Soviet aircraft identification-1941 campaign

Hi everyone .

I have a few question which i hope you would like to help, if i may.

Was reading for the n-th time the IAR-80 TMA book and the romanian version aswell , and there's a list there with all the aircraft shot down by Romanian fighters in 1941 (according to the time's documents), among others.

In adition to numerous Rata kills, aircraft like I-17 , I-18 and Seversky are mentioned. I assume that the I-17/18 might refer to misindentified Yak/MiG, maybe LaGG too ( they look all pretty much the same from distance). I think MiG-3s were used against ARR in the Bessarabian-Odessa campaign ( since some were captured ), but what about Yaks and LaGGs , were they present on that front in 1941?

No idea about Seversky, although probably from some angles it might look like a Rata.

I'm kinda baffled though of aircraft like "P-63", is that suposed to be a russian Potez-63 , or maybe it's a typing error and it's suposed to be P-36? (anyway the russians i don't think they ever had either so ...). Also something called "TKB-3", but the cherry is an aircraft called " P3MB " So what real aircraft might be these , especially the last one ?

Of course i understand that at the time the ARR was identifying soviet aircraft based on information at hand, many times scarce , perfectly understandable. But still very curious what types they actually downed in those days .

Also, somewhat unrelated , on TJ's blog there's a pic of a russian trimotor Savoia-79 , it says in the caption it came from Yugoslavia during the german attack againts this country, and that the aircraft was destroyed at Odessa during the german ( and romanian , i might add ) advance . Now i remember in the IAR-80 book there's something about a "trimotor transport " destroyed in a straffing attack . Can this be the one ? ( i need to check that straffing attack's date , the S-79 was still functional in july).

Many thanks for your patiente and help.

http://www.google.ro/#hl=ro&source=hp&q=se...iw=1024&bih=624

http://www.google.ro/#hl=ro&sa=X&ei=i-IiTt...iw=1024&bih=624

http://www.google.ro/#hl=ro&q=polikarpov+i...iw=1024&bih=624

Sorry Petre , but i can't see anything at your links ...

I am not sure about I17 or I18, but ot is possible that it refers to the sub-type of Rata such as "I-16 type 17". The P-63 refers most likely to the Kincobra used by the VVS.
Misidentification of aircraft happened often in combat, especially when the crash site was beyond the frontline and thus positive identification was not possible. The IAR80 was.often misidentified as FW190.
Hth,
Radu

In 1941, the P-63 was not the code for the Kingcobra, but indeed for the Potez-63.
ARR HQ believed the Soviets were flying the type.

Gen. Dénes

In 1941, the P-63 was not the code for the Kingcobra, but indeed for the Potez-63.
ARR HQ believed the Soviets were flying the type.
Gen. Dénes

Ah yes! Now I see that the question was specifically about 1941. :-)
Radu

I remember reading ( many years ago ) in Aeromagazin about i think Hartmann shooting down i quote an "I-18 (Mig-1)", so maybe that's what an I-18 is ( a Mig-1/3).

As for I-17 since the real I-17 apeared as far back as 1934, probably the romanians ( and maybe germans too ) believed it in service so it's possible whenever they shoot down or shot at an inline engine type fighter ( Iak or LaGG or Mig) they called it an "I-17".

This post has been edited by lancer21 on July 19, 2011 09:48 pm