StG.77 losses in October 1942

[Monaco]

As Iwan Lawrinenko is already working on his next book - see books and magazines section Drei „Falken" der II./JG52 auf der Krim im Luftkampf um die Kertsch-Halbinsel 1943-1944 - and I try to support him a question came to me regarding a combat of 5 VA on 29.10.42 over the Caucasus.

It´s pilots claimed the destruction of 7 Ju.87s in one combat, but also lost 5 LaGG-3, 1 Il-2 and 1 more LaGG severely damaged.
Though the soviet pilots could have done severe over claiming as we have seen in many cases and I found no losses for that day in German data (i.e. in Zeng/Stankeys Dive-bomber and Ground attack units vol.I) Holm´s site shows, that Stab, I. & II./StG.77 lost 1, 4 and 8 Ju.87 through enemy action in October 1942 (= 13 Ju.87).
These units (except 3./StG.77) operated together with from Beloretschenskaja (77 km SE Krasnodar) in the Tuapse direction in October 1942.
In Zeng/Stankeys book I found the following losses: Stab: 1 on 11.10.42, 1 on 12.10.42, 1 on the airfield on 23.10.42, none for I. Gruppe, II. Gruppe: 2 losses on 4.10.42 and 1 on 20.10.42. This would be 6 Ju.87s, but for different parts of StG.77.
Maybe someone can enlighten me...?

[RT]

You are asking for the whole month of october losses ??


Rémi

[Jim P.]

Scanning the losses, I counted something like 14 incidents for St.G. 77, including accidents, for Oct-42.

[Monaco]

Thanks for the replies,
to Rémi, no I´m specially interested on possible losses on 29.10.42, to Jim; Are there losses included for that date, III./StG.77 had one loss (30% damage) this date, but operated further north in the Vitebsk area.

[RT]

On 28.th there is a loss in Witebsk


28 10 42 8 StG77 Witebsk N MSTO JU87B-2


On 29.th loss on Landing, in ....Lyntupy FP



Rémi

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi,

II./St.G. 77 only encountered fighters once on 29 October 1942, in the afternoon, and suffered no losses.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

[Jim P.]

I just counted St.G. 77 losses - I didn't break them down by Gruppe. Total was 15 plus an Erg.Gr. loss. It looks like about 4 for III.Gruppe, one for 29-Oct. Overturned during landing.

[Monaco]

Thank you all,
it seems October 29 was one of the worst days for 5 VA over the Caucasus as of 13 claims (5 "Me-109", 2 "Me-110" and 6 Ju.87) none can be found in german archives. In contrast it lost a total of 7 LaGG-3, 1 Il-1, 1 Jak-1b destroyed and 2 more aircraft severely damaged.
One can only wonder what the soviet pilots saw - maybe the their comrades going down? Or did they fear their regiment Komissars?
However during the research for Iwan´s new book I found that german documents seem to be far from complete i.e. Oblt. Walter Krupinski of JG.52 was shot down/ had to force-land five times between 17.09.42- 26.10.42.
Of 5 possible Bf.109 lost or damaged only 2 can be found in the documents. Krupinski survived the ordeal only slightly wounded and unbroken.

Cheers

Michael