Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Seeking any info on the loss of Maj Puttfarken, and the name of his Bf.
Thanks
Joe

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Thank's Jim.
Joe.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

You would probably find Intruders Over Britain by Simon W Parry interesting as well.

ISBN: 1-871187-16-8
208 pages, 232 x 150mm
Soft covers

Price £11.95 (+ P&P)

http://www.airresearch.co.uk/

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Not that much about Puttfarken in Simon's book but he did go down over the North Sea

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Any idea of what colour scheme was used by the KG51 machines on these intruder missions? I'm rather interested in researching this subject, in particular Maj Puttfarken.

Thanks.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

This is what we currently have on this guy:

PUTTFARKEN, Dietrich.
(DOB: 30.04.20 in Hamburg).
1940 in KG 51.
02.07.42 Oblt., awarded DKG, I./KG 51.
07.10.42 Oblt. in 1./KG 51, awarded the Ritterkreuz for completing 250 combat missions, sinking a submarine and several merchant ships, and destroying 30 aircraft on the ground and 3 important bridges along the Don.
21.11.42 Hptm., appt Staka 11./KG 51 (to 24.04.44).
c.02.44 Staka Fernnachtjägerstaffel/KG 51.
01.04.44 promo to Maj.
23.04.44 reported MIA over the North Sea during an attack on Cambridge/England.
Credited with 269 combat missions and 5 air victories.

LdZ
DGS

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Thank you Doug, I find the Fernnachtjäger missions quite absorbing. I'm sure there's more info to be found about this little known (outside of this forum anyway) aspect of Luftwaffe strategy. I've just purchased Intruders Over Britain by Simon W Parry, are there any other books you would advise me to read?

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

I would suggest "Nachjagd" by Theo Boiten which covers all night fighter operations but at least is in English, as is "Nachtjager" by David Williams (2 volumes). The later I haven't seen but I expect its good. What would probably have more content on the subject of Fernnachtjagd would likely be (in German):
Chronik der I. Gruppe des Nachtjagdgeschwaders 2 by Heinz-Rökker; VDM Heinz Nickel Verlag.


The later is a high quality production consisting of many articles dealing with different aspects of the unit. The author is, of course, a well known veteran of the unit.



Apart from the Parry book, there is nothing else that springs to mind.


Good luck.



Doug Stankey

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Many thanks for the suggestions, looks like I'll have to brush up my German language skills. Much appreciated Doug.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Hi Joe,
the details of Major Puttfarkens Knight cross award (in german)can be seen on the link below. I am researching Lt Wolfgang Wenning of II./KG51 who was killed 27/04/44. I cannot find any more details about him other than from Intruders over Britain. I believe the Me410 would have been dark grey with black undersurfaces.

regards,
Mike


http://www.das-ritterkreuz.de/index_...ord=puttfarken

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Mike, we seem to have a parallel interest in II/KG51 as I'm researching Maj Puttfarken. Perhaps we should get together on this.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

I suspect that Doug is referring to Williams' 2-volume work, "Hunters of the Reich."
One volume ("Day Fighters") is devoted to the Tagjagd, while the other ("Night Fighters") covers the Nachtjagd. The night fighter volume is a collection of five biographies: Wolfgang Falck, Georg Hermann Greiner, Werner Hoffmann, Peter Spoden, and Paul Zorner. The appendices include victory lists, promotion dates and award dates for each pilot. The book also includes a list of the top 25 Nachtjäger, an airfield map, a Nachtjagd navigation map, and a glossary and bibliography.

Yes, an excellent book. Note that there are a couple more unit histories of I./NJG 2, namely:

• "Ferne Nachtjagd: Aufzeichnungen aus den Jahren 1940-1945" by Möhlenbeck and Leise, published by Motorbuch Verlag in 1976. It has 224 pages and is written in a diary format, describing daily events from mid 1940 to mid 1943. (1944 and 1945 are summarised in just a couple of pages.) The appendices contain victory and loss lists for the period from June 1940 to the end of April 1943.

• "I./NJG 2" by Murawski, published by Kagero in 2002. This is a smallish card cover of 80 pages, with text in both Polish and English. It's primarily focused on operations in 1940 and 1941, but also contains 10 pages on Operation Gisela, launched in March 1945.

