Defection of Soviet La 5 FN in Summer 1943?

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

There is a photo of captured by Luftwaffe in August 1943 (?) Soviet La 5 FN (with full LW markings).
I wonder, may somebody know, which way this plane had found its way to Germans?

Most probably it was direct defection of Soviet pilot (I suppoese yes)?
May somebody knows his name and Soviet unit which lost this plane?


Regards,
mw

[Ota Jirovec]

Hello Mirek,

The identity of La-5FN tested at Erprobungsstelle Rechlin has been discussed on Russian Sukhoi.ru forum back in 2004, it was almost certainly no deflection and the aircraft got into German hands in 1944, not 1943:
(I assume you can read Russian - see http://www.sukhoi.ru/forum/showthread.php?t=29796)

These were presumably aircraft of 111 GIAP - in the beginning of August 1944 - possibly on 10 August - a pair of La-5FNs (pilots Leytenant Mikhail Trofimovich Ignatev and Leytenant Chabrov) took off for an Il-2 escort. During a return from this sortie they flew into an area of intense fire of Flak. Both Lavochkins were hit and their pilots performed belly-landings on the German-held territory, some 15 - 20 km behind the front line. They did not manage to set up their machines on fire to prevent their falling almost intact into enemy hands, but managed to cross the frontline within two days and returned to their regiment. They both reported (naturally) that their machines were fully destroyed as a result of forced-landings. Both were later transferred from 111 GIAP. Ignatev later served with 5 GIAP and survived the war as a HSU with 17 + 7 victories.
This is of course just a supposition, the definitive prove of Rechlin´s La-5FN identity would be the comparison of serial numbers, but I do not think these are available from either side, Russian or German.

Hope this helps a little,

Ota

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

Hi
thanks for this information. Maybe I am wrong but there is second set of photos of La 5 FN probably done a little earlier (August 1943-?), then these 3 photos.

The plane did not look as a damaged, the belly landed means twisted or destryed propeller, the plane did not show such damages.

Yes, I read Russian, thnaks for the link

Regards,
mw

[kurlannaiskos]

you might be thinking of an La-5 or La-5F that were also captured by the Luftwaffe?

http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/fo...4&hl=Lavochkin

p.s. Ota , Thank You very much for that link.
it was very informative.