Luftwaffe air attacks against Minsk in June 1941

[AMVAS]

Hi

Need some help for getting materials about Luftwaffe air attacks against Minsk in June 1941. Especially for June 24.
I have some aerials for this day, but it's not clear for me the sequence of air attacks, which lasted for the full day and which Luftwaffe units (KG3?/Luftflotte 2) were involved in those fights as well as their losses.
Russian/Byelorussian sources are very, very brief and contains very limited number of details, mostly eye-witnesses, which could see only small fragments of those large-scale attacks against the town. It was about 18 attacks this day started at ~9:30 AM and lasted until ~ 9-00 PM with 15-20 minute pauses between them.

Any assistance is welcomed.

Regards
Alex

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Alex,

Not sure if this helps, but the following is from the Luftwaffe Lageberichte:

"Baranowitschi, Minsk und Wolkowysk mit der Masse der Kräfte fortlaufend angegriffen. Stärkere Kampf- und Sturzkampfverbände griffen südlich Grodno in den Erdkampf ein.
Ausserdem wurden folgende Flugplätze angegriffen:
Minsk III durch 24 leichte Kampfflugzeuge mit Bomben und Bordwaffen. Von etwa 25 - 30 Flugzeugen wurden 12 vernichtet. Flakgeschütze in Nähe des Platzes stellten nach Bombenabwurf das Feuer ein.
Minsk Matschulkitsch durch 5 Kampfflugzeuge. Bomben lagen in den Boxen zwischen etwa 30 abgestellten Flugzeugen, von denen 1 Flugzeug zerstört, weitere beschädigt wurden.
Südlich Minsk durch 2 Kampfflugzeuge. Bomben lagen hart neben abgestellten Flugzeugen, von denen 2 vernichtet wurden.
54 km SO Minsk 2 Plätze, die mit je etwa 40 viermot. Flugzeugen (TB 3) belegt waren, durch 10 Kampfflugzeuge. Treffer wurden in abgestellten Flugzeugen, Unterkünften, Baracken und auf dem Rollfeld erzielt. 11 Flugzeuge wurden vernichtet, weitere 20 beschädigt.
Minsk Ost durch 1 Kampfflugzeug. Bomben lagen zwischen abgestellten Flugzeugen, von denen 3 vernichtet wurden. Weitere Einschläge in 1 Halle und auf Gleisanlagen wurden von der Bsatzung beobachtet.
Westlich Minsk durch 1 leichtes Kampfflugzeug. Brand eines Treibstofflagers wurde beobachtet.
...
Die Stadt Minsk wurde durch starke Kampf- und Sturzkampfverbände in den Vor- und Nachmittagsstunden laufend angegriffen. Der Schwerpunkt dieser Angriffe lag auf den Ausgängen der Stadt und den Hauptverkehrsstrassen. Als Wirkung waren in den Spätnachmittagsstunden weitausgedehnte Brände zu erkennen. Ausserdem wurden starke Zerstörungen an Eisenbahnlinien und Güterzügen verursacht."

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com

[AMVAS]

Hi, Andrew

Thank you for reply!
Unfortunately most of the text deals with airfields, which are a bit out of my research. For Minsk itself only German interest to exits from the town was new to me... A very mysterious episode of the war. Almost unknown...

[oquaig]

Hello Alex,

What little I can tell you about air attacks on Minsk is this: VVS HQ Western Special Military District was bombed by a kette of 3 He III very early on 22 June. Between 24 and 26 June II./KG 3 was active over Minsk. I know nothing of I./KG 3 activities nor anything about what II.III./KG 53 was doing but judging by the extensive fires caused by the bombing (I have seen the aerial photos of the progress of the fires) only these four groups could have caused that much damage. Luftwaffe losses over the city were 10 bombers (no info on types) 17 Ju 87s, 16 Bf 110s and 19 Bf 109s. No one will admit it now, but they deliberately bombed Minsk just as they had Rotterdam and Warsaw before. I would like to know more about this as well. If you find out more please let me know.


oquaig

[AMVAS]

Hi, oquaig

Hello Alex,

What little I can tell you about air attacks on Minsk is this: VVS HQ Western Special Military District was bombed by a kette of 3 He III very early on 22 June. Between 24 and 26 June II./KG 3 was active over Minsk. I know nothing of I./KG 3 activities nor anything about what II.

