Shot down of Melitta Schenk countess von Stauffenberg - 8 April 1945
 

Melitta started working for the Deutsche Versuchsanstalt für Luftfahrt (DVL), an experimental institute for aviation, in Berlin-Adlershof 1928. She also took flying lessons. Because of her Jewish ancestry she was released from the German Luftwaffe in 1936. Working for Askania in Berlin, she developed navigation and steering systems for seaplanes such as the Blohm + Voss Ha 139 and the Dornier Do 18 . She married the historian Alexander Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg in 1937.

On 28 October 1937, she qualified as a aircraft captain, a rank reserved for test pilots in Germany at the time, and became only the second woman in Germany, after Hanna Reitsch , to achieve this. She eventually gained licences for all classes of powered aircraft, the acrobatic flying licence and the glider licence.

From 1942, Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg continued her test-flights at the Luftwaffe's technical academy in Berlin-Gatow. She was was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 22 January 1943 an made her dissertation for her Masters qualification in 1944, and received an A grade. She then became technical chief of the Versuchsstelle für Flugsondergeräte , another test institute, in the same year.

Her brother-in-law, Claus Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg , frequently asked Melitta in May and June 1944, to fly him from Berlin to Hitler's Wolfschanze headquarters and back. He confessed to her his plans to assassinate Hitler, and in spite of the danger she agreed to help him. She had no suitable plane to fly on 20 July 1944, and that is why the assassination attempt took place without her

On 8 April 1945, while transferring a small Bücker Bü 181 Bestmann Southern Germany, Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg was shot down by a US fighter near Irlbach/Strasskirchen, Bavaria at 7:40. Pilot of the US fighter shout be 1 Lt. Thomas A. Notboune. She crash-landed the aircraft, but died a couple hours later in Straubing (Data s.Wiki)

There are more than these version of the shot down and more versions, how she died after the shot down. I try to find an evidence for a shot down by an US fighter. Thank you very much, if anyone can help in that case.
Greetings from Berlin / Germany
Detlef

Re: Shot down of Melitta Schenk countess von Stauffenberg - 8 April 1945
 

1/Lt Norboune A Thomas of 15 Recce Sqn claimed a FW 190 near Regensburg 0740 hrs 8 Apr 45

Re: Shot down of Melitta Schenk countess von Stauffenberg - 8 April 1945
 

Thank you Criss for your support. Strasskirchen ist near by Straubing (10km), but Regensburg is in a distance of 50km to Strasskirchen. It is possible, that the german
data are manipulated, to veil the real circumstances.

Re: Shot down of Melitta Schenk countess von Stauffenberg - 8 April 1945
 

I dont think, that 1/Lt Thomas A Norboune identified the typ of aircraft wrong.

There are o lot of good visible difference between a Bücker Bu181 and a Fw190.
Brake, the biographer of Melitta von Stauffenberg wrote in his book, that she
was shot down in a low-level flight. But a low-level flight is only to make
in good VFR conditions.

Because it was the only documentated shot shoot down at this day, at this time
and in this area, his conclusion was a mistake by the typ of air craft, in
following of a similar view from behind.

Ok, but which Fw190 going lost at this morning ? Its there a chance to clear
up the fate of the unknown Fw190 and the Pilot ?

Thank you for your help and support
Greetings from Berlin
Detlef