Soviet raid on Schatalowka airfield, 14 September 1943

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

On 14 September 1943, the JG 54 loss list shows five losses (two 100% and three damaged) around the airfield of Schatalowka-Ost:
_ 2 Fw 190 damaged on the ground by bombs
_ 1 Fw 190 destroyed by bombs while taking off (Lt Wilhelm Mey killed)
_ 1 Fw 190 damaged in a crash-landing
_ 1 Fw 190 shot down in an air battle SE of the airfield (Ofw Walter Repple)

I would like to know if anybody had a narrative of the JG 54 activity this day, to be sure that all these losses occured during the same event.

I am also searching confirmation that the German name Schatalowka is the same as Shatalovo airfield (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatalovo).

If this is the case, the Soviet side of the raid is probably described by the following source: http://allaces.ru/p/episode.php?id=691

From the above, a rough Google-robot translation:

_________________________________________

14.09.1943 g. strikes against airfields and Borovskoye Shatalovo

From 6 to 15.09.1943, the troops of the Western Front offensive operations are not conducted. They were preparing to break through the one more heavily fortified milestones defenses on the approaches to Smolensk.

Before the onset of the Commander 1 BA, General M. Gromov decided to strike at the airfield Borovskoye. This shock was preceded by aerial reconnaissance. Not one day led its most experienced air pathfinders 168 IAP (303 Iyad, 1 BA, Western Front) MA Anufriev, GI Titarev, SG Struzhkin and NN Yakovlev. They found that each week, Tuesday and Friday, to 13.00 at the airport Borovskoye accumulated a greatest number of enemy aircraft. On the basis of these data on Tuesday 14/09/1943, was scheduled strike.

Exactly at 13.00 over enemy airfields there were 18 fighter GIAP headed by AE and Golubov regiment "Normandy under the command of Pierre Pouyade. Their task - to clear the sky of enemy fighters and to block those who were at the airport, do not give them the opportunity to fly.

With the same objective of 523 IAP, headed by KA Pilschikovym went to the adjacent airfield enemy Shatalovo.

For our task the pilots of these regiments have coped confidently. Duty four German fighters tried to take off from the airfield Borovskoye, but it attacked and destroyed IA Zamorin, VN Barsukov, AN Danilenko, IA Black. The same fate befell a couple of fighters on the airfield Shatalovo. They knocked KA Pil'shchikov and his wingman AP morels.

Navigator 168 IAP GI Titarev in a dogfight down two fighters, but he came under enemy fire. Yak Titareva began to fall. The pilot tried to throw a parachute, but the damaged lamp does not open. Then he climbed into a shell pierced a hole in the glazing of the lantern. Leaned almost to his waist and stuck - parapack made it impossible to get out of the cab. The pilot stared down the side of the cabin, parapack exploded. Airflow pulled out of the cockpit canopy. He opened up and pulled out the jammed pilot, tearing with his gun, pants and boots ... Thus, in shorts, barefoot and without arms, he landed near the front edge of the defense of the Soviet troops.

Three regiments bombers took to the goal and brought down his load on the parking lot of enemy aircraft and airfield equipment. They have destroyed dozens of Junkers and Heinkel, fuel depots and ammunition destroyed the barracks. Then "Petlyakov" turned around and lay on the opposite course. With airfields near Smolensk and Seschi up the German fighters and ran after them. When approaching the front line they were able to catch the bombers, but the fighter pilots 20 IAP and 168 IAP, as well as "Normandy" blocked their path. They shot down seven enemy aircraft.

There were no casualties and the Soviet side. Of the 168 IAP died SG Struzhkin of "Normandy" - A. Largeau.

____________________

Thanks in advance

[Nikita Egorov]

Funny to read some google-robot translation for surnames.
"IA Black" - I.A. Chernyi
"AP morels" - A.P. Smorchkov

I can provide some details of this case from Soviet side. The link you adressed has several confusions. As regards to JG54 narration I would like to see it myself, since obviously there is a huge overclaim here.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hi Nikita,

Well, as I said it was a quick translation using a robot. I usually translate myself the names in Roman characters to avoid this.

Another funny side of Google translation is that it will sometimes reverse the sense of the sentences. For example the "translated" sentence "They knocked KA Pil'shchikov and his wingman AP morels." should be written "They WERE knocked by ...".

But I still found it useful to give a quick Soviet point of view of the raid.

[Maxim1]

As regards to JG54 narration I would like to see it myself, since obviously there is a huge overclaim here.

Yes, it must be interesting. According to Tony Wood's lists I. and II./JG54 claimed 24 Soviet planes between 16.10 - 16.46 in the squares 25, 26, 35. Rudorffer claimed five, Kittel - three, Nowotny - two and so on.

