Trying to ID a rocket carrying Typhoon lost Feb 1945
 

Greetings from Niederrhein,
In August a Typhoon crashsite was excavated by a German bomb disposal Unit near Uedem after a local Farmer had ploughed up two RPs.
During the next two weeks, a further three RPs were recovered and a 20mm Hispano Mk II with Serial number JR375??. The aircraft parts recovered were minimal,
Oxygen Bottle
Radio TR 1143A Serial number 30560.
Armourplate headrest.
Pitot/static probe.
Two propeller reduction gears and approximately 60% of the associated housing at a depth of 4 meters.
Various Firewall parts.
Flap Indicator.
Ignition Unit.
This Typhoon could belong to a MIA, AHB and JCCC have been contacted and have been asked by myself if they could send me the loss cards of the following three aircraft to try and identify which one it is from the above Serial number of the Hispano and etched numbers found on the reduction gearing.

Typhoon 1b JR296 lost 22nd Feb 1945
Typhoon 1b MN941 lost 22nd Feb 1945
Typhoon 1b JR528 lost 24th Feb 1945

I have had to post this thread on the Forum as the AHB and JCCC are unable to help me further.

Waiting in anticipation

Steve H

Re: Trying to ID a rocket carrying Typhoon lost Feb 1945
 

If this helps. Info taken from Air Britain publications.
JR-296 183 Sq. Shot down by flak near Marienbaum Feb 22,1945
JR-528 198 Sq. Shot down by flak near Weeze Feb 24,1945
MN-941 183 Sq. Snot down by flak near Udem Feb 22,1945

Richard

Re: Trying to ID a rocket carrying Typhoon lost Feb 1945
 

hello,

JR296:HF-V - 328621V Lt Alan George HILL SAAF - Missing.
JR528:TP-Z - 519996 W/O Jack Maldwin ROBERTS RAF - Missing.
MN941 - 206321 Capt Anton LENS SAAF - Missing.

Col.

Re: Trying to ID a rocket carrying Typhoon lost Feb 1945
 

Steve,
JR375 is a Typhoon serial number and is not a cannon number.
The link ejector chutes, under the cannon infeed drum, were stenciled with the aircraft serial number to which they were issued.
The intention was that after servicing, each aircraft would have its own equipment reissued. But as the guns were serviced at least weekly the armourers found it expedient to rotate the guns. So when they were removed a serviced set were installed.
JR375 was shot down near Cambrai 3-1-1944 and was only used by 609 Squadron. As the guns stayed within the squadron your aircraft has to be from 609 as well.

In the area and time frame of your interest 609 lost 3 aircraft:
RB311 14-2-1945 Shot down by flak Pfalzdorf. F/Lt. R.K. Gibson RAAF Killed
MN178 25-2-1945 Shot down by flak Weeze. Jean-Dennis Wathieu (Belgian) baled out (IWM has nice picture of this a/c being armed with RPs)
EK380 3-3-1945 Shot down by flak. Xanten. P/O. H. F. R. Goblet (Belgian) PoW

Sean.

Re: Trying to ID a rocket carrying Typhoon lost Feb 1945
 

Thank you for the Information but I have all these details already and didn't want to put names to the aircraft for certain reasons, but it can't be helped now.
The AHB have Most of the loss records for Bomber Command, which includes Serial Numbers of guns carried and Engines installed, unfortunately they have no records for 2nd TAF Aircraft losses.
It is this Information that I am trying to obtain or an address or government Branch that could have this information.

Steve

Re: Trying to ID a rocket carrying Typhoon lost Feb 1945
 

Hello Sean,
If you had read the thread from me a Little bit more carefully you would have seen two question marks behind the JR375 as the Last two Numbers are not very legible and I did not want to guess, if you would like I could send you a Photo of the cannon as it was still in the ground just above the water table.
The Crash site has a very high water level, water Starts at 1 meter. As to the other probable aircraft I would have to say probably not, in the 70s a German researcher found the parachute lock, which means whoever was in the plane did not bale out.

Re: Trying to ID a rocket carrying Typhoon lost Feb 1945
 

The AHB does not have anything similar to the Bomber Command Loss Cards just the personnel casualty cards so records of guns fitted are not available

Re: Trying to ID a rocket carrying Typhoon lost Feb 1945
 

F/Lt (not P/O) Raymond Kennedy Gibson (A414482) was leading a section to attack mortar positions. No attack had been made by the time he was brought down by light flak (in the vicinity of Cleve), so would have still been carrying all his rockets.

Buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.

Re: Trying to ID a rocket carrying Typhoon lost Feb 1945
 

Sean, my apologies after thinking about your comments of the Serial Numbers being the Aircraft Code I have come to the conclusion that JR375 P2 was originally one of the port cannon installed to that aircraft.
But none of the 609 Typhoons match this loss, let me put another theory on the thread. 183 squadron and 609 squadron were using the same airfields from Sep 1944 until way into 1945. Could there have been a common armoury for the whole of 84 Wing, including 164 and 198 squadrons and theoretically when a Second Serial Number JR315 S2 was to be included would this not enhance this theory als JR315 belonged to 198 squadron.
What so you think?

Steve H

Re: Trying to ID a rocket carrying Typhoon lost Feb 1945
 

Gentlemen,

Pretty interesting.

Edward L. Hsiao