Soviet Fighters Escort US Bombers

[SelimtheGrim]

I saw a source online that mentioned Soviet fighters escorting US bombers on their way to Eastern European oil fields. Did that ever actually happen? I've searched around and haven't been able to confirm it. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[Micdrow]

Now that is a very interesting question. To be honest I dont have an answer but I have read this once in a while also but never have seen any proof of it.
Ive read that British pilots that where to train Soviet pilots in the Hurricane's where escorted deep into Soviet Territory under Soviet fighter escort. I always thought that this was so they did not get shot down due to friendly fire.

Any body else know more on the subject?

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

I suspect the British and Americans weren't the most trustful of Soviet escorts.


But that's just a guess.

I heard one time of a case by Erich Hartmann where the US and Russians fighters
started shooting at each other, each thinking their ally had shot one of them down, but it was actually a German who had bounced them and caused the trouble.

 

[AL Schlageter]

Yes it was La's and Mustangs.

The Mustang looks much like a Me109 and the La looks much like a Fw190A.

The German fighter was a Fw190A.

 

[drgondog]

I saw a source online that mentioned Soviet fighters escorting US bombers on their way to Eastern European oil fields. Did that ever actually happen? I've searched around and haven't been able to confirm it. Any info would be appreciated.

I know it did not happen on any Frantic escort missions from UK to Russia to Italy and back.

I haven't found any reference of Soviet fighters 'escorting' 8th or 15th AF to Brux, Posnan or Ploesti.

Near the end of the war they may have been in same areas like Leipzig, Brux, Ploesti, etc but not on a planned basis - we had all the escort fighters we needed by the time the Soviets had their own fighters over those targets

 

[delcyros]

I know it did not happen on any Frantic escort missions from UK to Russia to Italy and back.

I haven't found any reference of Soviet fighters 'escorting' 8th or 15th AF to Brux, Posnan or Ploesti.

Near the end of the war they may have been in same areas like Leipzig, Brux, Ploesti, etc but not on a planned basis - we had all the escort fighters we needed by the time the Soviets had their own fighters over those targets

That´s exactly how I ended up on this issue a while back. Agreed 110%.

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

Thanks Shlageter.

 

[SelimtheGrim]

I know it did not happen on any Frantic escort missions from UK to Russia to Italy and back.

I haven't found any reference of Soviet fighters 'escorting' 8th or 15th AF to Brux, Posnan or Ploesti.

Near the end of the war they may have been in same areas like Leipzig, Brux, Ploesti, etc but not on a planned basis - we had all the escort fighters we needed by the time the Soviets had their own fighters over those targets

Thanks for that. I suspected that it wasn't true for half a dozen reasons, but it was too interesting to pass up further research.

 

[Tolik]

There may be a valid basis for this legend , little known , but " operation frantic " was a short lived agreement between the Soviet Union and the United States to use Soviet airbases to rearm and refuel American bombers in a shuttle bombing campaign , this allowed US bombers to strike targets from England and Italy deeper into German territory without having to worry about effective fuel range because they could keep going east and land in Soviet occupied airbases , then hit targets again on the return trip . It worked well for a short while , but then Stalin poo pooed further cooperation in that area , by then we had long range escorts and closer bases in newly liberated areas making the need irrelevant . There was by 1944 , no place safe for the Germans from allied bombing . It is entirely possible that Soviet fighters did escort American bombers for a short leg of their journey in and out of Soviet territory , and given the suspicious nature of Soviets at the time ........makes it very probable that they did .

 

[Tolik]

Thing is , on those bases they had Sturmovic ground attack aircraft , by Soviet military doctrine , were to have a fighter escort because of their slow speed and vulnerability to German aircraft . Every legend has a basis in fact , the frantic missions could easily be that basis . One of my uncles was a USAAF mechanic who was dropped behind enemy lines to patch up downed aircraft so a flight crew could by dropped in and fly the repaired bird out again , He has passed on now , but I still have some of his field reports . Those guys didnt always mention everything , because either it was not relevant to the mission or it was not something uncommon for the situation or time and needed no documentation or explanation . The time he spent with the Yugoslav Partizans while repairing a downed B-24 is not mentioned in great detail in his reports ( his superiors either didnt care or were already well informed of the procedure , and were only interested in the aircraft repair mission ) but he did tell his family a lot about them in great detail .

 

[Barrett]

I looked closely at the Frantic missions for the 15th AF book and found no mention of Soviet fighters escorting our heavies. Generally the relations between the US and Russians was good at the unit level, deeply mistrustful by the Soviets higher up. Later I learned that Moscow was allowed to charge us for services rendered during the shuttle missions against the lend-lease and loans provided. Eventually DC settled for pennies on the dollar.