Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Allied and Soviet Air Forces

Allied and Soviet Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the Air Forces of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12th September 2010, 15:34
Håkan Håkan is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 361
Håkan is on a distinguished road
Nikolay Ivanovich Shmelkov

Hello everybody,

I'm looking for info on Nikolay Ivanovich Shmelkov who seems to have claimed 4 (at least 3 He 51s) and 2 shared flying Polikarpov I-15s in the Spanish Civil War. He later took part in the Winter War and the GPW. According to most sources he totally claimed 18 victories.
However when I search in "Асы Великой Отечественной", I can't find him (I can have missed him since it isn't easy to search in a Russian book for a Swede) thus I believe that in fact he didn't (at least officially) claim anything during the Winter War and the GPW.
Is there anyone who can help me with his claims?

Best wishes/Håkan
__________________
WWII Biplane Fighter Aces
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/

WWII Biplane Fighter Aces Blog
http://ww2biplanefighteraces.blogspot.com/
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12th September 2010, 19:03
steve51 steve51 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 40
steve51 is on a distinguished road
Re: Nikolay Ivanovich Shmelkov

Hakan,

The book 'Polikarpov I 15, I 16 and I 153 aces' by Mikhail Maslov, mentions that Shmelkov was credited with 3 and 1 shared, later updated to 4 and 2 shared in Spain. The book also has a photograph of him and quotes his final tally at the end of WW2 as 18.

'Stalin's Eagles' states that he scored 13 in Spain while flying I 16s. Quite a substantial disagreement!

Neither book has details of his activities during the Winter War.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 12th September 2010, 21:14
Håkan Håkan is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 361
Håkan is on a distinguished road
Re: Nikolay Ivanovich Shmelkov

Hello Steve,

Thanks for your quick reply.
I have the books you mention and also various web-sources and I agree with you about differences which was why I asked this forum if there was anyone with more info on him (especially since I can't find him in Bykov's "Асы Великой Отечественной").
Quite an enigma!

Best wishes/Håkan
__________________
WWII Biplane Fighter Aces
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/

WWII Biplane Fighter Aces Blog
http://ww2biplanefighteraces.blogspot.com/
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 12th September 2010, 22:10
Evgeny Velichko's Avatar
Evgeny Velichko Evgeny Velichko is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Stalingrad
Posts: 1,289
Evgeny Velichko is on a distinguished road
Re: Nikolay Ivanovich Shmelkov

Leytenant N.I. Shmel'kov served in 109th fighter squadron of 36th fighter brigade of Kiev Military district before went to Spain.
He was one of 15 first soviet pilots went to Spain in the end of october 1936. He flew on I-15 biplane fighter.

7-12-36 Lt. Shmel'kov, together with G.Zakharov and E.Erlykin, shot down a french civil Potez540 "F-A00".

He returned back to USSR because of injury on 23.1.37.

I will ask Sergei Abrosov about his claims during SCW.
__________________
Went to war.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 12th September 2010, 22:34
Håkan Håkan is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 361
Håkan is on a distinguished road
Re: Nikolay Ivanovich Shmelkov

Hello Evgeny,

Thanks for your help!

Best wishes/Håkan
__________________
WWII Biplane Fighter Aces
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/

WWII Biplane Fighter Aces Blog
http://ww2biplanefighteraces.blogspot.com/
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11th September 2011, 08:08
Gunner 1 Gunner 1 is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 9
Gunner 1 is on a distinguished road
Re: Nikolay Ivanovich Shmelkov

Sergei Abrosov in his book V nebe ispanii 1936-1939 gody gives the following information on Schmel'kov:

Shmel'kov, Nikolai Ivanovich (1908). Lieutenant, Jr. Lieutenant, Jr. Aviator, 109 Ftr Av Sqdn, 36 Ftr Av Bde, KVO

In Spain from 20 Oct 36 to 23 Jan 37. Pilot I-15. 49 missions. Personally destroyed 4 planes and in pair 2 planes. HSU, 31 Dec 36.

Graduated from KUKS in 1938. Veteran of the Soviet-Finnish War. During the GPW he was commander of 145th Ftr Av Regt. In reserves in 1945. Died 24 Mar 67.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 11th September 2011, 09:57
Carl-Fredrik Geust Carl-Fredrik Geust is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 104
Carl-Fredrik Geust
Re: Nikolay Ivanovich Shmelkov

Håkan,
The Russian HSU web-page http://www.warheroes.ru/hero/hero.asp?Hero_id=1177
gives following info about Shmelkov:
- born 5.5.1912, died 24.3.1967, HSU No. 25 31.12.1967
- 66 combat missions in Spain with I-15, 4 individual and 2 shared victories
- 1938 commanded 54 IABr (Leningrad Military District), 21.3.1940 Red Banner Order. (I have however not been able to find his task in the Winter war - probably a staff position/Carl)
- in 1941 commanded 145 IAP (VVS 14. Army, Karelian Front) in the Murmansk area, "a number of victories". Later deputy commander of 1 SAD (VVS 14.A), injured in German bombing attack.
- deputy commander of 5 ZABr SibVO from Oct 1942 Commander of 297 IAD Zabalkajskoj Armii PVO
- from July 1944 back to the front as commander of 234 IAD, fought in Belorussia, Poland and East Germany. Shot down by AA-artillery at Berlin. Altogether 18 victories.

- very strange that Shmelkov is missing from Mihail Bykov´s ace book!
Carl
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 11th September 2011, 10:07
Håkan Håkan is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 361
Håkan is on a distinguished road
Re: Nikolay Ivanovich Shmelkov

Hello Gunner1 and Carl-Fredrik!

Thanks for the input -much appreciated!

BTW - Thanks Carl-Fredrik for writing "Red Star 7"! The best book I've seen about the VVS in the Winter War (at least in English)!

Best wishes/Håkan
__________________
WWII Biplane Fighter Aces
http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/

WWII Biplane Fighter Aces Blog
http://ww2biplanefighteraces.blogspot.com/
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 11th September 2011, 14:41
Juha's Avatar
Juha Juha is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Finland
Posts: 1,445
Juha is on a distinguished road
Re: Nikolay Ivanovich Shmelkov

Quote:
Originally Posted by Evgeny Velichko View Post
...7-12-36 Lt. Shmel'kov, together with G.Zakharov and E.Erlykin, shot down a french civil Potez540 "F-A00"...
Hello Evgeny
very interesting, can you tell more? First time I heard that Potez 540s had been in civil register, but yes in F-AOO_ range there were 4. But the French registers had F-and 4 letters, so the last letter seems to be missing.

Juha
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Ivan Ivanovich Uljanov-"Rata" pilot Modly Allied and Soviet Air Forces 0 17th April 2009 22:02
Nikolay Lavitskiy Håkan Allied and Soviet Air Forces 0 26th March 2007 22:27


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 08:57.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net