19.09.42, Kotluban, LaGG-3 vs Bf110 of 1./ZG1

[Evgeny Velichko]

Greetings!

Found very impressive account.

Anatoly Nikolayevich Gordeev, pilot of 291 iap, equipped with LaGG-3 (armed with 37mm cannon Sh-37)

We came over Kotluban railroad station, and saw about 50 enemy a/c, bombers, to attack our troops. We engaged them.

-What type of german a/c You saw there?
It was mixed group - there were Ju88's and Me-110's.

- Did Binov rammed a "Messershmitt"?
He rammed a bomber. Note - I was the only who saw it, nobody else. Germans panicked - theyr aces hated that "barbarian way" of air combat. They knew that we are bad aimers, but they scared much about midair collisions. We, in our turn, were some kind of "hunters" - we want to destroy an enemy in any way, we never listen what was "ground control" told us. Squadron leader, Major Denisov, died because of it - he was able to shot down one bomber, and when he was attacking his next - he was cought by Me-110's and killed. Ground control tryed to warn him - but he didnt listen at all. In some minutes, we engaged that bomber group and they dropped their bombs before reaching target.

- What was Your losses in that combat?
When aircombat ended, I start to count - we started with 12 a/c, and at that moment I could saw only 8. We claimed 9 enemy a/c shot down, but Major Denisov and Major Binov, Sergeants Mamatov, Nekipelov and Martchenko failed to return - five pilots. About ramm attack - when I was in attack as a wingman, I saw a LaGG-3 diving vertically on a bomber and cut his fuselage in two,

- Not a wing, not a tail section - directly a fuselage?
Yes. He smashed it, and part of a bomber - engines and wings, slowly wirling, fell to earth. Our fighter, heavy smoking, disappeared in smoke low at ground level. We never saw his number, and didnt knew who was he.

- This ramm was fiiled as a Binov's claim?
Yes, later it was filed to Binov, becase he probably collided with enemy a/c too... But who knows... May be because of political matters... Now I realise, that at such angle and speed at the moment of collision our pilot could not survive. Later, Binov returned to unit on wheels, Sergeant Mamatov came back to, but Denisov, Marchenko and Nekipelov didnt survive.

Total:
Major Lev Binov (Komissar of Squadron) - claimed 1 "bomber"/Me-110, landed damaged out of ammo.
Major Denisov - claimed 1 "bomber"/Me-110, was shot down by either Lt. R.Ossmann or Lt. P.Jenne of 1./ZG1 and killed.
Sergeant Mamatov - was shot down, later returned

Sergeant Nikolay Nekipelov - killed.
Sergeant Pavel Martchenko - killed.

One of them Was shot down by either Lt. R.Ossmann or Lt. P.Jenne of 1./ZG1, and second - was killed when rammed Bf110 of Oblt. Theo Kehl.

I dont know how many Ju88 of KG51 were lost, but pilots of 291 iap were able to shot down one more Bf110 of 1./ZG1 to 100% loss. After all, only 6 their claims were filled as "confirmed" to them. Also, we must note that soviet pilots misidentified "twin-engined bomber" (Ju88) and "twinengined fighter" (Bf110) during that aircombat.