He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

It is said that two He 219s were shot down by US escort fighters while attempting to intercept a day-light raid over Norway on 4 August 1944.
However, the 8th AF fighter groups did not record any victory against twin-engined German aircraft on this very day.
Any hint?

Thanks in advance.

Chris

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

It is said that two He 219s were shot down by US escort fighters while attempting to intercept a day-light raid over Norway on 4 August 1944.


where did you read that ?

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

In the Kagero's book on the He 219 by Marek Murawski.

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

As far as I know, there was only ever one He 219 in Norway and that survived the war.

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Hello gents,

Quite amazing that Murawski (the He219 Vol.2 publication of Kagero?) comes with this statement whereas the 8th USAAF does not mention any claims on He219's at all.
On 4th August 1944, the Heinkel Works at Rostock were severely damaged by the 8th USAAF, seriously interrupting the He219 production line there.

I will check the KTB of the I./NJG 1 whether they had any He219's in the region that time (perhaps at Grove/Denmark) but otherwise I have no idea from which unit He219's could have been deployed in daylight.

Best regards, Marcel

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Hello Nick
Do yoou mean the He-219A-0 belonging to the Nachtjagdstaffel Finnland/Norwegen from Aug 1944 onwards?

Juha

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Yes.

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Denmark. Not He 219 but Bf 110.

Junker

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Bf 110G-4 WNr. 720251 G9+HX from Schulstaffel/NJG 1 was shot down by P-51 over Slimminge (Seeland) that day, Hptm. Fritz von Buchholz KIA.

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Hello,

The Bf 110 in question was almost certainly shot down by 1/Lt Wilson K. Baker of the 370th FS, 359th FG, who claimed an Me-110 downed over Denmark (exact location not specified) at 1600 hours on 4 August 1944 (information from Frank Olynyk´s ETO list). There was no other claim for twin-engine aircraft by 8th USAAF fighters on this date.

Hope this helps,

Ota

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Marcel,

Murawski wrote that two He 219s of Stab NJG1 were scrambled from Aalborg-West jut before 10:00 to intercept a raid of USAAF four-engined bombers.
Two were shot down by the escort: Maj Fritz von Buhholz, Hpt Walter Prues and their radio-operators were killed.

Reading what Merlin wrote, it rather were Bf 110 Gs.

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Seems writing a book, is also a matter of filling void spaces...

2 Bf110 were lost that day over Denmark, losses are given at 15.55 nd 16.08, german time,

Rémi

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

I guess that Murawski should have done a bit more research:

http://www.flensted.eu.com/g1944106.shtml

and

http://www.flensted.eu.com/g1944107.shtml

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Prues Bf 110 was shot down by a whole Box of B 17, not by fighters.

Junker

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Thanks to you all.
I guess it settles the matter.

Chris

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

How many pcs a box ?? 80 , so 80 claims

Rémi

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Hi all, is it know, how many Bf 110 was claimed by gunners of B-17 from this fight?

Thanks

Faenor

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Extract from mission report 218 303 BG.

As we headed back home, going over the Baltic Sea, we flew over the Danish island of Falster and immediately over the island of Lolland Maribo. At this point, the tail gunner of this new crew, Staff Sgt. E.S. Brown, reported on the intercom: "Tail to Pilot, there's an ME-310 coming up behind us. No, I believe it's a 110." "Are you sure it's not a B-25?" I asked, knowing of the twin rudder configuration. "No, it's definitely a 110 and he's closing." The Ball turret gunner, Staff Sgt. J.A. Czerwonka, confirmed that it was indeed an ME-110. "How far back?" I asked. "About two miles and closing." the tail gunner answered. Well," I said, "we are on our way home and haven't fired a shot, so let him have it." With this, the tail gunner and ball turret gunner started firing. After thirty or forty seconds of almost continuous firing, the ball turret gunner yelled on the intercom, "He's diving away! He's going straight down. He's picking up speed and still going straight down! He's crashed! He's crashed! I didn't see any parachute!" It seems evident that someone in our group hit the pilot from nearly one mile away, and after we landed I put in a claim for the Ball Turret Gunner, Sgt. Czerwonka, only to find that several claims were made for this same airplane. I thought Sgt. Czerwonka should have gotten credit, since we started firing first, and the plane was hit while still a mile away. However, the powers that be finally awarded the "Kill" to Staff Sgt. Richard L. Smith who was tail gunner for 1st Lt. Bob Moreman flying Low Load in the 359th Squadron. I've never been able to figure out how the tail gunner on the lead plane could shoot down an enemy fighter coming in from the rear of the formation with all the twenty or so other tail gunners firing at the same plane from positions further to the rear and hundreds of feet closer to the action. But, he was on the lead plane.

Junker

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Thanks a lot Junker!

Faenor

Re: He 219 shot down by 8th AF
 

Hi,

in collection info about loss of this Bf 110, there is more info from view of 303rd BG:

http://www.303rdbg.com/missionreports/218.pdf

FAenor