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  #1  
Old 23rd May 2013, 20:18
keith A keith A is offline
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659 IAP KOLDUNOV

Why was this ace with the 659 IAP in November 1944? He serves almost all his WW2 service in 866 IAP but claims four victories with this unit. Was the 659 IAP equipped with Yak-3 at this time?

regards

Keith
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Old 24th May 2013, 12:25
HGabor HGabor is offline
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Re: 659 IAP KOLDUNOV

Koldunov was in 17 VA, 288 IAD, 866 IAP, flying one of the first Yak-3s of his regiment in 1944. 866 IAP received Yak-3s beside their main Yak-9T (eg. 1015355) and some Yak-9D model mainly in early 1945, like: 310099, 310233 from Tbilisi plant. 17 VA, 288 IAD regiments (611, 659, 866, 897 IAP) sometimes were stationing side by side. In case of emergency, mechanical issues, or alarmstart they borrowed each other’s planes, just as famous 17 VA, 31st IAP La-5FN ace, Capt. Nikolai Skomorokhov borrowed Maj. Nikolai Romanov‘s (17 VA, 295 IAD division HQ.) single La-7FN, S/N: 3811716, white ‘16’ (from Zavod 381.) on his January 16, 1945 mission. His 31st IAP received their very first 13 La-7FNs as late as March, 1945!!! (eg. 45211183, white ‘83’). (17 VA, 295 IAD got 30 La-7s altogether, including these 13 31st IAP planes.)

659 IAP also received several Yak-3s especially in early 1945, like: 1215, 4516, 2917, 3918 from Saratov (Zavod 292.), and 310155, 310137, 310044, etc. from Tbilisi (Zavod 31.) beside their main Yak-9D (eg. 16166093 from Omsk, Zavod 166.) and Yak-9DD models (eg. 0115315 from Novosibirsk, Zavod 153.).

Cheers,

Gabor
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  #3  
Old 24th May 2013, 15:58
keith A keith A is offline
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Re: 659 IAP KOLDUNOV

Thanks Gabor,

It seems that he may have been flying a 659 IAP Yak-9D as a substitute then.

salut


Keith
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  #4  
Old 24th May 2013, 20:39
keith A keith A is offline
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Re: 659 IAP KOLDUNOV

...but on two different days?

It seems clear he was flying a Yak-9D, M or T which ruins my thought that he was training them to fly Yak-3s.

best regards
Keith
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Old 25th June 2013, 13:20
HGabor HGabor is offline
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Re: 659 IAP KOLDUNOV

Maj. Koldunov belonged to the 17 VA, 288 IAD, 866 IAP. He flew one of the first Yak-3s of the 17 VA, 288 IAD. His first Yak-3 was Saratov-built, S/N:1711 from September 22, 1944.

His other known Yak-3 was also a Saratov-built Yak-3 (S/N:1933 between March 28, 1945 and May, 1945). According to the regular, quarterly mechanical division-report this plane was still in service at least 'til July 1, 1945.

According to TsAMO mechanical report, 288 IAD had the following Saratov-built Yak-3s on October 1, 1944: S/N: 1215, 1515, 1711 (Koldunov), 2917, 3918 and 4516.
On October 8, 1944 the 866th IAP received another Saratov-built Yak-3 S/N: 2015.
On October 10, 1944 they received 3 new Tbilisi-built Yak-3s too: 310055, 310081 and 310220. Most of these planes were re-assigned to 659. IAP in the next few days or weeks, including Koldunov's 1711 which was flown by V. M. Smeshkov (659. IAP HQ.) between November 15, 1944-March 9, 1945. Between April 4-30, 1945 this plane was flown by Capt. Victor A. Shukin (also 659. IAP)

Two of these Saratov-built 17 VA, 288 IAD, 659 IAP Yak-3s were shot down by Hungarian 'Puma' Bf 109 fighters on January 16, 1945 in a heavy dogfight over Seregélyes & Sárszentmihály, - both Soviet pilots were KIA:

Yak-3, S/N: 2917, engine 422-275, white '29', pilot: мл.л-т Галкин Николай Иванович (№138088, KIA)
Yak-3, S/N: 3918, engine 422-470, white '39', pilot: ст.л-т Фисенко Михаил Александрович (№138850, KIA)

Saratov (292. factory)-built Yak-3s: XXYY, where X=plane ID, as well as factory painted tactical (fuselage) number (marking), Y= batch No. Therefore Maj. Koldunov's Yak-3 (1711) was probably white '17' during the November 7, 1944 incident over Yugoslavia with the P-38s of the 15. USAAF, 82nd FG.
(For some reason eg. 5 VA used the long serial number version in their reports with factory number in the centre as: XX292YY)

Tbilisi, 31. factory-built Yak-3s: 31YYXX, where 31=factory no., X=plane ID & white fuselage marking/number, Y=Batch No.