Hope that helps,
Leon Venter

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

The Red Kite Book 'Luftwafe N/F combat Claims 1939 - 1945' has details of Puttfarkens and Wennings claims over the UK, including those credited to Wennings Bf with the barbette guns. The crash report for Wenning shows markings 9K+Z? ( 'Z' in black outlined in yellow ) and Camouflage as Blue-grey on top surfaces, spray-painted black on the under-surfaces. Flypast of March 1983 in an article on Church Lawford Airfield has mention of the collision between Wennings 410 and the Oxford he was attacking. The loss lists in Ulf Balkes KG2 history shows that Delp baled out injured of a Do217 of 5/KG2 following a raid on Southampton on 21/22-6-42 also noting he held the DKiG.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Thanks for the above information. I was sent this interesting article from the Rugby library archives regarding the collision between the Me410 & Oxford. This was dated May 2 1944.

German Plane Down.
Was posisibly Rammed by Canadian

Gun shot marks on the British trainer plane which with a German machine crashed just behind village church in the Midlands in the early hours of Thursday morning last week killing all three occupants has led RAF officials to surmise that the Canadian pilot who was flying solo deliberately collided with the enemy. The theory is that having been shot up 20 years old Pilot Officer G S Moore with utter disregard for the possible chance of escaping himself immediately decided to ram the enemy. Eye witnesses said the planes raced to earth in flames and they crashed with such a force as to be smashed beyond recognition.

I believe the Me410 crashed at Manor Farm near Frankton.

Anymore infomation regarding Maj Puttfarken, Lt Wenning or Fw Delp would be appreciated.


Mike.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

The German report on 22/23-4 indiactes that 14 Me410's operated in a disruptive attack over Southern England claiming 9 Halifaxs (B24's evening of the 22nd.) It then says in the early hours of the 23rd 8 410's set off on the same mission, The NVM for Puttfarken is dated 23rd as opposed to the loss of Kruger dated 22nd. both shown as 'Fernnachtjagd. in Raum Cambridge''. I assume from this that Puttfarken faied to return from the second mission, also in the early hours of the 23rd an RAF Albemarle was shot down and this has been linked to a ''Friendly Fire'' accident. Has the Albermarle loss been definitely been comfirmed as being shot down by an RAF N/F or is there a possible link to Puttfarken. The ORB gives that the Albermarle was shot down by an enemy fighter, but then later notes a Court of Enquiry over the incident.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Looks like the loss of the Albermarle could be linked either way. There does not appear to be any claim made in Tony Woods data base 22/23 April 44.


Mike.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Thanks to Mike H, here's a profile of Major Puttfarken's ME 410. How accurate a depiction from the point of camouflage would you think it is? I assume Leutnant Wenning's machine would have been similar?

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

I wouldn't rely on that profile. I think you will find that in II./KG 51 only the individual aircraft letter was full size. There's a photo of 9K+CP in Classic Colours' Kampfflieger Vol.4 showing that form of marking (later adopted on KG 51's Me 262s).

National Archives AIR40/207 contains a report on an Me 410 crashed at Manor Farm, Frankton near Rugby after collision with an Airspeed Oxford: 9K+Z? — Z in black with yellow outline. 42 on base of fin in black; below this on fuselage 750 in black on white ground.

Camouflage: blue-grey on upper surfaces and light grey undersides (spray painted). Carried two external 300 litre tanks. Armament: 4 x MG 151 cannon (two of which in the bomb bay); 2 x MG 17; 2 x MG 131.

[This was Wenning and Delp's machine].

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Thanks Nick. I have also discovered that for 5 staffel machines the individual letter should be red, not green, which was used by Gruppe stab machines.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

As an addition to Nick's comments, the Crash report (courtesy Nick and Brian) also states that this was the first "of the sub-type 'F'" to crash in this country.) I assume that the F stands for Fern (long-range) and refers to the plumbing for the two 300l drop tanks it carried.

Also the numbers at the base of the rudder and rear fuselage are interesting. I can see that the "42" would be the first two numbers of the a/c serial, 420 445. Does anyone have an idea of what the "750" might mean? As a quicky thought, could it be the weight in Kg to be placed at the jacking point when the a/c is trestled for compass swinging or gun harmonization?

