Night Fighter Operation - Nov. 1944
 

Looking for any information about any possible night fighters operating in the area of Giessen during the night of November 1/2 1944.

Thanks.


Nicholas

Re: Night Fighter Operation - Nov. 1944
 

Just to be clear, RAF, USAAF or Luftwaffe night fighters?

Martin

Re: Night Fighter Operation - Nov. 1944
 

Luftwaffe. I know there were RCAF Mosquitos in the area that night and one was lost. Hoping to maybe find the reason it was lost. The pilot of the Mosquito was my grandmother's brother.

Nicholas

Re: Night Fighter Operation - Nov. 1944
 

Hello Nicholas,

according to the German Bruchunterlagen from November 1, 1944 a Mosquito was shot down by a nightfighter, crash time 2015 hours, crash place 10 km west of Usingen (Cratzenbach). Casualty No. KE 9965.

Other sources give the crash place Eckartshausen near Büdingen.

In Norman Franks "Fighter Command Losses" Vol. 3 the loss of the Mosquito VI LR327 of 418(RCAF) Sqn after an intruder sortie to Gießen is listed.
The pilot and the navigator were killed:
F/O John Stewart Hill RCAF J/22349
F/Sgt George Walter Roach RAF 1603120.
Both are now buried in Dürnbach War Cemetery, graves 6.E.1 and 6.E.2.

Regards
Leo

Re: Night Fighter Operation - Nov. 1944
 

Hi Leo,

That would be the Mosquito alright. F/O Hill was my great-uncle. Was hoping for a possibility on the identity of that night fighter but I'm sure that might be a stretch.

Nicholas

Re: Night Fighter Operation - Nov. 1944
 

The previous place of burial of F/O Hill and F/S Roach was the cemetery of Cratzenbach (Weilrod).

@Rottler
Do you also have copies of other German Bruchunterlagen ?

Rgds,
Kaczmarek

Re: Night Fighter Operation - Nov. 1944
 

I have no copy of the "Bruchunterlagen vom 1. November 1944", I have my entry gathered from the "OKL Fighter Claims" (Tony Wood).
In the claim lists "Reich, West & Südfront, August-December 1944" are references to the Bruchunterlagen from 2.9., 7.9., 9.-11.9., 15.-18.9., 29.9., 30.9., 1.10., 2.10. and last of all 1.11.

Regards
Leo

Re: Night Fighter Operation - Nov. 1944
 

Ah, ok, thanks for your quick reply.

Rgds,
Kaczmarek

Re: Night Fighter Operation - Nov. 1944
 

So is the identity of the night fighter that shot down that Mosquito unable to be identified?

N.

Re: Night Fighter Operation - Nov. 1944
 

According to Theo Boiten, there were no claims for Mosquitoes