KBF eight Ju-88s, two He–111s, five Bf-109s were s/d and one Bf-109 was hit in the air battles.
(from all aces.ru)

On 28.05.42 Serzhant Aleksandr Grigorievich Andrianov (9+7) of I-16/Yak-1-equipped 123 IAP (7 IAK, Leningrad-PVO) was credited with 1 Bf.109 s/d between Kokkorevo-M. Osinovets.
On 28.05.42 Ml.Lt. Aleksandr Vasilyevich Bachin (5+3) of I-16/Yak-1-equipped 123 IAP (7 IAK, Leningrad-PVO) was credited with 1 Ju.88 s/d between Tatarshino Oz.-Kokkorevo for personal victory No.1. Bachin had joined 123 IAP as St.Serzhant in December 1941.

KG.1 losses:
28.05.42; 8./KG.1; LF.1; (F); Ladoga Lake; ?; Ju88A-4; Wnr.3799; 100%; crew: Obfw. H. Beck (F); Oblt. Perzelt, W. (Bo); Uffz. Jaeger, H. (Bf); Uffz. Loo, H. (Bs).
28.05.42; 9./KG.1; LF.1; (F); AE. Pskov; damage to the chassis, emergency landing; Ju88A-4; Wnr.3725; 75%; -
28.05.42; II./KG.1; LF.1; (F); AE. Pskov; pilot error; Ju88A-4; Wnr.6620; 20%; -
28.05.42; 7./KG.1; LF.1; (F); AE. Pskov; engine failure, emergency landing; Ju88A-4; Wnr.4648; 60%; -

Greets, Monaco

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Dear Monaco,

You really gave me a NORTH, regarding the other VVS units' activities that day, most particularly the 159 IAP, 123 IAP and 286 IAP.

I thought the 4 GIAP claims were well supported (it seems they were checked by ground-forces), however you pointed me that KG 1 suffered only one 100% loss (the aircraft of Oberleutnant Perzelt and crew), although other aircraft returned with damages up to 75%.

I am really in debt with you and do appreciate your time and efforts to enlight me about that particular combats over Lake Ladoga that day.

Most humbly yours and grateful for all the assistance,
Adriano B.

[Monaco]

Any time, you´re welcome!

[Juha]

Hello Monaco
thanks a lot for the very thorough information!
I have one extra question, did the Soviet AA make any claims during these raids?

TIA
Juha

[Monaco]

I have different infos about the soviet victory claims defending Kobona. In Batailles Aeriennes No.30 for both raids (morning and evening) the defenders claimed 81 victories including 33 claimed by fighters. D. Deygtev & D. Zubov give the figures of 31 aircraft claimed in the first raid and 19 claimed in the second by both fighters and AAA. As we know even if we take the lower figure of 50 it was a huge exaggeration.

Here are the german claims quoting Prien et al. (JFV 9/III):

Stab/JG.54 morning and evening, 2 (bomber) escort missions to ports on the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga (no claims - no loss):

I./JG.54 morning and evening, 2 (bomber) escort missions to ports on the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga (2 claims - no loss):
28.05.42 Ltn. Hans Beißwenger: 58 3./JG 54 Pe-2  - 15.10 Film C. 2036/II Nr.102290/43 (579)
28.05.42 Ltn. Walter Nowotny: 20 3./JG 54 I-16 Rata  - 19.51 Film C. 2036/II Nr.102290/43 (580)

II./JG.54 morning and evening, 2 (bomber) escort missions to ports on the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga (no claims - no loss):

III./JG.54 morning and evening, 2 (bomber) escort missions to ports on the eastern shore of Lake Ladoga (2 claims - no loss):
28.05.42 Ofw. Wilhelm Schilling : 27 9./JG 54 I-16 Rata  11 793: at 500 m. 08.58 Film C. 2034 Anerk: Nr.195 (611)
28.05.42 Ofw. Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart: 16 9./JG 54 I-16 Rata  - 09.04 Film C. 2036/II Nr.102290/43 (612)

If you are interested in more details about soviet claims/ losses I will provide, but´ll take some time...

