The Columba system appeared to fail on eight units, and they passed harmlessly through the formation. One of these arrant missiles hit an escort fighter by chance, and four others flying close by were damaged as a result and eventually destroyed.
Nine missiles performed as designed and were successfully guided to their targets. Six more were partially successful and only damaged their targets.
Between the Missile Operator Corps, and the Columba aiming system, the success rate for the missiles was thirty percent destroyed, in addition to twenty percent damaged.
The main purpose of the ground-based missile program was a success. It created panic in the bomber forces and caused them to break formation. At least twelve mid-air collisions were observed as the bombers tried to weave and dodge away from the missiles.
The American pilots could not discern between the directed missiles and the conventional rockets fired by the Tu-2’s. Panic ensued when the Tu-2’s fired their undirected rockets in large numbers in the direction of the B-29’s.
Because of the previous behavior of the directed Columba-guided missiles we assume that the capitalist pilots thought that all the missiles were capable of being guided. This was the desired outcome for this mission, and it was a resounding success.
Once the bomber boxes were broken up by the panic of the pilots trying to avoid real or imagined threats, the convention fighter force was able to pounce. Many of the bombers lost altitude while trying to elude real or imagined threats. Others dove to lower levels to avoid their own comrades. The end result was that most of the bombers were scattered at lower altitudes, at slow speeds and in small, isolated, groups.
The escorts were engaged by our fighters and thirteen were shot down, when they followed the Tu-2’s down to low-level and into prepared flak traps. Another twenty-two American escorts were claimed as victories by our fighter force.
The only conclusion can be that while the Ground-to-Sky Missile force did not inflict unsustainable damage, it did achieve its main objective which was to break up the bomber formations. In addition, they caused a dozen mid-air collisions, and spread panic among the bomber forces. The end result was that the surviving bombers were at lower attitude at much slower speeds and did not reach their target.
The entire bomber force dropped their bomb-loads into the Baltic Sea far from land.
In addition the Ground-to-Sky missiles created a screen, or camouflage for the Pe-9 Interceptors, and their X-4 missiles. With the large number of missiles and rockets coming from all directions, the Americans apparently had no idea where the real threat had been.
Addendum: One of the Missile Operators admitted, after questioning, that she had intentionally missed the target. She was immediately hung, as an example to the other operators.
Pe-9 Regiment Number One
Field Number 384
Leningrad Area
16 August 1946
11:46 hours
Submitted by Maior Khistyakov,
Commander of Pe-9 Interceptor Regiment Number 1 Mission 1 report: Flights One, Two and Four of PE-9 Regiment Number 1, took off from Leningrad-Pulkovo Aerodrome at 6:45 hours, in anticipation of the American bomber raid on Leningrad. They rendezvoused with the 234th and 175th Medium Bomber Regiments, flying Tu-2’s, fitted with conventional rockets.
Each Pe-9 was equipped with two X-4 Wire-Guided Sky-to-Sky Missiles each.
Radar contact was made with the enemy bomber force at 7:12 hours. The Pe-9’s followed the Tu-2’s and acted like they were escorting the medium bombers. When visual contact was made with the bomber formation, ten kilometers east of Gogland Island, the Tu-2’s and Pe-9’s were 1,000 meters below and flying to the west, paralleling the bombers’ course.
The American escorts did not react to the presence of the Pe-9’s, or the Tu-2’s. As planned the regiments of conventional fighters made up of La-7’s and Yak-9UT’s, were maneuvering into position for attack. This seemed to attract, and keep the attention, of the American forces in the area as a large portion of the enemy escorts maneuvered into position to defend their bombers from this threat.
The Ground-to-Sky missiles were launched from Gogland Island and as planned, the Pe-9’s held their fire until the first volley of ground missiles entered the bomber-stream. On command, each Pe-9 launched one missile from positions above and behind the Tu-2’s.
The primary target for the first volley of Flight 1’s X-4 missiles were the atomic bomb-laden Silverplate bombers. These were clearly identified, using the information provided by Command. Flight 1 targeted the lead bomber and the trailing plane. Four missiles each were launched at each bomber. Flight 4 targeted the nearby bombers.
The trailing Silverplate bomber was hit and exploded. The missiles fired at the lead bomber missed their target. One of the ground-based missiles just happened to hit the lead bomber just as the Pe-9’s of Flight 1 Regiment 1 launched their second missile volley on the remaining Silverplate bomber. After it became apparent that the last Silverplate was destroyed the missiles were directed into the general bomber-stream with several scoring hits.
At the same time the Tu-2’s started to launch their diversionary attack. After the first volley, thirty American P-51 escorts dove on the formation of Tu-2’s. The Pe-9’s that had already fired their missiles withdrew under heavy fighter escort. Their orders were to appear to be observation planes, but under no circumstances were they to put their planes in jeopardy, to disengage as soon as possible and return to base.
The remaining Pe-9’s continued to fire aimed volleys of X-4 missiles unmolested by the fighter escorts who were chasing the fleeing Tu-2’s. The remaining missiles targeted B-29 lead bombers who were still flying in formation. Dozens of bombers were hit, and panic ensued within the bomber formations. It was almost impossible for the untrained eye to tell which missiles and rockets were directed and which were not.
Of the 136 missiles fired, 31 hit their targets. This high rate of success was possible, due to the fact that the Pe-9 operators were highly-trained and were virtually unmolested, while they guided their missiles to their targets. This was further made possible by the diversions caused by the ground-based missiles and the large volume of unguided rockets fired by the Tu-2’s. Both of these diversions caused the Pe-9’s to be ignored and left unmolested to carry out their primary mission.
The combination of the Pe-9 and the X-4 missile is an unmitigated success as long as the Pe-9 operator is allowed the time to guide the missile to the target unmolested. The utmost care must be exercised to keep the existence of these weapons, and their requirements for success a total secret from the enemy.
Combat Report of 16th Fighter Regiment
8th Air Army, Soviet Army Air Force
August 16th, 1946
17:34 Hours
COMBAT REPORT OF Maior Nikolai Shumilov
A. Mission No. 83, 16th Fighter Regiment, 9 Yak-9UT’s
B. Defense of airspace over Gogland Island
C. Time of attack: 0730 hours
Altitude: 2,460 to 3,075 meters
D. I was element leader in red flight and we took off at 0625 hours from the Leningrad area (Pulkovo Aerodrome) and flew to Gogland Island, awaiting further orders. We were instructed in the pre-flight brief to gain as much altitude as we could, and be prepared to use our superior height to our advantage. We were also told that the U.S. B-29 Superfortress bomber would be our adversary.