Thanks for the link, Juha. May I add some more on the matter here ?Juha Tompuri wrote:Some additional info can also be found here:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 9&t=197379
Regards, Juha
The loss of I-6 was rather mysterious thing as there is no clear evidence that she was towed by #21 at the moment of abandonment. There is a record in the diary of Laivasto-Osasto Kijanen about the loss of I-6 : "Taistelun aikana (06.00-13.00) katosi yksi I-vene, joka oli nähty ryssien hinauksessa" that looks like the boat "disappeared" from Germans at some moment within 7-hour time range and she was seen towed by Russians. She could be probably lost just due to towing rope getting loose or being cut by splinters. In the conditions when #21's hulls were leaking and bilge pumps malfunctioning, Germans hardly were eager to turn back towards Suho catching I-6 being under fire.
Ferry numbers used in German reports were called "tactical" so I don't think the names like "SF-21" are correct. On arrival to Ladoga in July 1942 Siebel ferries had different 3-digit numbers. Same is probably correct for infantry boats as the boat mentioned in German reports as "X-1" had that tactical number painted on her bulwark and "J-O-5" painted on her side. Btw since headquarter ferry was "X-2" then I have some doubts if "Y-1" mentioned in report as towed by T-4 (due to loss of her steering ability) was a hospital ferry. "Y-1" must be hospital boat (not ferry) and hospital ferry was obviously "Y-2" (see battle diagram from Seppälä's book above).
In German accounts they reported #21 was set on fire by the guns of #11 and #23 and she was observed behind "as burning torch" until 15.30. So Germans did not report #21 was scuttled.
I still have no info if DB-51 in Soviet use was one of the lost ferries or she was a "compillation" of usable parts taken from other lost ferries. She was unlucky one anyway as after bombing by Soviet an German aircrafts near Suho in 1942 she received direct hit from Finnish bomber in June 1944 in landing operation near Tuulos.