Oblt Hermann Petersen I(H)/32 lost 2/12/42

[BrianC]

Hi guys

Oblt Hermann Petersen was the observer of an FW187 of I(H)/32 shot down in the Far North on 2 December 1942. He was captured and described as having a beard and aged about 50!

Can anyone elaborate, please?

Stay safe
Brian

[JoMe]

Hi Brian

1(H)/AGr.32
unbek. Ort/SU
Fw 189 A-3 / 2248 / V7 + 1C
LK Jak-1
Oblt Hermann Petersen vm/Ofw Rudi Braun vm/Ogfr Hans Egler vm

best wishes
JoMe

[BrianC]

Many thanks, JoMe

Oblt Petersen was captured. Do we know his eventual fate? Or age?

Stay safe
Brian

[DDT]

Hello Brian,

On the VDK website I found an Oblt. Hermann Petersen who went missing on the 1st december 1942. He was born on 12.12.1908. So not realy in his fifties but not also not that young. According to this site they went missing at Isarlager bei Petsamo/Pakkina / Petsamo Jokki/Petsamo. The Career Summaries luftwaffe Officers says he was a pilot. He is remembered in the Memorial Book of the Petschenga cemetery in Russia.
Kind regards,
Dirk

[BrianC]

Many thanks, Dirk

He was certainly captured so presumably died as a POW.

I believe that Obfw Rudi Braun was the pilot on this occasion.

Take care
Stay safe
Brian

[Stig Jarlevik]

Brian

This is what Hannu Valtonen says
Pilot: Petersen
BO: Braun
BS: Egler
They were shot down by a Yak-1 flown by Ltn Rassadkin from 255 IAP
The aircraft ended up at the bottom of the Litsa Fiord
Two men were POW (unfortunately not identified as such)

B Rgds
Stig

[DDT]

Stig,

Thx for this additional information. Very much appriciated.
Kind regards,

Dirk

[igorrB]

According to soviet data, this plane was shot down near Vaitolahti (Rybachiy)

[Stig Jarlevik]

How odd Igor

Almost as far you can get north wise on the Fisher Peninsula.
Since I believe Valtonen must have used the claim of Rassadkin as a base for his statement, Vaitolahti is very far from the Litsa Fiord.

In Dec 1942 the Germans were more or less hopelessly bogged down in the north of Finland/Russia.
Without knowing the reason for this particular mission it is a bit difficult to comprehend what the aircraft was doing up there.
I can hardly believe the Soviets were sending in supplies to their own troops on the Peninsula that way, so what
was it looking for?

Cheers
Stig

[igorrB]

AFAIK Valtonen never had any soviet docs. He works with data send to him from russian friend. Back then (end of XX cent.) it was hard to get good data for soviet side.
I've got my from operative documentation of staff VVS SF. Same thing also described in other docs - this victory was achieved by Rassadkin south of Vaitolahti.
There was relatively big marine base in Pummanki bay at west side of Rybachiy. MTB maked their sorties from there. Also airfield Pummanki was build around this time. So, there was many movements around Vaitolahti for Fw.189 to look at.