Gabor

Last edited by HGabor; 25th June 2013 at 14:39.
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  #6  
Old 25th June 2013, 16:03
markjsheppard markjsheppard is offline
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Re: 659 IAP KOLDUNOV

Hi Gabor

Hopefully won't mind hijacking this thread.

I am trying to find out more information on a 161th fighter regiment pilot called Spitsyn who was with the unit in early 1942.

How would I go about finding more on him.

regards

Mark
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  #7  
Old 26th June 2013, 00:37
HGabor HGabor is offline
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Re: 659 IAP KOLDUNOV

Mark,

I just sent you a private message. If you do not mind, here I would stay with the topic for easier follow-ups.
Thanks,

Gabor
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Old 26th June 2013, 01:08
markjsheppard markjsheppard is offline
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Re: 659 IAP KOLDUNOV

Gabor

No problem.

regards

Mark
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  #9  
Old 26th June 2013, 10:46
keith A keith A is offline
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Re: 659 IAP KOLDUNOV

Thanks for the info Gabor. So he was flying Yak-3 from September 1944. I think I am beginning to understand a little more about the VVS. I am still a bit confused about the 659 IAP details... maybe it was just a typo?

much thanks

Keith
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  #10  
Old 26th June 2013, 13:11
HGabor HGabor is offline
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Re: 659 IAP KOLDUNOV

Keith,

Correct. Koldunov flew his first Yak-3 (No.1711, - white 17) since September 22, 1944. Two of his Yak-3s are known: 1711 and 1933, but he flew other planes as well. On these two planes he completed 120 missions between September 22, 1944 and May 1, 1945. He definitely belonged to the 866th IAP, but: flying the newest model (Yak-3) of the 288th division, he and his fellows were an ‘elite-team’. He not only joined the 659 IAP on November 7, 1944 over Nis, Yugoslavia against the ‘friendly-enemies’: 82nd FG P-38s during their friendly-fire incident, but they also joined the 897 IAP on November 10, 1944 strafing the Pécs airfield in Hungary. In the morning of November 10, 1944, a single Boston bomber (most likely A-20C, S/N: 42-33151) of 17 VA, 244. BAD, 260. BAP, 1st BS, piloted by Capt. Ivan Stepanovich Chekurin flew a successful recce. mission over Pécs airfield in Southern-Hungary, photographing about 60, mainly twin-engined enemy planes. Soviet HQ. immediately ordered a long-range air-strike on Pécs airfield in the same afternoon. Soviet Yak-1b and Yak-9T fighters of the 897 IAP had 4 waves, while Koldunov’s new Yak-3s formed the 5th group, protecting the others. So it looks like they, as an ‘elite group’ were used for special missions to protect others.

The standard fighter type of the ‘white-arrowed’ 659 IAP at that time was the Yak-9D. After November, 1944 they rapidly received several Yak-3s. Since in 1944-1945 mainly the 659. IAP Yaks escorted the Lend Lease A-20 Boston formations of the 17 VA, 244 BAD, they wanted to provide the best escort for the expensive bombers, carrying 4 people in each. Probably this is why the 659 IAP got so many brand new Yak-3s soon after November, 1944. But as I said, Koldunov’s 866 IAP Yak-3 team had joined other IAPs (659, 897) of the 288th IAD as well for special escort.

The Yak-3s kept arriving to the 288 IAD and their regiments - according to the mechanical reports (TsAMO) – had the following number of Yak-3s in service on:

January 1, 45: 58 - (659, 866 IAP and 288th division HQ. losses eg.: 2917, 3918, 4516, 310062, 310173, etc.)
Feb. 1, 45: 54 (February losses eg.: 310155)
March 1, 45: 53 (March losses eg.: 310233, 310370, 310167, etc.)
April 1, 45: 87 (April losses eg.: 310377, 310118 near Wiener Neustadt, etc.)

ЦАМО, фонд 35, опись 11258, дело 349, страница 7
ЦАМО, фонд 35, опись 11258, дело 349, страница 40
ЦАМО, фонд 35, опись 11258, дело 349, страница 63
ЦАМО, фонд 35, опись 11258, дело 349, страница 85

They usually came to replace the outdated Yak-1s and Yak-9s. But this is just the beginning of a long story…
Cheers,

Gabor
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