Re: Mosquito claim over Rumania on 3 August 1944
 

Andrew

Thanks for the link and I am downloading the stuff.

Still ,I would be very suprised if indeed 60th Sqd performed 55 recons missions over
Rumania in 1944 coze I counted some 43 actuals out of which several returns due WX
The book " Eagles Victorious " has little to say about 60th Sqd. Most of the job was done
by 5th PRG & the concerned BG's at med and high alt. Out of hundred of 15th AF and 205th GP
Romanian recon photos dated 1944 which stored on my data base not even one is marked
60 recon Sqd.

Is there a data base containing 60 Sqd recon photos from Rumania period 1944 ?

Back to initial topic , on Aug 2,1944 they performed recon over Rumania.

Re: Mosquito claim over Rumania on 3 August 1944
 

Check out the following:

http://aerial.rcahms.gov.uk/worldwide/Romania.php

They are expensive.

Re: Mosquito claim over Rumania on 3 August 1944
 

Great stuff Andy, thank you. Unfortunately the aerial
shots are limited to April 17,44 and some taken early June
1944. No photos of the Rumanian airfields, Ploesti Oil
Fields or various bomb fall plots assessments included.
Nevertheless useful stuff.

Many thanks

Re: Mosquito claim over Rumania on 3 August 1944
 

Hello,
These days it looks easy to ID a Mosquito but in the war things may have been a little different.
Could it be that this aircraft is the one ?
3-8-1944
H.P.Halifax II, serial number JP283 of 1586 Flight, took off from Brindisi on a Special Duties Operation to Poland. Shot Down near Szantes, some 150km SE of Budapest by a German fighter. 5 of her 7 man Polish crew became POW's.
OR
These P-38's but date is 4th August '44.

440804 - ??-????? - P-38 - 15909 - RUMANIA - Hardin, James C.
440804 - 42-68162 - P-38J - RUSSIA - Small, James (NMI).
440804 - 42-104145 - P-38J-15 - 7318 - RUMANIA - Litton, William P.
440804 - 42-104161 - P-38J-15 - 7342 - CERFAN - O'Brien, William S.
440804 - 42-104186 - P-38J-15 - 7792 - FRANCE - Pyron, Walter S.
440804 - 43-28410 - P-38J - ITALY - Plummer, George H.
440804 - 43-28459 - P-38J -UNITED KINGDOM - Hartman, Elmer (NMI).
440804 - 43-28757 - P-38J-15 - 7187 - RUMANIA - Ellison, Alfred H.
440804 - 43-28811 - P-38J-15 - 7298 - RUMANIA - Vaughn, Thomas W.
440804 - 44-23614 - P-38J - FRANCE - Northrop, John R.
440804 - 44-23686 - P-38J-25 -10663 - UNITED KINGDOM - Freeman, Ted M.
MACR 15909 next post.

Alex

Re: Mosquito claim over Rumania on 3 August 1944
 

Hello,
Hardin's MACR.15909

Attachment 9330

Attachment 9331

Attachment 9332

Attachment 9333

Alex

Re: Mosquito claim over Rumania on 3 August 1944
 

Hello,
An Update,
4th August '44
P-38 - Richard E. Willsie, rescued by Richard T. Andrews after he force landed out of fuel.
Willsie's aircraft was 42-104174 named "Snake Eyes".

Also,
540 Sqdn and as already said, 60 (SAAF) Sqdn do not look to have had any losses that fit the date, any losses are a few days out. Also 540's detachment ( an Island aprox 20m from Archangel) details are not noted in the ORB as far as I can find . Also the American Squadrons Mosquito losses do not look any better.

So were more than the known "single" Mosquito sent to the Russians after all ?

Alex

Re: Mosquito claim over Rumania on 3 August 1944
 

Hi Alex,

Here is a very rough translation of the first-hand account in Prien:

"When our Rotte had approached almost within firing range, we were spotted by the enemy machine and he tried to escape us with emergency power - both engines emitted thin but visible exhaust streaks behind them. We then had no chance to catch up to it, and so Lt. Riedel from a very great distance - probably around 800 metres - fired off a long burst, more in frustration than in hope of hitting something. But immediately afterwards an engine began emitting smoke, becoming stronger and stronger, and as Hans Riedel roared over the radio: 'I got him, I got him!', the crew jumped out in front of us and took to their chutes." [Prien, Jagdgeschwader 77, p.2114]

Given the speed of the aircraft, I don't think it was a Halifax. The reference to "crew" rather than "pilot" would also eliminate a P-38 as a possibility (assuming, of course, that the first-hand account is accurate!).

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.facebook.com/airwarpublications

Re: Mosquito claim over Rumania on 3 August 1944
 

Andrew

The original volume IV of JG 77 in German language does not account part of the above
statement you cited such as Halifax, they clearly mentioned a Musquito no reference
to other aircraft type was made . On my previous posts I stated that 5 PRG
and 60th Rcn Sqd both out of San Severo were not available on Aug 3, 44 for that mission.

Also there is no point to speculate, it was a VVS Musquito dispatched from a
Russian base ahead of Ops Frantic IV.

Re: Mosquito claim over Rumania on 3 August 1944
 

The link I sent you only showed what has been scanned and made publically available. The archive will contain all photos taken by 60 Sqn SAAF (provided the films survived). However if you want to order an image that is not displayed you need to be very specific. Date, unit, sortie reference, frame number. And unfortunately rich. The prices are very expensive and in my opinion prohibative.

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

Re: Mosquito claim over Rumania on 3 August 1944
 

Andy

Thanks again, I am limited on the mentioned resources in order to order
a specific shot