Identification of Soviet Aircraft

[cheddar cheese]

Perhaps its the fighter version of the IL2, the IL2 I

[GermansRGeniuses]

Not fighter, interceptor...

[cheddar cheese]

Ah right my bad That would explain the I designation, in the same way the the T in IL2 T means Torpedo

[GermansRGeniuses]

But is Torpedo torpedo and Interceptor interceptor in Russian?


Hmmm...



Anyway, I just got that info from the IL-2 object viewer!

[plan_D]

I'm sure the Russians are kind enough to keep their designations to fit the English language. They're kind like that, don't want to confuse the US spies now do we?

[cheddar cheese]

Same place I got it from, buit that was this moring and I forgot most of it!

I dont know but it must be similar

[Pisis]

torpedo would be: торпеда (torpeda)

and

interceptor: трап (trap)

[plan_D]

The torpedo one fits. Thanks Pisis...

[Der Mensch]

In response to Base Commders earlier question, my grandfather was part of the 962 Afrika Schuetzen Regiment and surrendered in Tunis along with the other 250,000 axis troops. Went as a POW first to New York then to Alabama.

[plan_D]

962 Schutzen. Do you know what Division that was in? 15th Panzer, 21st Panzer or 90th Light?

Wasn't it 350,000 at Tunis, that surrendered? So, your grandfather fought in the Batlle of Alam Halfa?

[Der Mensch]

Sorry, it was 350,000 troops. The 962 Afrika was part of the "black number" 999. Leichte Afrika Division (Lt. Africa), the Unit was made up of no good, and troublemakers, even some courtmartialed soldiers however it was led by regular NCO's and Officers who were not in any way criminals. He was a Sergeant in the Regiment's 6. Company. I'll have to look but I believe he was at that battle.

Cheers

[plan_D]

Leichte Afrika was 90th Light, it was re-named.

[Der Mensch]

Here are the deatils of the unit. I got then off of: http://cosmos.oninetspeed.pt/dak/dak...ermanunits.htm

"999th Leichte Division
Division 999 was a so called "Bewährungseinheit" or "Strafbatallion", where former german native legionaires served as well as german soldiers, who had done some failure (thiefs, almost - deserters, so called "cowards in front of the enemy"and so on). Serving in the 999 was almost the last chance to "earn" their honour back. But most of them got killed in action before getting a real chance.

That div. was formed at the end of 1942 in Belgium as disciplinary brigade.Being in this unit was the only chance to rehabilitation for its personel. At the begining 999Brigade has been stayingat the Antwerpian region. In march'1943 unit has reached up the division size.In the same time 961 and 962 Jaeger Regiment (motorized) were removed to N.Afrika. 961 rgt.became a part of Kampfgruppe "Fullriede" and fights in the region of Fondouk.962 rgt. defended so known "Longstop hill".

Debate as to whether this unit was a penal unit. Despite this assumption the ordinary ranks were not permitted to wear the national eagle, collar patches or cockade on their uniform nor were they allowed to wear the traditional army belt with the national eagle displayed on them. The officers and NCO's of this division were, in contrast, hand picked and totally reliable with the commanding officer Generalleutnant Kurt Thomas having served with Hitler's headquarters guard battalion. He was posted missing in action when his plane was shot down over the Mediterranean on 5th May 1943 but was reported killed in action on the Eastern Front in October 1943 so it would appear that he did survive the shooting down of his plane.

It was redesignated 999 leichte Afrika Division in March 1943 with two of it's rifle regiments (961st & 962nd) being sent to North Africa from depots in Holland and Belgium, initially fighting as individual regiments and then assigned to the DAK and fought as such until the end of the campaign in Africa.

Shortly after it's arrival Schutzen Regiment (mot) 961 was assigned to Kampfgruppe Fullreide and fought against the British in the Fondouk area on 7th / 8th April, with its rifle regiment Schutzen Regiment 962 also fighting the British at "Longstop Hill" in mid-April. They fought in several small defensive actions until the eventual surrender on 13th May 1943 and during their short history and despite the fact that they were supposidly a penal unit they committed themselves fairly well. Those units of the division not sent to North Afrika were posted to Greece.

UNITS:


HQ Division
Afrika-Schützen-Regiment 961
Afrika-Schützen-Regiment 962
Afrika-Schützen-Regiment 963
Artillerie-Regiment 81
Panzer-Jäger-Kommpanie 999
Aufklärungs-Abteilung 999
Engineer Regiment 999
Astronomical Survey Section (mot) 999
Ambulance Platoon 999
Pionier-Bataillon 999
Nachrichten-Abteilung 999
Feldgendarmerie Truppen 999
Commanders:
Gen.lt. Kurt Thomas (23.12.1942-1.04.1943)
Oberst Ernst-Günther Baade (02.04.1943-13.05.1943)

Thanks to Waldemar from Poland, Francisco de Asís Romero y Medina, Uwe Wiedemann from Augsburg, Bavaria/Germany and Jeffrey Wendt from USA"

[Der Mensch]

90th light was a totally different unit.......

[Pisis]

Originally Posted by Der Mensch

In response to Base Commders earlier question, my grandfather was part of the 962 Afrika Schuetzen Regiment and surrendered in Tunis along with the other 250,000 axis troops. Went as a POW first to New York then to Alabama.

whadda fate mate, my grandparents survived the auschwitz... the rest of their families ended up in the gas...