Lt. Anton Resch claims on 30May44

[Nokose]

On 30May44 in the Iasi area Lt Anton Resch I/JG52 claimed 2 Airacobras in a dogfight. I/JG52 and II/SG2 were involved with the VVS loss of 5 of 6 Airacobras. Resch's claims are not listed on Tony Wood's list so I don't know the time and location of his claims to see who else made claims in that fight.

[Leo Etgen]

Hi Nokose

It is true that there are no victories listed for him on 30 May 1944 but I could not help but notice that there are two Airacobras credited to him the next day. There are a number of claims made for Airacobras by both JG 52 and II./SG 2 at around the same time and location. Could this have been the air battle in question?

Horrido!

Leo

[Nokose]

Hi Leo,
Here is what I found in Bergstrom's "Bagration to Berlin". He has the dogfight listed without the date but sandwiched between incidents that happened on the 30th so it probably is the 31st. From the height Bleckmann and Voigt of the II/SG2 might not be involved. That leaves Resch and Hptm Wilhelm Batz II/JG52 as the possible victors. Resch with 2 and Batz with 4 claims from 16 GIAP. The VVS ace Major Grigoriy Rechalov escaped. So one over claim either by Resch or Batz.

[Hanseat]

Hi Nokose,

no Claims on the 30May1944, but he claims to P-39 on the 31May1944, his 12th and 13th kill. Source "Die Geschichte der I. Gruppe des Jagdgeschwaders 52" by Bernd Barbas

Hanseat

Sorry for my bad english

[Nokose]

Hi Hanseat,
After looking at the times and locations it might be possible that Resch's 13th might have been Rechalov's P-39 escaping the scene and but only his report could give the full story. So it might be possible that Batz did get four.

[Hanseat]

Hi Nokose,
i have no After Action Reports in my books für this date. But i have the
following informations for you:

Resch 12th kill: 11h25 P-39 PQ78642
Resch 13th kill: 11h36 P-39 PQ78474

Lt. Walther 4th kill 11h35 P-39 PQ78474(3./JG52)
Lt. Schall 55th kill 11h36 P-39 PQ78821(possibly an IL-2/3./JG52)

For the II/JG 52 i have no kills on that time

and for the III/JG52 i have no informations

I hope this will help you

[Rob Romero]

I’m confused!

From my understanding of the above

30May44
JG52
?Staffel/I Gruppe/JG52 shoots down 5 of 6 Aircobras from 16 GIAP of VVS with 8 possible claimants.

Resch 12th kill: 11h25 P-39 PQ78642
Resch 13th kill: 11h36 P-39 PQ78474

Lt. Walther 4th kill 11h35 P-39 PQ78474(3./JG52)
Lt. Schall 55th kill 11h36 P-39 PQ78821(possibly an IL-2/3./JG52) but in addition:

Willi Batz claims four.

However it is also indicated that Resch made his claims on 31May44.

Checking Wood’s list did not clarify much. i.e. on 31May44 Batz makes FIVE not FOUR claims btw 11:17 – 11:39

Any clarification would be appreciated

Thanks,

Rob Romero

[Nokose]

Rob,
Bergstrom indicated that Resch made two of the claims against the 16 GIAP in his book but the date should have been the 31May44 instead of being left to assume the 30th.
The 16 GIAP had 6 P-39's in the air under Rechalov that were jumped.
Batz shot down an Airacobra at 11:17, 11:20, 11:24 and 11:33. The fifth plane you mentioned was a "LaGG" at 11:39.
Resch shot down a Aircobra at 11:25.
Resch made another claim at 11:35 and it appears that Lt Rudolf Walther 3./JG52 made a claim at 11:36 in the same area 78 474 which was alway from the first encounter of 11:17. This could be Rechalov's escape or just another encounter with a different unit.

[Rob Romero]

Thanks Nokose,

So I guess the following would be a summary of the concensus so far? The only question, I still have, is why couldn’t Batz’s 11:39 Lagg be a misidentification of a P-39? Also, why would one assume Walther’s or Resch’s claims to be Rechalov instead of late kills following a long pursuit.

31May44
I/JG52 jumps 16 GIAP of VVS (under ace Maj. Grigoriy Rechalov) in the Iasi area and shoots down 5 of 6 P-39s with 7 or perhaps 8 claimaints.

31.05.44 Hptm. Wilhelm Batz Stab III./JG 52 Airacobra £ 78 679: at 2.500 m. 11.17 Film C. 2032/I Anerk: Nr. 112
31.05.44 Hptm. Wilhelm Batz Stab III./JG 52 Airacobra £ 78 678: at 3.000 m. 11.20 Film C. 2032/I Anerk: Nr. 113
31.05.44 Hptm. Wilhelm Batz Stab III./JG 52 Airacobra £ 78 672: at 2.000 m. 11.24 Film C. 2032/I Anerk: Nr. 114
31.05.44 Lt. Anton Resch (12th) Airacobra £ 78 642: 11.25
31.05.44 Hptm. Wilhelm Batz Stab III./JG 52 Airacobra £ 78 654: at 3.500 m. 11.33 Film C. 2032/I Anerk: Nr. 115
31.05.44 Lt. Walther (4th) Airacobra £ 78 474: 11.35 -possibly Rechalov escaping?
31.05.44 Lt. Anton Resch (13th) Airacobra £ 78 474: 11.36 -possibly Rechalov escaping?

31.05.44 Hptm. Wilhelm Batz Stab III./JG 52 LaGG £ 78 673: at 3.000 m. 11.39 Film C. 2032/I Anerk: Nr. 116

I think we can fairly safely eliminate Schall’s claim from contention as according to Wood’s Schall claimed an Il-2 @ only 100m altitude! Also his claim was at 11:26 not 11:36
31.05.44 Ltn. Franz Schall (55/133) 3./JG 52 Il-2 m.H. £ 78 821: at 100 m. 11.26 Film C. 2032/I Anerk: Nr. 317

Rob Romero

[Nikita Egorov]

Gentleman,

According to documents 30 May, 1944 16 GIAP lost only one Aircobra. The referred case with Rechkalov happened on May 31. However, neither Batz, nor Resch fit this combat. The group lost 5 Aircobras of six (Rechkalov escaped). I presume that different German planes from I/JG52, II/JG52, III/JG52 and maybe II/SG2 can engage this group. The following claims match by time: Ruher and Sachsenberg at 8.40 and 8.45 respectively; Nordmann at 9.00; von Treuberg and Birkenfeld at 8.40 and 8.55 respectively. Very unlikely that it was II/SG2, as claims of Bleckmann and Voigt differ 30-40 minutes from the original report in Soviet documents.

Regards.