361st Fighter Group's last JET victory?
 

Me-262 shot down by James Sloan. According to his encounter report, this battle happened at west of Berlin target, time was 10:00, and he was escorting the bombers.


http://www.spitfireperformance.com/m...n-9april45.jpg

But on 361 FG'S official website, the record is " an uneventful escort mission to Lechfeld".

From <Yellowjackets!: The 361st Fighter Group in World War II>, this unit were escorting B-24s. That day, all B-24s of 2nd Division bombed airfields at Lechfeld (109), Memmingen (96), Leipheim (88) and Landsberg (62) and Landsberg E landing ground (33). 1 B-24(42-52457) was lost over Lechfeld, time was 19:37. So ,obviously that was an afternoon mission.


My question is : Berlin or Lechfeld? morning or afternoon mission? Anyone can give some clue? Thanks alot~

Re: 361st Fighter Group's last JET victory?
 

Oddly, on this link http://361fg.com/Hist.htm (Search for Sloan)

the Sloan shootdown is said to have occurred on April 4th, 1945 during a mission to Parchim, not April 9th. Possible a date confusion?


This link https://nemaloknig.com/read-261865/?page=25

mentions "Franz Schall of 10/JG-7 was shot down and bailed out uninjured near Parchim" on April 4, 1945. It lists no 262 losses on April 9.

Re: 361st Fighter Group's last JET victory?
 

from the "ME262 Combat Diary."
4 April. ( all JG7)
...........................

Maj. Ehrler KIA
Ofw. Reinhold KIA
Maj. Sinner baled out wounded
Oblt. Schall baled out unhurt
Lt. Lehner KIA
Uffz. Heckmann KIA
2 others shot down pilots safe. 5 others damaged, pilots safe. Targets were Parchim area (morning).

Note. 9th April only loss recorded Ltn. Weihs force-landed Dessau unhurt.
Nick

Re: 361st Fighter Group's last JET victory?
 

Thank you! It looks quite reasonable. But , why almost all resources state James Sloan's victory achived on 9th April?

Including:
James Sloan's own encounter report
<USAF Credits for the Destruction of Enemy Aircraft, World War II> by Office of Air Force History Headquarters USAF
<Me-262> by J. Richard Smith & Eddie J. Creek
<German Jets Versus the U.S. Army Air Force> by William Hess
...

Re: 361st Fighter Group's last JET victory?
 

I think possibly Sloan had the wrong date from the start on his encounter report. (It may have been the date he wrote the report.) The Group was in the process of moving back to England and things were probably confused. Paper work may not have been checked as carefully as normal. Once his encounter report was "accepted" almost everyone used that date for the claim. The combat diary for the group/squadron, written daily, most likely has the correct date of April 4 for the event.