Aha, thx. Sad that in NARA archvie there are almost nothing about Luftwaffe. Very small number of materials

III./KG 53 was doing but judging by the extensive fires caused by the bombing (I have seen the aerial photos of the progress of the fires) only these four groups could have caused that much damage. Luftwaffe losses over the city were 10 bombers (no info on types) 17 Ju 87s, 16 Bf 110s and 19 Bf 109s. No one will admit it now, but they deliberately bombed Minsk just as they had Rotterdam and Warsaw before. I would like to know more about this as well. If you find out more please let me know.
oquaig

Wow, Looks 43rd fighter division of General Zakharov worked quite well and fires of Minsk were paid by quite a significant number of German planes!
I have plenty of aerials of Minsk for June-July 1941 including that aerial with fires. The picture is really awful...
Also trying to get archival materials for units defending Minsk in June 41

Regards
Alex

[oquaig]

Hi Alex,
It would be interesting to see how many planes fell to Flak and how many fell to fighters. The 43rd IAD flew 795 sorties over the course of three days before evacuating and I have no information as to how well 184th IAP PVO and its 42 I-16s did for its 4 days defending the city.

oquaig

[AMVAS]

Hi Alex,
It would be interesting to see how many planes fell to Flak and how many fell to fighters.

Unfortunately can't find TsAMo docs of either 43 IAD or 7th Bde PVO ((

The 43rd IAD flew 795 sorties over the course of three days before evacuating and I have no information as to how well 184th IAP PVO and its 42 I-16s did for its 4 days defending the city.

oquaig

184th IAP was a new one and hardly it could perform too much sorties, IMHO

Regards
Alex

[mirekw]

To oquiang

"What little I can tell you about air attacks on Minsk is this: VVS HQ Western Special Military District was bombed by a kette of 3 He III very early on 22 June."

Are you sure that Minsk had been bombed on 22.06.41? I think the city was not under attack on 22.06.41?

regards
mw

[AMVAS]

To oquiang

"What little I can tell you about air attacks on Minsk is this: VVS HQ Western Special Military District was bombed by a kette of 3 He III very early on 22 June."

Are you sure that Minsk had been bombed on 22.06.41? I think the city was not under attack on 22.06.41?

regards
mw

The city itself was not bombed that day. But airfield in its suburbs was bombed. Also there exists memoirs about one bomber sank that day in Komsomolskoye lake (situated inside the city).

[mirekw]

"The city itself was not bombed that day. But airfield in its suburbs was bombed. Also there exists memoirs about one bomber sank that day in Komsomolskoye lake (situated inside the city)."

Very interesting indeed, as the Kiev, which was under air attack too, very early in the morning. Local responce of PVO's fighters was too late.

There are some info in gen Zakharov (comander of 43. IAD PVO) about some combats over Minsk on 22.06.41, but I have thought it was such not full truly information. His memories are not very credidable.

This story about sinking in the lake a German bomber looks rather as a "rumors"?

Have you any more detail info about time of this attack?

BTW if i am right there were 2 airfields near Minsk (one was Moczuliszcze)

regards
mw

[AMVAS]

"The city itself was not bombed that day. But airfield in its suburbs was bombed. Also there exists memoirs about one bomber sank that day in Komsomolskoye lake (situated inside the city)."

Very interesting indeed, as the Kiev, which was under air attack too, very early in the morning. Local responce of PVO's fighters was too late.

Kiev itself also didn't suffer from bomb attack on June 22. I remember only its airfield suffered that day.

There are some info in gen Zakharov (comander of 43. IAD PVO) about some combats over Minsk on 22.06.41, but I have thought it was such not full truly information. His memories are not very credidable.

Nope, Zakharov wrote about later attacks (he arrived there later than June 22), but he was wrong in the day writing about June 23, while it happened on June 24th

This story about sinking in the lake a German bomber looks rather as a "rumors"?

I don't think so, because eye-witness also spoke about captured German pilot walked under guard along Minsk streets.

Have you any more detail info about time of this attack?

Not much, because it was not the field of my research

BTW if i am right there were 2 airfields near Minsk (one was Moczuliszcze)

At hand I have this list:
112 – Слепянка (Slepyanka) (5 km east from Minsk)
114 – Копище (Kopishche) (7 km NW from Minsk)
1118 – Минск/Лошица (Loshitsa) (1,5 km north from Minsk)
http://aircraft-museum.ucoz.ru/publ/aeh ... 1g/3-1-0-3

Regards
Alex

[mirekw]

Zakharow, if I am right remember, had claimed 2 victories on 22.06.1941 over or near Minsk? But it is not true.

