Battle in The Air
The condition of the VVS South-Western front air force followed the pattern of the entire front line, with the great majority of its aircraft being destroyed on the ground, as a result of Stalin's refusal to put Soviet forces on alert, disregarding intelligence that German attack was imminent. In one example, Lieutenant Arkhipenkos 17th Fighter regiment were caught on the ground and finished off by the third day of the war, the remainder of the regiment, comprising only ten I-153's and one Mig 1 were retreated to a reserve airfield near Rovno.
Still the Soviet's sent whatever aircraft that had survived to support the offensive. The air battle resulted in heavy casualties for the attacking Soviets. JG 3 under the command of Fliegerkorps IV shot down 24 Tupolev SBs on the first day. Among the casualties was the Commander of 86 SBAP, Podpolkovnik Sorokin. Just 20 of the initial 251 SBs remained with the unit. German losses were also heavy, 28 destroyed and 23 damaged (including 8 He 111s and Ju 88s).
The efforts of the Red Army Air force were not without effect and the Southwestern Front Air force flew 523 sorties between June 22 and 24th and dropped 2,500 bombs. Gustav Shrodek a tank commander of the 15th Panzer regiment (11th Panzer Division): "At dawn of June 24th, the regiment underwent its first attack by Russian bombers. It shall not be the only one this day; completely the opposite. As a result of this the regiment now has several dead and wounded."
Otherwise, near total Luftwaffe air superiority was to be a major factor in breaking up the Soviet counterattack.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Brody (1941)
Famous quotes containing the words battle in the, battle in, battle and/or air:
“... the big courageous acts of life are those one never hears of and only suspects from having been through like experience. It takes real courage to do battle in the unspectacular task. We always listen for the applause of our co-workers. He is courageous who plods on, unlettered and unknown.... In the last analysis it is this courage, developing between man and his limitations, that brings success.”
—Alice Foote MacDougall (1867–1945)
“I remember the scenes of battle in which we stood together. I remember especially that broad and deep grave at the foot of the Resaca hill where we left those gallant comrades who fell in that desperate charge. I remember, through it all, the gallantry, devotion and steadfastness, the high-set patriotism you always exhibited.”
—Benjamin Harrison (1833–1901)
“If you are willing to inconvenience yourself in the name of discipline, the battle is half over. Leave Grandma’s early if the children are acting impossible. Depart the ballpark in the sixth inning if you’ve warned the kids and their behavior is still poor. If we do something like this once, our kids will remember it for a long time.”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)
“All things are flowing, even those that seem immovable. The adamant is always passing into smoke. The plants imbibe the materials which they want from the air and the ground. They burn, that is, exhale and decompose their own bodies into the air and earth again. The animal burns, or undergoes the like perpetual consumption. The earth burns, the mountains burn and decompose, slower, but incessantly.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)