ME 163 Komet losses on 2nd November 1944
 

Good night to all!
I am looking for additional information about the two Me 163 Komet losses recorded on the mission of 2nd November of 1944.
I would like to know:
a) the name of LW pilots shot down
b) Werknummer and code numbers of their aircraft
c) USAAF claimants

I do know that .2/JG 400 was in action and that a Feldwebel whose name I can not remember by heart claimed a B-17 shot down. I also do remember a P-51 pilot´s combat report remembering seeing a Komet coming down in a very steep dive.

Could someone help me to identify the German pilots as well as the USAAF pilots who claimed those jets on the 2nd November 1944 mission?

Thanks in advance

PS: I have checked the book of Maj Späte, but there is no mention on this combat mission. Also checked a book I do possess ( Ballantine Editions ) on the Komet, but there is no mention to this mission.

Yours

Adriano

Re: ME 163 Komet losses on 2nd November 1944
 

Hi,

Battle description according by William N. Hess.

After a brief absence, JG 400 was back in the thick of things on November 2, 1944. At least eleven Me 163s rose from their base at Brandis to oppose bombers striking oil targets in central Germany. Captain Fred W. Glover was leading the 4th Fighter Group when he sighted a contrail climbing rapidly toward the bomber stream. The German craft pulled up level with the bombers at 25,000 feet and turned back toward the bomber stream in a slight dive- Glover dropped his auxiliary tanks and headed for the 163 on a convergence course. As the rocket-powered craft crossed in front of his P-51, Glover made a quick ninety-degree turn and fell in behind the Me 163. He quickly opened fire and registered strikes all over the tail, wings and cockpit of the craft from 400 yards, and the belly of the aircraft exploded. Glover overshot, and as he looked back, he could see that the tail was all but shot off the craft and its canopy was badly damaged. Glover pulled up to look for another target as the Me 163 went plunging down. One of his flight called to report that the pilot, Oberfeldwcbel Gunther Andreas, had bailed out.
Meanwhile, Captain Louis H. Norley was leading the 335th Fighter Squadron of the 4th Fighter Group when he spied an Me 163 dropping down at his six o'clock position. As soon as he dumped his drop tanks, Norley set his new K-14 sight and went full-throttle after his target, which was just a little out of range. Norley got on the tail of the 163 and followed it down. As the rocket-powered craft began to pull away, the Mustang pilot fired a few short bursts, hoping that craft would turn, and sure enough, it did. As the 163 went into a port turn, its speed fell off considerably. Norley related: "I closed on him rapidly. 1 was using a K-14 sight for the first time ... however, I did get a couple of strikes on the tail, firing from 250 to fifty yards. My speed was around 450 MPH when I got into range. I throttled back, but was unable to stay in the turn with him due to excessive speed. I overshot him, pulled up and got on his tail again. "Up to this time, he had not been using his blower, at least he was not emitting any black smoke. As I closed on him the second time, he punched on his blower for a couple of seconds and then cut it off again. I closed to 400 yards ... fired again and saw strikes on the tail. The 163 rolled over and plummeted straight down from 8,000 feet widi fire flashing intermittently from his port side and exhaust. He slammed in a small village and the aircraft exploded."
His victim was Oberfeldwebel Jacob Bollenrath, who perished in the crash.
Other Me 163s continued to attack B-17s from the 388th and the 91st Bomb Groups. Oberfcldwebel Horst Rolly was killed in combat with these bombers, and it is quite likely that he fell to one of die gunners from the 388th Bomb Group, who claimed one Me 163 destroyed and one probably destroyed.
Another Me 163 pilot was repotted missing at die end of the day, who may also have fallen victim to gunners from either the 388th or the 91st Bomb Group. A few days later, the body of Feldwebel Straznicky was found in the cockpit of his Me 163.

Source: "German Jets Versus The USAAF" by William N. Hess

Re: ME 163 Komet losses on 2nd November 1944
 

Ofw. Gunther Andreas (W.Nr ?) shoot down by Cpt. F.W. Glover 4th FG - bailed out
Ofw. Jakob Bollenrath (W.Nr 440003 BQ+VF) shoot down by Cpt. L.H. Norley 335th FS - fate unknown
Ofw. Horst Rolly (W.Nr 440007 BQ+VJ) probably shoot down by gunners of 388th BG (one Me 163 claimed as destroyed) - KIA
Ofw. Herbert Straznicky (W.Nr 440186) killed in crash at Siester - the reason isn't clear (the gunners of 388th BG claimed second Me 163 as probably destroyed)

Re: ME 163 Komet losses on 2nd November 1944
 

Hi Net_sailor

Are you sure about BQ+VF and BQ+VJ
In the Lemb stkz base the are as BQ+UF and BQ+UJ

Regards

Peter van Gogh

Re: ME 163 Komet losses on 2nd November 1944
 

You're right Peter, there is mistype error in my book ("Me 163 Komet" by B.Belcarz & R. Pęczkowski p.35). So we have:
unknown W.Nr of G. Andreas a/c
W.Nr 440186 code TP+TN "White 8" from 1./JG400
W.Nr 440003 code BQ+UF from 1./JG400
W.Nr 440007 code BQ+UJ from 2./JG400

Re: ME 163 Komet losses on 2nd November 1944
 

Gogh, Net Sailor and Gizmo;
I do appologize for have taking so long to answer your very helpful answer. I was hired and am studying and travelling a lot, which "grounded" my personal researches about WW2 and Aviation for a while. I do beg your pardon for that lapse of time to answer.
I did not know there were so many Me 163 "scrambles" that day! ( The biggest Me 163 Komet action that ever took place? ).
I am researching about that action ( both sides ) and your information helped me quite a lot. I do know that some 100 x Me 109 and some 70x Fw 190 were lost that day, but I only heard about a sole Komet loss.
Do you know IF there were other Luftwaffe type losses ( such as Me 110, Me 210, Me 410, Ju 88 that day? )
Thanks a lot for your help and kind contribution to my searches
Yours
Adriano

Re: ME 163 Komet losses on 2nd November 1944
 

Here you have short article by Christer Bergström:
http://www.bergstrombooks.elknet.pl/2nov44.htm

No Bf 110, Me 210/410 or Ju 88 units participate in battle.
VIII fighter command pilots claim 136-7-20 a/c shot down in the air combats and 26 a/c destroyed on the ground. 13 P-51 were lost, 6 of them in air combats.