In addition, one of the radio units IDed in the crash was an FuG 101A radio altimeter. A very unusual instrument for an Me 410, but comforting to have if you're doing low-level work.

One small point in your excellent book, Nick, I beg to question and that is when you mention, on page 320, that "The 2nd Bomb Division's B-24s were followed home by the Gruppe's Me 410s ...." That is also the view of Ian McLachlan in "Night of the Intruders," but I would think that the Germans, being aware of whom they had been ordered to chase home would have claimed at least one B-24. Yet all their claims, in this part of the evening, are Halifaxes. And, Balke, in his comments on that evening says only that "14 a/c attack the RAF ground organization facilities in the Cambridge area, ... and returning a/c reported 9 certain and one probable victory over taking-off and landing aircraft ...." It seems to me from that comment to have been considered a pretty normal evening for the intruders, except for the larger-than-normal number of bombers shot down, and not a special mission such as tailing home returning USAAF bombers. Just my thoughts on that topic, the details of which have bothered me for some time.

I'm not familiar with this book, Brian. Do you have further details on it?

All the best,
George

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Hi George,

Book published in 2004 ISBN 0-9538061-4-6 E-Mail :- contact@redkitebooks.com,

Regards

Brian

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

The plot thickens. According to this Portuguese website found by the ever resourceful Mike H, Maj Puttfarken was shot down near Canterbury (miss spelled Cantenbury in the original) which makes him a lot further south than any other report of his demise. So exactly where did he and Uffz Lux meet their end?

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Thanks for that info, Brian.
All the best,
George

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Unless something new comes up Puttfarkens fate is likely to remain unsolved. According to the Red Kite book Me410 crews claimed Halifax's over the UK between 2204 to 2226 hrs. Radio intercepts from II/51 were recorded under Gilze Rijen control between 2323 to 2352hrs. probaly the 410's returning. It is also noted that Puttfarken claimed his 4th and 5th victories two Halifax's this night but with no time shown, did he return note his victories but have no time to fill in a full report because of the second mission. Some reports say a second Me410 flew off damaged from the attack on the B24's after Krugers loss, so did Puttfarken come down in the N.Sea on the return.
On the other hand a second attack was launched in the early hours of the 23rd and the NVM gives Puttfarkens loss as the 23rd while Kruger is shown on the 22nd. Radio intercepts gives traffic from II/KG51 between 0528 to 0737 hrs under Eindhoven/Soesterberg control which would put them over the UK approx. 0400 to 0500hrs. We know an Albermarle was shot down by a N/F around 0400hrs crashing at Kirton Fen Lincolnshire, but there is a question as to whether this was a 'Friendly Fire' incident. Strangely some reports said the Albermarle came down off Lowestoft some 80 miles south, could this have been Puttfarkens aircraft if he was on the second mission or did he attack the RAF machine and his aircraft was hit by debris.
Although Luftwaffe reports talk of 14 Me410's in the first attack and 8 in the second the Home Office report for the night reports only 8 bombers operating over East Anglia and Lincolnshire.
As George pointed the 410's had the use of a Radio Altimeter, perhaps Puttfarken went in at low level with no one else involved, I dont believe his or his Bf's bodies were ever found. There were no reports of a crash near Canterbury that night.
Unless a log book a KG 51 Veteran or diary comes up this one has no definite answer at present.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Thank you Brian. Two missions that night/morning? That could be seen as "pushing your luck.."

Edited to say: So no claim was made by the RAF/Army AA for for Puttfarken/Lux?

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

George, you probably didn't know that I split hairs for a living, so you don't catch me that easily! I didn't say the Germans knew what they were doing. "Followed" doesn't necessarily imply knowledge or purpose, simply that one event succeeded another. "Arrived over England in the wake of" might have been a better form of words but I had a limit to keep to.

Sadly this operation doesn't seem to have shown up in ULTRA, ops reports from II./KG 51 seem to appear first in May 1944.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

OK, your comment is a fair one, Nick. And I hadn't been trying to catch you, simply attempting to find out whether the Me 410s were deliberated following the B-24s home. Should I assume then that you are saying that these were 2 separate actions whose a/c happened to meet in the Cambridge area?

Thank you for your response, Nick.

