Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Hi Roger,

Nobody by the name of Jack Bernhard is listed in Frank Olynyk's "USAAF Credits For The Destruction of Enemy Aircraft in Air to Air Combat".

Jack J. Bernhard did however definately fly with 82FS/78FG.

Regards

Andy Fletcher

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Hello Andy,

That's strange as in his flight log it says:"shot at F.W. 190 he blew up - saw parachute", "fired on ME 109 + FW 190 - Damaged FW 190, Destroyed ME109"

Is there any photo of him and or his P-47 known?

Thank you,
Regards,
Roger

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Hi Roger,

Just double checked in "Fighter Units & Pilots of the 8th Air Force" by Kent D. Miller and no mention is made of any claims by Jack Bernhard on 03Nov43 or 10Feb44 although the 82FS/78FG was active on both dates and made the following claims:

Name; Unit; Claim; Location

03Nov43

Lt C.B. Hahn; 82FS/78FG; 1xBf109 dest (air); Barzal
Lt N.D. Munson; 82FS/78FG; 1xBf109 dam (air); Barzal
Lt W.S. Swanson; 82FS/78FG; 1xBf109 dam (air); Barzal

10Feb44

Lt G.M. Turley; 82FS/78FG; 2xBf109 dest (air); Osnabruck
Lt V.Y. Jones; 82FS/78FG; 1xBf109 dest (air); Rheine
Lt W.M. Wesson; 82FS/78FG; 1xFW190 dest (air); Osnabruck

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Hi Andy,

Thank you for checking again. I assume that then he might have been involved in these dogfights, but was probably not credited with these two victories that he claimed in his logbook.

I have another logbook of a P-51 pilot who claimed a Me 109. There is a signed confirmation attached to one of the pages. But not in Jack Bernhard's logbook.

Interestingly, his logbook is a RCAF logbook, but I assume he was from the United States? According to the logbook, he flew also the Spitfire V before he joined the 78thFG.

Regards,
Roger

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Minor correction: not OTV but OTU - Operational Training Unit. I strongly suspect AFV should be AFS - Advanced Flying School.

I would appreciate any further comments on the Warton Air School - I'm currently sitting on the site if 2 BAD at Warton, and don't recall hearing about this particular sub-unit. Presumably it was some kind of staff or specialist course?

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Graham,

Thank you for your corrections regarding the abbreviations. You are probably right. I cannot tell you anything more about Warton that it is written in the logbook, but maybe other people might be able to help.

Can anybody tell me if there exists a photo of Bernhard's P-47 or of himself? As he had at least one crash landing or accident, I assume that he and his aircraft is listed somewhere. As I am not so familiar with loss lists and accident reports, I would appreciate any help (also any indication where to find such information).

Thank you,
Roger Gaemperle

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Roger:

Have you checked out the Group's web site?

http://www.78thfightergroup.com/

There is probably a Q/A section.

John

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Hello John,

Thank you for the advice. I have already sent an inquiry yesterday in the discussion forum of the 78th FG website but have not received a reply so far.

I am sure that he must appear in some lists or even group photos as he was an active pilot for quite a long period and according to the log book took part in many missions (about 80).

Regards,
Roger

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Hi Roger,

Here are all claims made by 78FG on 20Feb44

Name; Unit; Claim; Location

Col J.J. Stone; HQ/78FG; 1xFW190 dam (air); Coblenz
Lt J.J. Hockery; 82FS/78FG; 1xFW190 dest (air); Coblenz
Lt G.M. Turley; 82FS/78FG; 1xFW190 dest (air); Coblenz
Lt J.W. Wilkinson; 82FS/78FG; 1xBf109 dest (air); Coblenz

Regards

Andy Fletcher

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Hi Andy,

Thank you for the info. That's interesting. I don't think that Jack Bernhard did write something in his log which was not true, but perhaps it was not confirmed or another pilot got credit for it. Probably, it is almost impossible to find out if he really shot down a German fighter or not unless there exist some combat reports (speaking of combat reports: do they still exist and if so, in what archive?).

If anyone has a photo of 42-8505 MX-K Smilin' Jack, please let me know. It would be great to see how it looked like. First Bernhard flew MX-E but in the log the same number (8505) is written next to MX-E. So, I assume that they later changed it to MX-K.

Regards,
Roger Gaemperle

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Hi Roger,

There´s a photo of the Smilin Jack in Fry´s „The 78th Fighter Group in WWII“ book on page 97.

Regards,
Michal

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Hi Michal,

Thank you for your message. Would it be possible to either post a scan here or to send it to my e-mail address directly (if there is a copyright issue with posting it here)? I don't have the book, but would be very glad to see the photo of Jack Bernhard's P-47.

Best regards,
Roger Gaemperle

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Roger,

I´ll send the scan to your e-mail address but later. I´am off my scanner for 2 weeks. I note your need and will contact you.

Regards,
Michal

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

This is getting very interesting....
I looked at the photo in Fry's "Eagles of Duxford", as Michal indicated. It is on page 47 in my copy, by the way. The photo caption tells us that it is P-47 MX-K 42-8505. On the photo in the book the serial is not legible, but the fuselage code is (thus note that it has a bar under the K). It is an olive-drab machine.
Close examination of the nose art shows that there is a small "II" behind Jack, that thus wasn't noticed by Gary Fry. Coincidently, I have a close up of this interesting piece of nose art, which I would like to have attached for your interest, if I knew how to do it.. I'll send it to you off board. Apparently the original "Smilin Jack" was lost or scrapped, and its successor was flown by Bernhard for some time.
According to Fry, Bernhard flew with the Group from Feb 23, 1943 to June 16, 1944 when he transferred out. He had no credited air-to-air victories, so was one of those unsung heroes who did not get a 'kill', but did all to protect their 'big friends'.
Hope this helps.
Ivo de Jong

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Hi Ivo,

That's indeed very interesting. I had a closer look at the log and there is also such a bar underneath the K (i.e. MX-K) but normally the letters are not underlined except K and a few others. Also interesting is that first he flew a P-47 MX-E 8505 a few times, then MX-K 8505 and then again MX-E until he makes a crash landing on "Beachy Head" in November 1943. From then on MX-E 8505 doesn't show up again. So, I assume that MX-E and K were two different machines although they had the same number 8505.

The date Feb 23 1943 fits quite well with the log. Two days later, on 25 Feb, he had the first flight with a P-47 (before that he flew Spitfires). The last mission was on May 29 1944, shortly before the invasion.

If he wrote that he shot at the Me 109 and Fw 190, I assume that he really did but perhaps was either not successful or did just not get the credit for it as there was not witness or someone else got it.

Best regards,
Roger Gaemperle

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Hi Roger,

I'm sure that Bernhard made the claims in good faith, they were probably credited to other pilots or not confirmed.

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

Re: Me 109 / Fw 190 claims by Jack Bernhard of 78th FG, 82nd FS
 

Hi Roger,

Please contact me off board because of the picture.

Regards,
Michal

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