JG 5 vs Soviet 15 VA in 1944

[Nokose]

I recently ran across a article by Dmitriy Marchenko called Battles of the 15th Air Army in February 1944. I will add as I translate to this thread. I don’t have the German losses from JG 5.
1 Feb 44
At 09:20 - 10:20 (Moscow) 4 Yak-9 of 65 GIAP covered 6 Il-2, met 2 Fw 190. Gds. Ml. Lt. Gromyshev attacked and shot down Fw 190 at an altitude of 200 m.
Not Soviet loss.

At 09:20 - 10:25 (M) 3 Yak-9 of 65 GIAP covered 6 Il-2, met 2 Fw 190 and Gds Ml. Lt. Antoliy Bychkov shot down a Fw 190 (1) at an altitude of 200 m in the area of Chernobaikha. No Soviet losses

Uffz. Günther Ohr 4/JG 5 LaGG-3 at 07:35 at 97 692 at 100 m
Uffz Wolfgang Zimmermann 4/JG 5 Yak-9 at 07:38 at 97 692 at 400 m.

The only loss was a Yak-9 of 66 GIAP during the time period of 14:44 - 15:36 (M) was by AAA.

[Stig Jarlevik]

II./JG 5 was based at Pleskau (Pskov) with detachment all around the area.

They were equipped with Bf 109 G (not Fw 190)

5./JG 5 lost one Bf 109 20km NE of Lonno, which fits a mission going east from the Pleskau area
6./JG 5 also lost a Bf 109, on a Stuka escort mission, 4km NE Dno.

These two loss places are quite a bit apart so probably not the same mission.

I am unable to locate anything called Chernobaikha, so I cannot relate any of the Soviet claims to a
"fixed" place.

Are we supposed to read the translated Russian article as two separate units from 65 GIAP were on two
separate missions this morning? Or is it the same unit, minus one pilot making the second claim?

B Rgds
Stig

[Nokose]

Stig, yes this was two separate missions as the number of escorts indicates. It is not the first time that I have seen the same regiment divide up their fighters to cover separate strikes. As far as the location, it was necessary to check Bychkov’s score to get that location as it was left out either from the report or the author. I didn’t find it on the map but in an internet search it is or was probably near Mayevo. I went to someone a few weeks ago about a Russian village in a report and they live in St. Petersburg. They could not even verify the village in the report, so it might have changed names.

[Stig Jarlevik]

OK I understand.
Mombeek has nothing in particular on the date in question, so nothing further specific regarding the two
German losses (no specific time)

My general feeling however is that 4. 5. and 6./JG 5 were on separate missions that day, meaning if the claims
from the Soviet side are related to the 4./JG 5 claims as well they are not valid.

On the other hand, if we don't know the targets for the two Il-2 groups being escorted that day it is
impossible to know exactly what happened. The two German losses may or may not be related to the
two Soviet claims. Better data is needed to be able to confirm that.

Unfortunately Mayevo doesn't make much sense, since the only place I can locate is much, much to
the south-west from where the two German losses are supposed to have occured.

B Rgds
Stig

[Nokose]

Idriza (Idritsa) is to the west of Mayevo. It was in that general direction that the Soviet forces were advancing and flying missions. I will translate another day later.

[Nokose]

03 February 1944
Uffz. Wolfgang Zimmermann 4/JG 5 who claimed his 1st victory on the 1 February flying a Bf 109 was lost.
Soviet claims:
St. Lt. Viktor Nagorniy 293 IAP claimed Fw 190 (20) at Lake Orelya
Ml. Lt. Viktor Kudel’kin 293 IAP claimed Fw 190 (3) to the NE of Borovaya
I have seen and confirmed a few Soviet claims that they shot down a Bf 109 but claimed a Fw 190. So misidentification of aircraft types is not just a German problem.

Dmitriy Marchenko listed these two German claims:
Ofw. Gerhard Reinhold 4/JG 5 La-5 at 11:06 at 97 651 at 200 m.
Ofw. Gerhard Reinhold 4/JG 5 La-5 at 11:07 at 97652 at 200 m.

