Finnish bomber stream infiltrations
Finnish bomber stream infiltrations
So.. With these i refer to the spring (march & may) 1944 operations by LentoRykmentti 4 where they either joined or closely followed the Soviet ADD bombers to their bases and then bombed the landed planes and crews. But... What did these raids actually accomplish? No bombers were lost (IIRC) so they were 'highly successful' but what damage did they cause?
That is bomber crew's reports are probably not the best source of information as they tend to be slightly optimistic.
That is bomber crew's reports are probably not the best source of information as they tend to be slightly optimistic.
- Juha Tompuri
- Forum Staff
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Re: Finnish bomber stream infiltrations
Here is something topic related:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 9&t=162363
Regards, Juha
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 9&t=162363
Regards, Juha
Re: Finnish bomber stream infiltrations
Interpretation of aerial photographs taken on 10 March 1944 suggest that out of 157 aeroplanes at least nine (~5,7%) were either destroyed or heavily damaged on the ground. The actual photographs can be seen on the link by Juha.
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/fullpic.ka?kuid=4892867
Similar study done from Mergino raid (on the 19th of May) suggest four buildings as destroyed and a plane as heavily damaged.
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/fullpic.ka?kuid=4893193
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/fullpic.ka?kuid=4892867
Similar study done from Mergino raid (on the 19th of May) suggest four buildings as destroyed and a plane as heavily damaged.
http://digi.narc.fi/digi/fullpic.ka?kuid=4893193
Re: Finnish bomber stream infiltrations
That is from C.G.Geust in "Aviatziya i vremya" No.5, 1997:
As Geust writes on 29 February 1944 on the Levashovo airfield 3 Li-2s and 1 B-25 were damaged, 3 men were lightly wounded. On 9/10 March on the Gorskaya airfield 2 Li-2s were destroyed and 1 damaged, 3 Li-2s were damaged on the Kasimovo airfield, two pilots were killed and one heavily wounded. Airfield at Levashovo was damaged by bombing and temporarily closed. In addition shelling by artilery caused some losses as well: at Kasimovo 2 Li-2s were damaged, and 5 men were killed by a shell hitting a mess-room, at Levashovo 5 Li-2s were damaged. Nothing is said about the scale of the damage in all cases. Units equipped with Il-4s, B-25s and Pe-8s were beyond the range of Finnish attacks.
As Geust writes on 29 February 1944 on the Levashovo airfield 3 Li-2s and 1 B-25 were damaged, 3 men were lightly wounded. On 9/10 March on the Gorskaya airfield 2 Li-2s were destroyed and 1 damaged, 3 Li-2s were damaged on the Kasimovo airfield, two pilots were killed and one heavily wounded. Airfield at Levashovo was damaged by bombing and temporarily closed. In addition shelling by artilery caused some losses as well: at Kasimovo 2 Li-2s were damaged, and 5 men were killed by a shell hitting a mess-room, at Levashovo 5 Li-2s were damaged. Nothing is said about the scale of the damage in all cases. Units equipped with Il-4s, B-25s and Pe-8s were beyond the range of Finnish attacks.
- Juha Tompuri
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Re: Finnish bomber stream infiltrations
Art, thanks for the C-F Geust article.
Here some more background info in english:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/WW2His ... mbers.html
Regards, Juha
Here some more background info in english:
http://www.virtualpilots.fi/hist/WW2His ... mbers.html
Regards, Juha
Re: Finnish bomber stream infiltrations
Yeah i've seen the virtualpilots.fi page before. However I haven't seen complete list of the infiltration ops anywhere. Reading from the page it shows that there were at least five operations on separate days. Geust's article seems to be about the first two events. And it seems the later operations were larger than the first or second one.
Re: Finnish bomber stream infiltrations
Reading for attachments of war diary of Finnish Air Force Headquarters staff...
Bombers made several night time raids at Soviet airfields but only February 29th made with 4 DN (Dornier 17-Z) bombers and March 9th made with 5 DN, 6 JK (Junkers 88), 9 BL (Blenheim) seem to have been 'infiltrations'. Rest of the airfield bombings seemed (according to the listed logs) to be related to especially increased amount of La-5 planes with intent having been hindering their operations (March 30th raid with 7 JK, 19 BL, 5 DN, 1 DF (DB-3F / IL-4), 1 DB (DB-3M) bombers and May 18th raid with 8 x JK, 6 x DN, 3 x DF, 25 x BL at Mergino) while April 3rd raid (with 20 x BL, 9 x JK, 4 x DN, 1 x DB, 1 x DF) at Kähy was against ADD - though even the war diary notes that 'most of ADD was transferred south prior to April 2nd' - but it seemed to have been 'standard' nighttime airfield raid. Apart from those there was just the raid against the 'kiitokelkka' (translation?) base at Petsanoje and depot bombing of Alehovtahina - between initial raid at end of February and June 10.
Bombers made several night time raids at Soviet airfields but only February 29th made with 4 DN (Dornier 17-Z) bombers and March 9th made with 5 DN, 6 JK (Junkers 88), 9 BL (Blenheim) seem to have been 'infiltrations'. Rest of the airfield bombings seemed (according to the listed logs) to be related to especially increased amount of La-5 planes with intent having been hindering their operations (March 30th raid with 7 JK, 19 BL, 5 DN, 1 DF (DB-3F / IL-4), 1 DB (DB-3M) bombers and May 18th raid with 8 x JK, 6 x DN, 3 x DF, 25 x BL at Mergino) while April 3rd raid (with 20 x BL, 9 x JK, 4 x DN, 1 x DB, 1 x DF) at Kähy was against ADD - though even the war diary notes that 'most of ADD was transferred south prior to April 2nd' - but it seemed to have been 'standard' nighttime airfield raid. Apart from those there was just the raid against the 'kiitokelkka' (translation?) base at Petsanoje and depot bombing of Alehovtahina - between initial raid at end of February and June 10.
Re: Finnish bomber stream infiltrations
Thanks for the information!
Re: Finnish bomber stream infiltrations
All thanks (including mine) should be directed to Martti Kujansuu for his - at least for me - astonishing ability to locate information from the depths of the war archives. And thanks for Art as well for providing the 'view from the other side' - first time i have seen concrete reports of those bombings.