FW 190 and Bf 109 losses on 31.7.1944 in Lithuania

[Maxim1]

On 31.07.1944 four Yak-1B of 812 IAP were engaged in aerial combat with four Bf109 and two FW190 near Kaunas, Lithuania. One of the FW190 (it was a Bf109 according to other sources, though) was deliberately rammed by Yak-1 flown by mladshiy leutenant Semyon Belkin. Belkin successfully bailed out and observed FW190 went down and exploded.

Is there any recorded Luftwaffe losses on this date in this area?

Regards,
Maksim

[Khorat]

Hi Maksim,

this date Uffz. Rudolf Gerasch, 10./JG 51 was killed when his Bf 109 G-6 serial 413504 was rammed by a downed enemy fighter. Place is given with area Kowno, a second Bf 109 of the 11./JG51 is missing in the same area.
For the place Kaunas I only find a Hs 129 B-2 of 12.(Pz)./SG 9 downed due to antiaircraft, Fw. Walter Lippstreu killed.

khorat
Michael Balss

[Nokose]

If the time listed is between 10:58-11:38 (German) 1./NAGr.8 and 11./JG51 were engaged in dogfights with Yak-9s to the SW of Kaunas (35345-59). I don't know what kind of fighter that NAGr.8 was flying at that time but I believe IV/JG51 had converted back to the Bf 109.

[yogybär]

IV./JG51 lost several A/C to enemy actions that day, but acc. to ww2.dk they were based too far South (Mielec) for the Kowno/Kauen/Kaunas area and only III./JG51 was near (Dubowo), but they did neither claim nor loose. On th eother hand, Khorat's info seems to say the opposite about IV. Gruppe - a death data is more reliable then teh ww2.dk stuff which sometimes does not really fit 100%.

I can throw in II./SG3, which lost a Fw190F that day as well as I./SG10 which was probably on the same base as IV./JG51.

PS: Most NAGr were flying 109G by that time.

[kalender1973]

Originally Posted by Khorat

Hi Maksim,

this date Uffz. Rudolf Gerasch, 10./JG 51 was killed when his Bf 109 G-6 serial 413504 was rammed by a downed enemy fighter. Place is given with area Kowno, a second Bf 109 of the 11./JG51 is missing in the same area.
For the place Kaunas I only find a Hs 129 B-2 of 12.(Pz)./SG 9 downed due to antiaircraft, Fw. Walter Lippstreu killed.

khorat
Michael Balss

Kowno is polisch name for Kaunas

[Nokose]

On the dogfights in that area I was looking at the 01Aug44 was fixed on Uffz Erich Barz 11./JG51 who also fought on the 31Jul.

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi,

I./S.G. 10 was flying operations from Sudauen on this day, against targets in the Pilwischken area. I./S.G. 10 missions were flown at the following times:

06:10-06:50
10:15-10:55
13:10-13:45
15:10-16:00
17:00-17:55
18:15-19:05
19:30-20:30, landing at Insterburg

Cheers,
Andrew A.

Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com

[robert]

Hi,

"was deliberately rammed " - what a nice piece of Soviet propaganda.

Robert

[Maxim1]

Thank you, Michael.
I think Uffz. Gerasch is currently the best candidate as the reason and location of loss match perfectly.

Nokose, it is likely not the case. The exact place is given in VVS documents as Munishkantsy. It must be a small village called Muniškiai in Lithuanian, which is located to the north of Kaunas.

Robert,
I'm afraid I can't get your point. I know my English skills are poor (may be I used some wrong words in my post?) but what do you mean "Soviet propaganda"?

[Nikita Egorov]

Strange, the place for the claim listed as Orlovka, place of loss for Belkin reported as Vendzyagola. Initially listed as shot down by 2 Ме-109, later in the operational report dated August 13, added as air ramming of Fw-190.