Marchenko stated that the 315 IAD did not record any air battles and losses, also there was no La-5 in the 315 IAD. He stated that it might have been 3 GIAD as 315 IAD was mainly Yak equipped.

I found this not to be exactly true from research years ago from the OBD Memorial.ru. I found these losses from the 15 VA (315 IAD) but couldn’t find the location of their mission.
La-5 50 IAP (Deputy AE commander) Lt. Ivan Yakovlevich Fedorehenko (MIA)
La-5 50 IAP Ml. Lt. Grigoriy Petrovich Kovyrzin (MIA)

So could these be the victories claimed by Gerhard Reinhold? Without seeing the actual mission reports of the 50 IAP it is not possible to tell.

[Nokose]

On the 27 February 1944, the German airfield at Idritsa was attacked by several groups of Il-2 under fighter escort. II./JG 5 was stationed there and was equipped with Bf 109 Gs and IV/JG 54 was there with Fw 190s. The Soviet fighters claimed a number of Fw 190 and one Bf 109. The Il-2s claimed a Ju 87. So does anyone have the losses for II/JG 5 and IV/JG 54.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Always difficult to say with the GQM lists missing from 1944.

Mombeek (JG 5) lists no losses that day while Saintes (JG 54) has one pilot killed from 12./JG 54 east of Janov
due to engine failure.
The latter does not sound like an aircraft destroyed during a ground attack, so unlikely to have
anything to do with your report.

B Rgds
Stig

[Nokose]

27 February 1944
Air raid on German airfield at Idritsa 13:10 - 14:10 (Moscow)
6 Il-2 658 ShAP with 10 Yak-9 from 293 IAP
St. Lt. Tsaryuk 658 ShAP and his wingman Lt. Lemeshko 658 ShAP claimed a group victory of a Ju-87 at Idritsa.
Kapitan Sergey Safronov 293 IAP claimed a Fw 190 (14) at Idritsa (HSU war total 16 personal and 2 group)

Gefr. Benno Schmieder 4/JG 5 Yak-9 11:28 NE of Idritsa 25 Ost/97 546 no height
Obfw Gerhard Reinhold 4/JG 5 Yak-9 11:33 N of Idritsa 25 Ost/87 666 no height
Obfw Gerhard Reinhold 4/JG 5 Il-2 11:32 25 Ost/87 666 no height
Fw. August Mors 6/JG 5 Il-2 11:34 25 Ost/87 665 at 150 m.

Soviet losses:
Il-2 658 ShAP Ml. Lt. Yakovlev and gunner (MIA)
Il-2 658 ShAP Lt. Lemeshko made a emergency landing on Soviet territory
Yak-9 293 IAP St. Lt. Ikonnikov
Yak-9 293 IAP St. Lt. Khutorov (possibly hit by German AAA and finished by fighter)

No known German losses.
From article by Dmitriy Marchenko, who made these conclusions.

[Nokose]

4 January 1944
13:56 - 15:00 (Moscow) 4 Il-2 from 658 ShAP with an escort of 4 Yak-9 Probably 293 IAP made a Shturmovik raid in the area of Nevel. The escort became involved in a dogfight with 4 Fw 190. The Il-2 continued on alone and ran into 4 more Fw 190 that attacked them. In the ensuing battle a gunner St. S-t. Vorob’ev claimed a Fw-190. Three Il-2 were shot down and the leader St. Lt. Zimin returned to his airfield with a badly damaged Il-2. It crashed during on landing but he was uninjured and his gunner was injured.

Uffz. Erwin Korzus 5/JG 5 Curtiss P-40 12:20 at 1000 m 25 Ost/97835 (area of Ivanovo)
Uffz. Berthold Klaus 5/JG 5 Il-2 12:28 no height 25 Ost/97669
Lt. Helmut Koschak 5/JG 5 Il-2 (12) 12:28 no height 25 Ost/97669
Lt. Helmut Koschak 5/JG 5 Il-2 (13) 12:31 no height 35 Ost/07716

The Curtiss P-40 claimed by Korzus could probably have been the Yak-9 of 293 IAP of Ml. Lt. Kruglov. Dmitriy Marchenko stated this was possibly a misidentification of the Soviet fighter type.