Regards

[Monaco]

Here some more info from Deygtev/Zubov about the raids of 28.05.42:
In the early morning of 28.05.42 several german recce planes passed over Kobona and Osinovets at high altitude and located soviet ships. Soon they were followed by 80 bombers and dive-bombers (including 54 Ju.88As, Ju.87 Stukas (?) and Heinkel He.111) and 24 escorting Bf.109Fs of JG.54 (led by CO Obstlt. Trauloft) from several A/Ds. the Ju.88s flew towards Kobona and Lednevo from different directions in groups in intervals of 2-3 minutes at 2,000-2,500m altitude followed by the „Stukas“ and „Heinkels“ some 200-500m higher with Bf.109 escort even higher. At 09.40h the KP of Ladoga PVO received a warning by (RUS) radar stations, that groups of e/a were approaching the lake from S of Mga station. The HQ of 4 GIAP-KBF was immediately informed and at 09.46h 6 I-16s of 2 AE (led vby St.Lt. G.D. Tsokolayev) of the regiment t/o from their field airfield located 8km SE Kobona. They were followed by 6 more I-16s from the 3 AE (led by St.Lt. V.F. Golubev) at 09.47h followed by 8 I-16s of 1 AE/ 4 GIAP-KBF (led by St.Lt. M. Ya. Vasilyev) at 09.55h.

2 AE/4 GIAP-KBF (pilots): 3 AE/4 GIAP-KBF (pilots): 3 AE/4 GIAP-KBF (pilots):
Tsokolayev Golubev Vasiliev
Suvorkin Kozhanov Lagutkin
Dmitriev Petrov Filatov
Rochev Kravtsov Tvorogov
Strelnikov Kulikov V. Dmitriev
Bedukadze Zakharov Kirillov
Litvinenkov
Pushkin


After t/o 2 AE began patrolling at 2,500m, 3 AE at 3,000m, 1 AE was still approaching so St.Lt. Golubev took overall command of the 20 I-16s of 4 GIAP. Even before 4 GIAP engaged 5 MiG-3s from 159 IAP and 6 I-16s of 286 IAP attacked the german aircraft approaching Kobona in groups of 6, 8, 10, 12 from the south, southwest, west and north at high altitude. 5 MiG-3s of 159 IAP were led by St.Lt. P.Ya. Likholetov and attacked the leading 9 Ju.88s from III./KG.1 „Hindenburg“ head-on folowed by the 6 I-16s from 286 IAP also attacking head-on.
The 159 IAP pilots claimed 3 Ju.88s and 2 He.111H s/d, the 286 IAP pilots 3 „bombers“ forcing the rest to drop their bombs and turn back. One I-16 of the latter unit was damaged by return fire and Serzhant Sergey Kotelnikov received three bullet wounds, but managed to reach his airfield, where the mechanics counted 46 bullet holes in his fighter.
In the meantime 4 GIAP-KBF attacked with 2 AE (Tsokolayev) firing volleys of RS-82 rockets in an „ad hoc“ attack, which acording to soviet reports upset the german formation and forced the bombers to drop their loads before reaching the target. In the meantime 3 AE tangled with the Bf.109 escort, then also dispersing another bomber formation, which also dumped their bombs without reaching the target. When Vasilyev´s 1 AE attacked the german formation order was in complete disarray.
In total 4 GIAP pilots claimed 7 Ju.88s, 2 He.111s and 2 Bf.109s s/d. So the claims by fighters in the morning interceptions were 19 (10 Ju.88, 4 He.111, 2 Bf.109, 3 bombers):