Kiev was attacked too including: airport, hedquaters of NKVD, 1-2 military plant, electriec plant, military school and 1-2 military airfield near the city (destroyed 1 or even 4 TB-7 in Borispol, depends on sources in Zuliana was destored hangar). City was bombed at after 7.00 o'clock a.m. by 19 bombers, at least 90 bombs 50-100 kg were dropted. To find the intrueders were send several I-16s of 43. IAP PVO (too late), and they coulnd not find and destroyed bombers.

"I don't think so, because eye-witness also spoke about captured German pilot walked under guard along Minsk streets."

It is possible, that it was one or a few days later like on 24.06.41?. There were several Ju 87s destroyed by Soviet pilots of 43. IAD (5-8 if I am right?) on this day.


BTW the attack on 24.06.1941 are "similiar" to attack done on Warsaw on 25.09.39? It was done from 7.00 or 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Polish city was under mass attack conducted by Gen von Richthofen air force (Fl.Fhr.z.b.V) done by a few hundreds of Ju 87s, Hs 123s, Do 17s and and also 47 transport Ju 52s. The city was smashed by these air and artillery attacks (beside the planes German had used about 1000 guns to attack).


regards
mw

[AMVAS]

Zakharow, if I am right remember, had claimed 2 victories on 22.06.1941 over or near Minsk? But it is not true.

Nope, not on June 22, but on June 23. But as I have said in reality it took place on June 24th.

Kiev was attacked too including: airport, hedquaters of NKVD, 1-2 military plant, electriec plant, military school and 1-2 military airfield near the city (destroyed 1 or even 4 TB-7 in Borispol, depends on sources in Zuliana was destored hangar). City was bombed at after 7.00 o'clock a.m. by 19 bombers, at least 90 bombs 50-100 kg were dropted. To find the intrueders were send several I-16s of 43. IAP PVO (too late), and they coulnd not find and destroyed bombers.

Ok, I dind't study thorough this item.
5 Pe-8 (TB-7) were lost on June 22 http://www.airpages.ru/ru/pe8_p.shtml
All from the 14th Heavy Bomber regiment located near Kiev.
However some sources says 2 of them were destroyed on June 25th
http://www.airpages.ru/ru/pe8_bp.shtml

"I don't think so, because eye-witness also spoke about captured German pilot walked under guard along Minsk streets."

It is possible, that it was one or a few days later like on 24.06.41?. There were several Ju 87s destroyed by Soviet pilots of 43. IAD (5-8 if I am right?) on this day.

Hardly. On June 24th was such a hell in Minsk, that any such walks along streets would be impossible.
It can be either June 22 or 23, when situation was still good.

BTW the attack on 24.06.1941 are "similiar" to attack done on Warsaw on 25.09.39? It was done from 7.00 or 8.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Polish city was under mass attack conducted by Gen von Richthofen air force (Fl.Fhr.z.b.V) done by a few hundreds of Ju 87s, Hs 123s, Do 17s and and also 47 transport Ju 52s. The city was smashed by these air and artillery attacks (beside the planes German had used about 1000 guns to attack).

To some degree. Minsk was under continious attacks of large groups of bombers 20-60 airplanes in each with ~20-30 minutes pauses since 9-45 until ~21-00. In the second half of the day the same Richthofen VIII Air Corps was used with its Ju-87th. Btw it suffered quite large casaulities from Zakharov's 43rd division

regards
Alex

[mirekw]

Interesting, I do not hear anthing about this heavy air combats over Minsk, quite unknow for me. I have thought that there were not such many sorties/combats over this city.

The losses of TB-7s are different, depends on sources, I also knot this higher figure.

[AMVAS]

Interesting, I do not hear anthing about this heavy air combats over Minsk, quite unknow for me. I have thought that there were not such many sorties/combats over this city.

Yep. Only official German data gives losses:

59 (Minsk) Stab III./StG1 Ju87R-2 5296 100 Antiaircraft artillery fire
60 (Minsk) 6./StG1 Ju87R-1 5396 100 Fighter attack
61 (Minsk) 6./StG1 Ju87R-1 5543 100 Fighter attack
62 (Minsk) 6./StG1 Ju87R-1 5465 100 Fighter attack
63 (Minsk) 4./StG1 Ju87R-2 6211 100 Fighter attack
64 25 km NW Minsk 9./StG1 Ju87R-2 5989 100 Fighter attack
65 (Minsk) 8./StG2 Ju87R-2 5702 100 Fighter attack

The losses of TB-7s are different, depends on sources, I also knot this higher figure.

Yep