All the best,
George

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

There's things you could catch me on but not that one! I too would like to know just how far II./KG 51's operations were launched to coincide with returning Allied raids or whether they just went out on the assumption that something would be airborne over Eastern England after dark.

Maybe on 22 April they just got lucky but it would have been possible for a control centre (e.g. Arnhem-Deelen) to radio to II./KG 51 the information it surely had about an American raiding force heading back over the North Sea. But were the Germans that well co-ordinated?

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

In completing a fast scan through Ian McLachlan's excellent book on the air battle of 22/23 April 1944, "Night of the Intruders," I noticed a map labeled as the one showing air fleet movements for the USAAF and II/KG 51. It was based on "intruder movements picked up by eavesdropping on German transmissions and from Royal Observer Corps reports." Can anyone verify the accuracy of this map? It is interesting though, and is from page 200 of the book.

And one last item. Was Soesterberg actually the base that the II/KG 51 aircraft took-off from?

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Hi Nick,
I wondered if any luftwaffe combat details exist for Lt Wolfgang Wenning's claim for a Halifax 25/4/44?

25/4/44 II/KG51 Halifax 20km NE Cambridge: 1000 m. 0422

I believe this to be Halifax LK789 of 76 Squadron that was attacked over Ely,Cambridgshire sent down at 0420 near Welney,Norfolk.

The only other claim by KG51 that night is:-
Uffz Bair 6/KG51 Halifax 1357 /05 Ost: no height (England) 0358.
However I suspect this to be Lancaster DV177 of 626 Squadron, shot down close to Boxted airfield at 0410.


Mike.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Gentlemen: I have not had a chance to answer much of this but can say that II/KG 51 were initially based at Vitry and did move around but according to a logbook copy I have, operated from Eindhoven for much of their ops in Apr 44. Would agree that 25 Apr 44 kill was the 76 Sqn ac; the other one was probable the 626 sqn loss. As to the Albermarle loss on 23 Apr, it matches well with Uffz walter Bruegel's claim of a Halifax-it would appear that he was out on a second sortie that night. Finally, I wrote last year to Puttfarken's widow but I am afraid no reply/wish to reply

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

II./KG 51 did know what they were meant to pursue on the night 25/26 July 1944, according to the attached decrypt. They clearly had information on the progress of the returning Allied formations.

PS: sorry about the photographic quality.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

So the question becomes: Did the intruders know about returning Allied forces earlier than Jul 44? Remember it was not a favourite form of attack by Hitler, so it might not have been getting appropriate target information until the success of the attack of 22/23 Apr 44.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

It may interest readers of this thread to know that I have uploaded a sample of Theo Boiten's latest book that details of this night's actions and the loss of Major Puttfarken.
For details of where to download it, please see under the 'Books and Magazines' section of this forum.

Simon

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Camo of the aircraft was standard 74, 75 upper surface and balck under surface. 9K code 1/9th size of normal and Staffel and aircraft letters normal size.

Regards,

Norbert

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Thank you for that extract, Simon. But, as I mentioned in an earlier posting, I remain confused by the fact that if the Me 410s knew they were shadowing an American bomber force, they didn't recognize any of the aircraft they shot down as American -- not one.

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Hi All,
Thanks for the wealth of information, at the time of the original posting, I was just wishing find the name of Puttfarken's Bf, Ofw Willi Lux, in the hope that he may have been listed in AIR2/8739, this is a list of 41 named and 4 unnamed airmen, found, and reburied at sea, he is not listed.
Thanks again.
Joe

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

Very good point George - and one to which I don't know the answer! Better ask Theo ....

Simon

Re: Maj Dietrich Puttfarken, KG51, Lost 23.04.44.
 

With regards to Maj Puttfarken I have found what purports to be his signature for sale on an internet website. It is for sale under the heading (if my poor German is good enough) "Original signatures of Knights Cross winners with newspaper photographs."

Fair enough, but there appears to be a few anomalies. The picture in question is clearly from a British newspaper (Flying Officer Puttfarken!) and the "P" of Puttfarken has left a blot on the bottom of the picture implying the signature was written after the picture was attached to its backing paper.

I have attached the picture and signature with a link for your opinion.


http://www.imagebam.com/image/915b8b19210607