[Larry deZeng]

Some data on the two airfields and a few of the units that were stationed there at one time or another:

Schatalowka-West (RUSS) (a.k.a. Shatalovka; today Shatalovo) (54 20 35 N – 32 28 40 E)
General: airfield 55 km SE of Smolensk, 8 km S of the village of Pochinok and 2.5 km S of the village of Gorodok. Just west of the main rail line running south from Smolensk to Roslavl’. A pre-war Soviet air base and one of the Luftwaffe’s principal airfields on the central sector of the Eastern Front from August 1941 to September 1943.
Air Units:
Station Units: Koflug 21/XI (8/41); Fl.H.Kdtr. E 9/VI (8/41); Fl.H.Kdtr. E 35/XI (9/41); Fl.Werkstattzug (mot) 10/II (3/42); Lw.-Bau-Btl. 5/III (8/41); Lw.-Bau-Btl. 10/VI; Res.Flak-Abt. 363 (9/41); le.Flak-Abt. 783 (3/43); le.Flak-Abt. 854(v)(8/43); Werft-Kp. 37 (10/42); Nachschub-Kp. 6/III (8/41); Flugmelde-Funk-Kp. z.b.V. 25 (3/43);
Schatalowka-Ost (RUSS) (a.k.a. Shatalovka-East; today Shatalovo-East or Borovskoye). (54 22 37 N – 32 32 05 E)
General: airfield 55 km SE of Smolensk and 6.5 km SE of the village of Pochinok; adjacent to the village of Borovskoye and 5 km NE of the main airfield at Shatalovka.
Air Units:
Station Units: Fl.H.Kdtr. E 17/I (8/41); Stab/II. Fliegerkorps (9/41); Res.Flak-Abt. 751; Bergungstrupp 17/XI; Lw.-Bau-Btl. 3/XI (8/41);

Many different air units were stationed at these airfields for various period of time. I do not yet have a list of these. Both airfields were attacked numerous times by the VVS between August 1941 and September 1943, according to the daily reports of the Heeres-Armeeoberkommandos responsible for that sector.

Larry

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks Larry, that made the location of the action far clearer to me (and also explains why the two airfields were attacked at the same time, being only some km apart).

By the way I found on another Russian site a list of aircraft destroyed on the ground during this raid:

1./JG54
FW190A WNr 7053 - 20%
5./JG54
FW190A WNr 1092 - 30%
12./JG54
FW190A WNr 7277 - 100%
NAGr4
Bf109G-6 WNr 26006 - 40%; WNr 15891 - 10%; Bf108 WNr 2011 - 20%
II./StG1
Ju87D-3 WNr 1178 & 110865 - both 100%; WNr 110804 - 90%; WNr 110754 - 50%; WNr 2675 - 40%; WNr 1241, 110036 & 110514 - all 20%
Ju87D-5 WNr 130850, 130666 & 130761 - all 100%; WNr 130673 - 80%; WNr 130671 & 130670 - both 60%; WNr 130659 & 130851 - both 50%; WNr 130662 - 15%; WNr 130667 & 130672 - both 10%

So that made 10 aircraft destroyed/damaged beyond repair and 15 other damaged, not too bad.

The source:
http://www.airwar.ru/history/av2ww/a...germloss9.html

[christian]

Hi

I have a little Detail to the loss of Ofw. Repple. The Staffelkapitän Oblt. Herbert Aloe wrote:

"Am 14.09. wurde unserer Platz gegen 16.00 Uhr von einem bolschewistischen Kampfverband angegriffen. Walter befand sich bereits in der Luft und griff diesen Verband an. Unweit unseres Platzes wurde er von dem Abwehrfeuer einer Pe 2 getroffen und stürzte senkrecht ab.

Nach seinem 17. Luftsieg ist er auf tragische Weise ums Leben gekommen."

My english is not good enough for a good translation, possibly can another User on this board translate the Text.

Greetins Christian

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Originally Posted by christian

Hi

I have a little Detail to the loss of Ofw. Repple. The Staffelkapitän Oblt. Herbert Aloe wrote:

"Am 14.09. wurde unserer Platz gegen 16.00 Uhr von einem bolschewistischen Kampfverband angegriffen. Walter befand sich bereits in der Luft und griff diesen Verband an. Unweit unseres Platzes wurde er von dem Abwehrfeuer einer Pe 2 getroffen und stürzte senkrecht ab.

Nach seinem 17. Luftsieg ist er auf tragische Weise ums Leben gekommen."

My english is not good enough for a good translation, possibly can another User on this board translate the Text.

Greetins Christian

Thanks Christian, it is really helpful. May I ask what is the source ? A letter by Aloe ? A diary ? An official loss report ?

My translation:
On 14 September our airfield was attacked around 1600 hrs by a Bolchevik bomber formation. Walter was in the air and attacked thsi formation. Not far from our airfield he was hit by the return fire of a Pe-2 and dove into the ground.
He so lost tragically his life after his 17th victory.

[Maxim1]

According to Tony Wood no claims by Repple. His 17th victory occured on this date?

[Nikita Egorov]

Laurent,

Please check your PM box.