Luftwaffe planes shot down by NZ ace - can you help?
 

Hello all,

I am compiling a page for my website (on people from my town, Cambridge, NZ, who served in the WWII Air Forces) on the RNZAF ace Edward "Bill" Wells.

Bill flew in the Battle of Britain and later commanded 485 (NZ) Squadron, and then several wings.

I have a list here of several of the aircraft he shot down, damaged or probably shot down. I thought it's be interesting to add in some detail of the aircraft he combatted with, such as the serial number, pilot/crew, the actual fate (after all some claims may not be accurate), etc. Can anyone provide any detail for these Luftwaffe and Italian fighters?

DESTROYED

17th of October 1940, Messerschmitt Bf109 shot down into the sea off Boulogne

2nd of November 1940 Bf109 (?)

11th of November 1940 4 x Fiat CR42s (only claimed one)

27th of November 1940 Bf109

5th of July 1941 Bf109

19th of August 1941 over Gravelines (Combat 11.10hrs) Me 109 destroyed

18th of September 1941 - west of Rouen Combat 1500hrs Me 109E destroyed. 3 sec. Burst

21st of September 1941 (Combat 1530-1540hrs)
- one Bf109F over Desvres 3 sec. burst
- another Bf109F 5 miles west of Boulogne 2 sec. burst.

16th of August 1941 Me 109E over Calais Marck aerodrome

PROBABLY DESTROYED

29th of October 1940 Bf109

17th of September 1941 east of target area (Marquise) (Combat 1740hrs) Me 109F

2nd of October 1941 Bf109

DAMAGED
27th of November 1940 damaged a German Henschel HS126 fighter

5th of July 1941 Bf109.

19th of August 1941 over Gravelines Combat 1110hrs Me 109 damaged

At this stage I haven't got his later war claims available.

My website by the way is at http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz

Thanks in advance
Dave Homewood

Re: Luftwaffe planes shot down by NZ ace - can you help?
 

18° Gruppo Caccia Terrestre lost three CR.42 on 11 november 1940 during
a combat against RAF fighter while escorting with 40 fighters 10 BR.20M of the 99° Gruppo B.T. (target: Harwich harbour).
Serg. Enzo Panichi (83a Sq.) crashed in the sea with CR.42 MM 6978 and died.
Serg. Magg. Antonio Lazzari (85a Sq.) (CR.42 MM 6976 85-16) and Serg. Pietro Salvadori (95a Sq.) (CR.42 MM 5701 95-13) made emergency landing near Corton and Orfordness respect. Lazzari fighter was destroyed and Salvadori one is now at RAF Museum.Both became POW.
(source: "Bombe Italiane sull'Inghilterra" by Giovanni Massimello, article in the magazine Storia Militare, january 2005).
Pietro Salvadori died on 7 april 1953 with a F-84G Thunderjet while serving with 51a Aerobrigata.

Gianandrea Bussi

Re: Luftwaffe planes shot down by NZ ace - can you help?
 

Thank you. Was that the only squadron of CR.42's flying that day? Or were there others. Bill attacked several as they attacked him, but only claimed one destoyed for sure, despite damaging several and seeing a few dive off towards the sea. But I have read after the war when tallied up it was found he probably destroyed four that day. Is this accurate?

Re: Luftwaffe planes shot down by NZ ace - can you help?
 

18° Gruppo was the only italian unit that operated CR.42 in that theatre.
It was formed by three Squadriglie: 83a, 85a, 95a. He had a full complement of 50 aircraft so, that day, I think that all (or almost all) the aircraft took part to the action, called by the italians "operazione Cinzano"

Re: Luftwaffe planes shot down by NZ ace - can you help?
 

The action on 11 November 1940 is described in details on this site: http://surfcity.kund.dalnet.se/falco_bob.htm
Wells is credited here of only one damaged Fiat CR.42.

Other pilots claimed 5 Italian fighters shot down and 3 crashed in GB or nearby, while two other were destroyed in crashes in occupied Belgium. So the claims were accurate for this category.

It is possible that more Italian fighters were damaged beyond repair.