This is a direct quote I have taken from another website (The Dupuy Institute) authored by Chris Mitchell , a moderator of that site, and author and associate of Zetterling. It highlights some of the problems and information issues that need to be considered with any reports about tank Busting aircraft......
"I have been asked over the year(s) by Niklas Zetterling, Jeff Duquette and others about the particular stories about the effectiveness of the Hs-129 B-2s and Ju-87 G-1s in tank busting, particularly on July 8. Nearing completion of this section in my book, I am now prepared to discuss it.
There are two seperate stories of German tank busting that circulate about Kursk. First is the Rudel story that on or about 7 July he personally killed 12 tanks with the new experimental Ju-87 G-1 (the Stuka with the 37mm cannons) and this lead to the formation and use of the tank busting stuka squadrons.
The second story is the Maj. Bruno Meyer story about seeing a Soviet tank brigade coming out of the woods at Gostishchevo on July 8 and calling in all five squadrons of the IV/9th Ground Assualt Wing of Hs-129s B-2 (the Hs-129 armed with the 30mm cannon) and halting the attack by destroying 40-50 Soviet tanks in a short time
This story was first published by Hans Seidemann (VIII Air Corps commander at Kursk) in 1947 as part of his write-up he did for the US Army on air operations at Kursk.
It this story, he clearly identifies the time and date (afternoon of July 8), the location ("from the woods east of GOSTCHEVO station"), the unit ("4th Group/9th Antitank Ground Attack Wing"), the German air response ("in a short time, they were on their way to meet the enemy force"), the duration of the battle("after about one hour") and the result ("approximately 40 tanks had been knocked out") and its effect ("the remainder of the enemy force discontinued the attack and turned around"). Furthermore, he identifies elsewhere the strength of the antitank unit as 60 planes.
This story has the advantage of being specific enough that one can acually compare it to the opposing side's records (unlike most war stories).
There is some other confirming evidence for it in the German records. Primarily there is a claim in the VIII Air Corps records that they destroyed 84 tanks on the 8th, including 11 burned and damaged 21 tanks on July 8 and the comment for that day that the "The initial action by the antitank aircraft squadron was quite effective. Given the number of burning [enemy] tanks reported, it must be assumed that there was an even greater number that were just knocked out (more than 6 hits reported), Especially in the late afternoon attack from the northeast against SS Reich and the evening tank battle, the Russians were stopped and driven back."
The VIII Air Corps also reports the loss of two Hs-129s on this day
Over the years, an expanded version of this story has appeared, I gather first from a German source that I have not identified. It shows up in Robin Cross' "Citadel: The Battle of Kursk" book (pages 198-199) and in a number of web sites about Hs-129s. A German site that has the story is linked below, and it appears to have been drawn from the same source as the Robin Cross version.
The expanded version of the story has Major Bruno Meyer flying reconnaissance in the morning, when "as the morning mist clears" he sees 60 tanks and their supporting infantry emerge from the woods. He calls in all the units of his group with the lead elements arriving from Mikoyanovka airfield within 15 minutes. They are supported by Fw-190s lead by Maj. Alfred Druschel (CO 1st Ground Attack Wing), who bomb the supporting infantry. They usually have the battle resolved in an hour, with Cross' claiming six tanks "within a few minutes" and 50 tanks within an hour. Most accounts claim 40-50 tanks. All the accounts place the attack on the flank of the SS Panzer Corps or the woods near Gostishchevo. The account often provide a detail OB of five squadrons with 16 planes each.
This is clearly the same story, with some detail added.
The German language version of the story is at:
http://www.wehrtechnik.net/wehrtechnik/henschel_129.html
Now, before we take a look at the Soviet data...there are a few problems with the German reports.
First, this attack is noted in the German SS Panzer Corps reports as an attack at 1145 with 20-40 tanks and weak infantry units through the ravine from Visloye and Ternovka to the west agains the defenses at the Belgorod-Kursk highway.
Visloye and Ternovka are both in front of the large woods south of Gostishchevo. This raises questions at to both the time and size of the attack (and therefore casualties).
Next, the sources I have located indicate that the IV/9th SG was created 18 October 1943 and its commander was Bruno Meyer. The III Pz Corps records do make reference to an panzer command as part of the 1st Ground Assualt Wing, but I do not know who commanded it, or what it consisted of. There were two AT squadrons (the 4th and 8th) armed with Hs-129s in the 1st SG. There is clear evidence that the 4.(Pz)/2 SG was also there as was the Pz. Sqdn/51 JG. All four of these squadrons were later used to create the IV/9 SG along with the 8.(Pz)/2 SG. I do not have clear evidence than this last unit was at Kursk, but I assume it was.
A good bio of Bruno Meyer would be of use here.
Third, the base listings I have put these Hs-129 squadrons at Varvanovka, not Mikoyanovka".....(to be continued)