Loss of Capt. I.V.Bochkov to Finish Air Force/Flak ?

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
While recently looking through the Air Britain Archive Special No.5, page 118 I came across the RAF serial number BX238. From searching further I could find nothing more of it in the book ?

However, that serial number was for a Bell Airacobra I.

It was one of 300 accepted under Contract A- 1476 ( see Air Brit's "The British Commission & Lend-Lease", page 106.
192 of these a/c were diverted to the US, 40 whilst in the US and the remaining 152 after export to the UK.
Net receipts are listed as only 108, so I assume that some were lost at sea ?

Anyway back to BX238.
How does this serial number end up in the AB arch 5 ?

I took up Carl-Fredrik Geust's "Red Stars " No.3.
Inside the front cover there is a colour profile of Airacobra Yellow"16", with the serial number BX728,( I think that it should have been BX328 ).
On page 32 at the bottom there is a picture of an Airacobra (and its pilot)with tail number "16", and text which says "Capt. I.V. Bochkov, 19 Guards IAP, in front of his P-400 Aircobra, East Karelia 1942. Bochkov was killed in action on April 4th 1943".
I think that his a/c was BX238 Yellow "1jpg


Found on the www -

http://lend-lease.airforce.ru/englis...39/Bochkov.jpg

Anyone know what happened to Capt. Bochkov and/or his a/c ?
Did the Fin's try to repair the crashed a/c, hence it being recorded in the AB archive special No.5 ?

Many thanks
Alex

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
I wish to correct the following in my earlier post.
The sentence should read -
I think that his a/c was BX238 Yellow "16".

There is also in "Soviet Aces of World War 2 " by Hugh Morgan, a colour profile of his a/c but the serial is again given as BX738.
There were as far as I am aware NO "BX" RAF serial numbers after BX434, the next series started with Vultee Vigilante BZ100.
So as I put earlier the serial number of Yellow "16" should read as BX238.

Alex

[Stig Jarlevik]

Alex

The reference in Archive Special 5 refers to a Lockheed 12A Electra Junior OH-ETA registered 25.10.1954.

The same "mistake" can be found in Air Britain's The Lockheed Twins, again as a P.I. Serial BX238 is not listed anywhere else in that book, except under Netherlands (not RAF).

Checking Gerhard Casius Lockheed L-12/L212 booklet it says many of the Lockheeds carried fake British serials!
T-1 carried L236/AX236, T-2 BX238 and T-3 CX245 for example.

With regard to the Soviet Bell's, you are correct that BX738 did not exist.
It was a black out serial.

Cheers
Stig

[Alex Smart]

Hello Stig,

Thank you for the response.
Also thank you for making the BX serial number connection to the Electra Junior.
Must say I missed the connection.
Yes ex 41-1306 seems its now /was in a Museum ?

Does not answer the fate of Bochkov or the P-400/Aircobra BX238 though.

Alex

[Stig Jarlevik]

Morning Alex

Not sure I make the connection with 41-1306, since as far as I know the c/n was only 1306. But yes, I believe our Electra Junior is still at Soesterberg in Holland.

Our Russian friends will have to advise your other queries

Cheers
Stig