3 Ju.88s and 2 He.111H by 159 IAP
3 bombers by 286 IAP
7 Ju.88s, 2 He.111s and 2 Bf.109s by 4 GIAP-KBF

The german version differs greatly, but admitts, that the I-16 launched rockets really mixed up the formation of two german bomber groups. The gunners abord the Ju.88s vigorously fought back and the 24 Bf.109Fs of Obstl. Trautloft immediately dived on the „Ratas“ with Obfw. Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart and Obfw. Wilhelm Schilling of 9.Staffel each claiming 1 I-16 s/d.
In fact 4 GIAP-KBF lost 1 I-16 (Serzhant V.N. Zakharov of 3 AE being KIA) and 8 more damaged (2 of them heavily) - three pilots were WIA (including the 25-year old leader of 2 AE, St.Lt. Tsokolayev).
According to Golubev´s memoirs Zakharov died in a taran attack (not confirmed in official documents nor in german records). Golubev gave his wingman Vasiliy Nikanorovich Zakharov the order to attack the bombers exspecting, that he still had ammunition, when 2 Bf.109Fs suddenly attacked from above. Zakharov did not respond and continued to fly on Golubev´s left side, who did a deep slide turning over the wing. The burst of the first Bf.109 passed by over the right wing of Zakharov´s I-16. Then the second Bf.109 bored in to 50m distance, when Zakharov - apparently out of ammunition - zoomed up thereby turning left and rammed the german fighter. Golubev from above and left saw a big explosion comparing it to that of a land mine. Zakharov thereby saved his AE commander having just flown two months in the regiment.
Golubev´s view of the combat is not very likely from the position of being the leader of the attack. Hannes Trautloft remembered, that he attacked 3 I-16s, that pursued a Ju.88. He caught 1 „Rata“ in his sight, but this escaped his fire with a sharp turn. Trautloft then overshot with his high speed and was attacked himself, but at the last moment the attacking I-16 was torn apart by 20mm hits in the cabin, exploding. Maybe this was the explosion Golubev saw and assumed a taran attack by Zakharov.
The commander of the Ladoga Flottilla Kap. 1st Grade Cherokov and the C-in-C KBF Vice Admiral Tributs were at Kobona, when at about 10.00h the attack began from south, southwest and west groups of 12-24 aircraft arrived and the AA gunners opened fire, whils own fighters - few in numbers - took off to intercept. There was no time to disperse the ships. Most bombs fell on the birth of the gunboats and Bira took a direct hit on the bow with 14 crewmembers being KIA and 37 more WIA. Kapitan-Leytenant A.I. Dudnik beached his ship with the stern and was half sunken in shallow water.
The commander of the gunboat division, Kapitan 1 Ranga, N. yu. Ozarovskiy, wrote in his diary that at 09.30h gunboats Nora and Bira had docked on either side of one pier and began unloading with gunboats Selemdzha and Bureya standing by in the Bay. then suddenly enemy planes attacked with bombs and the ships opened fire. Nora backed up and quickly retreated surrounded by bomb blasts. One bomb fell on the pier and turned it over blocking the way for Bira, which was hit by a bomb on the left waist in front of the bridge. The commander of the AAA battery, Lt. Popov, was WIA, but still directed his men with blood running from his face. The german bombers attacked out of a dive or from level flying at just 200-300m altitude targeting ships, piers and warehouses in anew. A total of 300 dropped HE bombs dropped on Kobona were counted.
On her way out to open sea Nora as attacked by 13 dive bombers, which straddled her hull and superstructure many times (170 holes were later counted) and guns and machinery were damaged, 30 sailors WIA, but the technicians led by Inzhener-Kapitan V.G. Pyrjalov saved the solid-constructed ship. It was stated, that three 250kg or 500kg bombs or one even larger bomb were necessary to sink a ship of this class. Gunboat Selemdzha was also damaged, 2 men were WIA by shrapnels.

VVS of Leningrad Front and KBF claimed a total of 31 victories. In fact german losses were limited to just 2 aircraft: 1 Ju.88A of KG.1 and 1 Ju.87R of III./StG.1. the Ju.88 was s/d by AA gunners directly over Kobona and didn´t get out of the dive crashing ino a coastal sandbank, where it´s tail remained sticking out of the water spectacularly not far from the piers. Probably this was Ju88A-4 Wnr.3799 from 8./KG.1.

In Kobona port two piers, warehouses and communication lines were destroyed, a few tugboats damaged, on the railroad station 7 food cars and 8 ammunition wagons burnt. However the losses among soldiers and civilians in the cramped port area were high and one witness (Antonina Gorbacheva, inhabitant of Kobona) reported of thosands of victims with aircraft even machine-gunning individuals making several passes. What A. Gorbacheva describes was aside of military value yet another indiscriminate german terror attack and the wounded sent to the evacuation hospitals in dozens quickly overwhelmed their capacity.

The second raid was carried out by some 90 bombers escorted by 61 Bf.109Fs from JG.54 against port and railway station of Osinovets on the western shore of Ladoga Lake. After radar detection 26 fighters of 4 GIAP-KBF, 158 IAP and 159 IAP were scrambled. However the were patrolling far away in the Kobona area and only a group of 7 I-16s from 123 IAP led by St.Lt. Vasiliy Kharitonov attacked a large group of bombers, but were unsuccessful and returned to their airfield. The raid did a lot of damage to the port installations, burned warhouses with food, raised a a giant, horrifying flame into the dark sky (Trautloft), destroyed 8 wagons at the railway station and damaged transport „Vilsandi“. Eye witness Kapitan L.A. Ivanov recalled the grief experince, when children still waiting for evacuation were pressing themselves into the dug-outs don´t losing a cry throughout the bombardment. Defending AAA gunners and fighters claimed 19 victories.
Replenishment of Leningrad through Osinovets fell from 1743 t on 27.05.42 to 1309t on 29.05.42.

[Juha]

Hello Monaco
Thanks a lot for the extra information!

Thankfully
Juha

[Adriano Baumgartner]

MONACO,

You indeed compiled a fantastic clear Picture of the air combats that day! A lot of overclaiming on both sides.

Adriano B.

[Monaco]

thanks, it' s a pleasure. If i Had More Time i would Participate more often on this Forum. No Losses für kg.4 and kg.53 in 28.5.42 in My Books-chronicles.
Regards
Monaco