Ask for help in reveal identity of Bf 109's pilot. Silesia, March 1945.
 

Hello All!

I’m looking for research help in reveal identity of Bf 109 pilot, who was killed during air fight near Silesian city Rybnik on third decade of March 1945. Crash place is locate 3 km. south-east from city center, in forest near street “Brzeziny Miejskie”. I grow up in Rybnik, and I’d like to set up a small memorial on crash place.

Below I present information usable for research:

1) According to eye witness relation, pair of Bf 109 flew on low altitude (~2000 ft.) and met soviet formation with fighters escort - witness recognized, that bigger planes in soviet formation had characteristic “bubble” gear bay on wings (Il 2 Sturmoviks, I guess). Flying above, Soviet fighters quickly spotted pair of Germans planes and during short dogfight, Russians shot down one Bf 109, which obviously uncontrolled by pilot, slowly dived, then crashed to ground, aprox. 700 meters from observing witness with his father. Witness doesn’t observed what happened with second German fighter.

2) At moment of catastrophe witness had 14 years old, and, as many Silesians, known german language; he saw pilot’s ID and remembered, that his surname was something like “Liebezeit” and name was Hans, Heinz or similar started on H letter.

3) According to my researches, date of this event was aprox. 23rd March of 1945. Estimated time of event was from morning, up to 1 p.m.. Bf 109 crashed on no-man’s-land, but local people provided pilot’s ID to two German officers, which were while their retreating from Rybnik area.

Initially I thought, that interesting me pilot was Uffz. Walter Konzelmann from 3./JG 77, which was missing in action 23rd of March 1945, but after met with eye witness I have to check another option. I’ve corresponded with Deutsche Rot Kreuz and Deutsche Dienststelle, but they cannot help me – surname Liebezeit doesn’t exist in they databases. Informations about Uffz. Konzelmann are uncomplete - pilot is consider by DRK as MIA on 25th of March 1945, and this doesn’t fit in with version of witness talking about two german officers.

I’ve considered Bf 109’s units which might operate over Silesia that time: JG 52, JG 77, JG300(?), NAGr.2, NAGr.15. (Had the NAGr.’s pilots flown their missions in pairs?), and I guess, that pilot was pilot from JG 77, but I have no access to sources about this unit – so why I ask for help.


Thanks in advance
Lukasz