zwingli

Hi Erich

He doesn't really know if they were the crew or not. He does not remember if he ever got any names and I am not sure of exactly how many Lancs were shot down that night. I believe somewhere in my research data Theo did provide me a list of confirmed and possible kills from the Russesheim mission.

I am not sure what you mean by my Dad's thoughts on that night. Would you be a little more specific, or perhaps even have some questions that I may be able to answer and if not pass on to my Dad for a response?

Kind Regards
Leslie

 

Leslie I somewhat mis-directed myself before I viewed your dads missions on the 156th sq site, that is why I tried to edit the response in a haphazard way. let me put a couple of questions together for you/him if I may.

Ju 88G's would not be consistent with IV./NJG 1 who flew the Bf 110G throughout the war.

 

Hi Erich

Sorry if there was some confusion there. The posting on 156 was prior to Theo providing the information regarding the nightfighter responsible for shooting down Lancaster ND969. My dad said they were attacked by an undetected night fighter so did not know what aircraft was involved. The aircrew he spoke with in the shelter were JU88 crew so given the information to date they would not have been the crew responsible for the kill. I think what dad was trying to say was at that time, in his mind they could very well have been responsible for the attack. Hope I've clarified that for you.

Kind regards
Leslie

 

yes I understand Leslie. Interesting I see no claims up for the date your father flew on to and back towards home. That matters not as you can bet Dr. Boiten is going to cover the claim by the IV./NJG 1 crew in his new book Nachtjagd War diaries for next spring 2008. I have found holes in my Night fighter claims data base. At present it needs a re-shuffle of information to the right spot(s).

 

Erich

I am not sure if I can find the information that Theo sent me relative to the night my dad was shot down, but if so I can forward it to you via email. Perhaps you could provide me with your email address.

I have sent Theo substantial information, regarding my father, including his log book, some squadron orbs, and I understand he will be using my father's story in his new book to be released this spring. He also provided with the probable pilot who shot up B for Bravo, on the return from the Berlin mission in December 1943.

Kind regards

Leslie

 

great, I will now send you a private message..........well if you can drop any info on this site about your fathers mission that will not take away from your future book work please post away

E ~

 

another thought I will post here for your thoughts Leslie.

do you think the raid on Rüsselheim was secondary to the raid to Brunswick or were they both two fold on the same eve ?

~ I've wonder if the op your Father was on was suppose to draw away the LW night fighters to leave Brunswick bombers free to plaster the place ? though with what 27 bombers lost over Brunswick that does not seem to be the case. Am still trying to hunt down the LW night fighter claims for the evenings operations, with 0 luck so far.

E

 

This will be a rather long reply Erich, but I believe the following will confirm that Russelsheim was a primary target. Brunswick was considered an experimental raid. The following information comes from Bomber Command diaries.

RUSSELSHEIM: Total 297 aircraft, 191 Lancasters, 96 Halifaxes, 10 mosquitos. 13 Lancasters & 7 Halifaxes lost. 6.7 percent of the force.
Target: Opel Motor Factory. Normal Pathfinder marking methods used. Motor factory only slightly damaged. Local report states that tire, dispatch departments and the powerhouse were hit, but most of the bombs fell in open countryside south of the target.

BRUNSWICK: 242 Lancasters, 137 Halifaxes. 17 Lancasters & 10 Halifaxes lost. 7.1 percent of the force.
This was an experimental raid. No Pathfinders involved and there was no marking. The intention was to discover how successfully a force of aircraft could carry out a raid with each crew bombing on the indications of its own H2S set. The raid was not successful and there was no concentrtion of bomb ing. The Brunswick report calls it a "heavy raid" but only states that bombs fell in the central and Stadtpark areas. Other towns up to 20 miles distant were mistaken for Brunswick and were also bombed.

Other ops on that night were:
144 aircraft, 91 Lancasters, 36 Halifaxes, 12 Stirlings, 5 Mosquitos bombed a German Troop concentration and a road junction north of Falaise. Bombing was believed to have been effective - no aircraft were lost.

40 Halifaxes & 12 Mosquitos bombed 2 launching sites and a storage depot. Does not say the location. No aircraft lost.

Support & 143 training aircraft on diversionary sweep over the English Channnel. 21 Mosquitos to Kiel, 10 to Frankfurt and 3 each to Coulommiers and Juvincourt airfields. 33 RCM sorties, 47 mosquito patrols. 10 Lancasters & 4 Halifaxes minelaying off Biscay ports, 21 OTU sorties. 2 Mosquitos lost - 1 from Frankfurt raid & 1 Mosquito of No. 100 group, probably a Serrate
aircraft.

Total effort for the night: 1,167 sorties, 49 aircraft (4.2%) lost. The bombs dropped during this night brought Bomber Command's total for the war so far to approximately 500,000 tons.

Regards
Leslie

 

Leslie thank you for the 2 emails, and for the run down on Brunswick and Rüsselheim. I have fond finally the claims listing for the August 44 operation, some 44 Night fighter victories with 22 from NJG 1 alone / 13 of these just from IV. gruppe

 

Erich

I am still searching for the listing Theo sent through the masses of research data now piling up on my dining room table. I have my father's log book along with Squadron orbs for 101 and partial 156 squadrons, so if there are other missions you have enquiries about please feel free to ask.

Leslie

 

Leslie thank you for the offer, right now as Fred came upon his link to lost bombers and the copying of Chorleys work I am trying to correct that with LW claims.......

am interested in 1945 the whole year

Erich ~