Sgt. Lyamin
These documents were researched and transcribed by Evgeniy Puryushin.
1.1.1942. - Translation of a handwritten combat diary, probably a document written up immediately after the events.[1]
At 11:54 a.m. a Ju 88 entered the observation zone of VOOS[2] posts at Verkhneoblivsky[3] 30 km west of Morozovsky[4] at an altitude of 3,000 metres with a course of 90 degrees. Aircraft was following the route: Obryvsky[5], railway station Krivomuzginskaya[6], Gavrilovka[7], and at 12:25 at an altitude of 7,000 metres[8] passed the southern suburbs[9] of Stalingrad, Srednaya Akhtuba[10], Verkhnyaya Akhtuba[11], Srednepogromnoye[12], Sadki[13], Ilovlinskaya[14].
In Ilovlinskaya region[15] the plane Ju-88 was shot down (rammed) by Sgt. Lyamin of 282 IAP[16]in a Yak-1 aircraft[17]. The Ju-88 crashed 4 kilometres south of Ilovlinskaya. The plane was burnt out, the pilot (Fw. Heinz Enkling) and observer (Lt.Walter Zitt) were killed.The gunner, Uffz. Richard Eichner[18], and the flight engineer, Obw. Alois Huck[19], were taken prisoner.
Testimony of the prisoners
The Ju 88 took off from Kirovograd airfield with the task of reconnaissance and photographing the route to Stalingrad. The aircraft with this crew had made several reconnaissance flights near Stalingrad. In addition, according to the prisoners, there were several other crews who made reconnaissance flights near Stalingrad.
Weather: clear, visibility 10-15 km.
At the moment the enemy aircraft approached Stalingrad our fighter aviation was patrolling in the air.
Appendix. See Ju-88 route diagram[20] 1.1.42
What follows is the translation of a Soviet air force record of the combat that resulted in the loss of the Ju 88. This document appears to have been compiled post war.[21]
Month of January 1942
1.1.42.
1. From 11.54 a.m. to 12.50 a.m. one Ju 88 3000-5000 meters enemy reconnaissance raid on route: Verkhneoblivskaya, Krivomuzginskaya, south of Stalingrad, Srednyaya Akhtuba, Srednepogromnoe, Sadki, Ilovlinskaya.
2. The 102nd Fighter Aviation Division, consisting of 282, 628, 629, 651 and 652 IAP operating from the airfields of StalGRES. Verkhnyaya Akhtuba, Gumrak and Kotelnikovo covered military and industrial facilities of Stalingrad and the railway in the sections Stalingrad - Tatsinskaya; Stalingrad - Salsk.
3. The 282nd and 628th IAPs from the airfield StalGRES and the 629th IAP from the airfield Verhnyaya Akhtuba covered military and industrial facilities of Stalingrad.
4. The 651st IAP from the airfield Gumrak covered the railway at Chernyshevskaya, Morozovsky, Tatsinskaya.
5. 652 IAP from the Gumrak airfield covered the railway between Stalingrad and Salsk.
6. Combat readiness of regiments on 1.1.1942.282 - StalGRES - 14 Yak-1 planes. 20 pilots.628 - StalGRES -- 17 I-16 aircraft, 20 pilots.629 - Verkhnyaya Akhtuba - 20 I-16s, 20 pilots. 651 - Gumrak - 12 I-15 bis aircraft, 21 pilots.652 - Kotelnikovo - 12 I-15 bis aircraft, 21 pilots.
7. In the afternoon, units of the division made 51 sorties, of which 49 on patrol and 2 to intercept enemy planes. There was one encounter with enemy aircraft, 1 air battle, which resulted in the ramming of the pilot of the 282th Fighter Aviation Regiment, Sergeant Lyamin on board of Yak-1 aircraft shot down 1 Ju 88. The enemy aircraft was burnt out, 2 members of the crew were killed and 2 were taken prisoner. The plane came down 4 kilometres south of Ilovlinskaya. Lyamin made a forced landing with retracted landing gear.
Brief description of the air battle: Having detected the enemy aircraft, Lyamin pursued and made two attacks, firing cannons and machine guns, after which the weapons failed. Seeing that the enemy aircraft continued to retreat, Lyamin decided to ram. Having reached speed and approached the plane, he cut off its tail fins, after which the enemy aircraft went into a chaotic descent. Consumption of ammunition: 100 shells and 880 rounds.8. The regiments made during the day282 - 10 sorties of aircraft, of which 2 on interception. 628 - 13 sorties of aircraft on patrol. 629 - 16 sorties by aircraft on patrol. 651 - 4 sorties by aircraft on patrol.652 - 8 sorties by aircraft on patrol.9. Weather: Clear, visibility 10-15 kilometres.
In addition see the following links.
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/heroes/podvig-chelovek_nagrazhdenie1560764585
Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of 04.03.1942 No.: 605/166 on awarding
Sergeant Yuriy Vitalievich Lyamin with the Order of Lenin (Lyamin - No.11 in the list)
https://pamyat-naroda.ru/heroes/kld-card_uchet_officer3281344/
Service record card.
Yuri Vitalievich Lyamin - rank of sergeant awarded in 1941. The rank of junior lieutenant was given on 16.01.1942.
Was killed on September, 6, 1942.
Return to Aufkl. Gr. 122 Jan 1942
References
- ↑ Transcribed by Evgeniy Puryushin and translated by Andy Mitchell using DeepL.
- ↑ VOOS is an acronym for Airborne Observation, Alert and Communications
- ↑ The source gives the abbreviated name of the settlement as "V-Oblivsky". (Coordinates on Google maps are 48.392394, 41.470573).
- ↑ Morozovsky (Google Maps: 48.392394, 41.470573)
- ↑ Probably 48.279628, 41.131954. Khutor Karpovo-Obryovsky.
- ↑ "St." - in this case is an abbreviation for "station". It is a 'railway station'. (Google Maps: 48.632332, 43.719599).
- ↑ Unfortunately, it is not clear which village is being referred to and where it is located. It probably does not appear on contemporary maps.
- ↑ At an altitude of 7,000 metres.
- ↑ The source says "southern suburbs" in abbreviated form. It should read "southern suburbs".
- ↑ Sred. Akhtuba" - in the source the name is abbreviated. The full name is Srednaya Akhtuba. (Google Maps: 48.713571, 44.860006)
- ↑ Verkhnyaya Akhtuba is a settlement that now does not exist. In its place is now the town of Volzhsky (Google Maps: 48.782218, 44.732492).
- ↑ The source records the abbreviated name "Sredniye Pogromnoye". The full name is Srednepogromnoye. This rural settlement currently does not exist. The territory of the village is now the northern part of the town of Volzhskiy.
- ↑ Sadki (Google Maps: 49.186163, 44.421316).
- ↑ Ilovlinskaya. Now Ilovlya village (Google Maps: 49.307429, 43.989927)
- ↑ In the source, the abbreviation was recorded as "In the district". In full - "in the neighbourhood". It should read 'near', 'close', 'in the vicinity'.
- ↑ IAP is the abbreviation recorded in the source. It is "fighter aviation regiment".
- ↑ In the source, the word "aeroplane" was abbreviated to "sam-te".
- ↑ Euchner, Richard.(Bf)
- ↑ Huck, Alois.(Bm)
- ↑ No schematic is given in the source.
- ↑ The document contents were transcribed by Evgeniy Puryushin and translated by Andy Mitchell using DeepL.