02Jun43 7./JG 26 and Lelv 34

[Nokose]

Trying to find out if the 7./JG 26 and Lelv 34 were acting in a joint operation against a Soviet Pe-2 bomber raid on the 02 Jun 1943 in the region of Kirkomansaari Island in the Gulf of Finland.

I found Finnish time of 14:15 - 15:15:
1st Lt. Väinö Pokela claiming a Pe-2 Harjavalta region
W/O Mauno Fräntilä " LaGG-3 Seiskari
Lt. Kalevi Tervo " Pe-2 ?
W/O Ovia Emil Kalervo Touminen " Pe-2 Someri
(Touminen forced landed in the sea but no reason found)

7./JG 26
Obfw Heinz Kemethmüller La-5 (67) 14:55 PlQu. 26 Ost/90113 2 km w. Lipowo
Fw. Erich Jauer Pe-2 (9) 14:56 Plqu 26 Ost/90113 2 km w. Lipowo

[Raimo Malkamäki]

Hi,
I have not found any mention in the Finnish sources, that this would have been a joint operation.
However, some comments and corrections.

The place you are referring is called Kirkonmaa, an island close to town of Kotka (saari = island).

Oiva Tuominen did shoot down Pe-2 (73 BAP) close to island of Someri. He was flying Ilmari Juutilainen´s plane MT-212 (Wnr 14753). LeLv 34 had got the Messerschmitts just a few months ago, and the pilots were still not used to the greater firepower of their new plane. Tuominen went very close to Pe-2, and when shooting, parts of the Pe-2 hit Tuominen´s propeller. Due to that, the engine started to vibrate quite strongly, and he had to make a forced landing on the sea, close to Someri island.

What happened then has became a kind of legend in the Finnish air war history, and the story is repeated in many books and articles. Men from coastal artillery sent a boat to get Tuominen, but he refused to get in, and wanted to swim instead all the way to the shore. Some officers came running to see Tuominen, who then said: "I decided to come to see you, since I already have my best dress on!"

Tuominen had actually just returned from a short vacation, and when the alarm was given at the airport, he still had his best vacation uniform on, with Mannerheim cross and all the other medals on his chest. After his swim trip the uniform eventually dried and it shrank so much that the sleeves ended at elbows and trousers looked like shorts.

MT-212 was lifted from the sea some days later, but sea water had already damaged the plane so much, that it was not possible to repair it, and it was written off. Three victories were achieved with MT-212.

Best regards,
Raimo

[Nokose]

Thank you Raimo,

Does Finnish sources state how many Pe-2 were intercepted by Finnish fighters? Also were they turned back or make it to their target?

Kirkomansaari (also listed Kirkkomansaari) was listed in the Soviet report of the raid.

I read that the German pilots sometimes used Finnish time while serving in Finland which would put 7./JG 26 in the same hour as their claims. In the report of the 4 GIAP KBF it has 10 La-5 under Kapt. Golubev being sent to rescue a fleeing Pe-2 of the 73 BAP KBF which they picked up at 4500 m. on approaching "Kirkkomansaari" island. They reported that they observed 10 Fw 190 and two Bf 109 attack the Pe-2. They engaged but it doesn't say what happen to the Pe-2 after that point. If it was a three Pe-2 flight making the raid that would mean only two fell to Finnish pilots before this time.

The claim of W/O Mauno Fräntilä for a LaGG-3 at Seiskari looked as if he might have been one of the two Bf 109. The running battle between the two sides had some interesting results. Besides Kemethmüller claiming a La-5 shot down the Soviet naval pilots also made some claims of their own.
Kapt. Evgeniy Terent'evich Tsyganov 4 GIAP KBF flying a La-5 claimed his 11th personal victory of a Fw 190 at "Kirkkomansaari" island.
Podpolkovnik Vasiliy Fedorovich Golube 4 GIAP KBF made his 10th personal victory of a Fw 190 at the same location.
St. Lt. Anton Il'ich Fedorin 4 GIAP KBF made his 2nd personal victory of a Fw 190 at the same location. (finish the war as a 9 victory & 1 group ace)
Actual losses of 7./JG 26 = 0.

Losses of 4 GIAP KBF: The La-5 of Bychkov had the control rod ailerons destroyed. It didn't mention how he landed in that condition. The 73 BAP had one Pe-2 each lost from the 1 AE, 2 AE and 3 AE that I can find.

[Raimo Malkamäki]

Hi,

the correct name of the island is Kirkonmaa (literally translated as "Land of the church").

The digitalized war diary of LeLv 34 states that there were 8 Pe-2s, 12 La-5s and 2 LaGGs coming towards Kotka, and after them 6 Pe-2s more.

http://digi.narc.fi/digi/view.ka?kuid=2904141

6 Finnish 109s were sent to intercept them, led by Lt Väinö Pokela.
It is not mentioned in the war diary if the Russians made to their target.

There were no other Finnish losses than MT-212.

A little later during the same afternoon there was another interception flight with 4 109s to eastern part of Gulf of Finland, led by Lt Lauri Pekuri. They fought with over 15 La-5s and LaGG-3s. Pekuri claimed one LaGG-3, which according to later research was probably Jak-7 from 13 KIAP.

Best regards
Raimo

[GMichalski]

hi,

very interesting info..

i add some more:

Pe-2 from 73 BAP-KBF, which lost 1 aircraft Starshiy Leytenant Tsarev, Leytenant Jefimenko and Serzhant Galkin were all killed atributed to Oiva Tuominen. 1/LeLv 34 claimed 3 Pe-2s and 1 damaged
7.-JG26 claimed one Pe-2

info from Hakans web:

http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/finland_tuominen.htm

regards