Florian Salwender JG77/JG5 1941/42
 

Hi guys

Has anyone a list of his 25 claims, please?

I will be away for a week and therefore unable to respond promptly.

Many thanks

Brian

Re: Florian Salwender JG77/JG5 1941/42
 

Hi Brian

This is a bit of an obscure pilot. Nothing of his appears on the micro films(lists of most Luftwaffe claims), however there are two listed in the "victory board" of JG 5, no absolute guarantee they were confirmed, but highly likely:-

4th April 1942 SB-3 near Alakurtti 0835 hrs
23rd April 1942 Hurricane near Murmansk 1115 hrs

These would be his final claims. We are led to believe his total was twenty-five in Russia, but I suspect it could be less, or includes some unconfirmed claims.

Unless a "victory board" of I./JG 77, or his flugbuch turn-up there is not much hope of finding the others.

Kind Regards

Johannes

Re: Florian Salwender JG77/JG5 1941/42
 

Hi ,

Perhaps this can help :

"White" Staffel 6/JG-5 (4/42 S.U.)Bf 109E-7 Werk # 1333 "Yellow 11" (lost 4/23/42)DK-G, EP, EK 1 & 2, Fighter Operational ClaspPOW on 23 April, 1942; he had to bail out over Murmansk after bringing down his 25th victim, a Hurricane of 768 IAP, piloted by Lt S.P.Negulyayev. The Soviet pilot crashed his AC into Salwender, killing himself and forcing Salwender to bail over enemy territory. He later died in the Russian POW Camp. Bowers/Lednicer, 24 victories. - See more at: http://www.aircrewremembered.com/Kra....bp9PqAEC.dpuf

Regards
Alain57

Re: Florian Salwender JG77/JG5 1941/42
 

Many thanks, Johannes & Alain

Every little helps!

Hopefully more information may be forthcoming.

Cheers
Brian

Re: Florian Salwender JG77/JG5 1941/42
 

I sometimes wonder if there is some misinformation at play when it comes to Salwender.

Remember how, back in the time when the Toliver and Constable books were the authoritative source on Luftwaffe aces, it was believed that Herbert Rollwage was the top Viermot-killer with 44 Viermots claimed destroyed? ...Then Jochen Prien's work proved that he only claimed 14 Viermots (which, it has to be said, would be a respectable tally nonetheless) because obviously somebody had read 14 with a Germanic long-stroke "1" as being 44 and this fact in turn reduced his official tally from 102 down to 71 (makes you wonder who had authorised the tally of 102 in the first place....)

I know I am only speculating here but I do wonder if some similar kind of error was made somewhere concerning Salwender and his tally...

Re: Florian Salwender JG77/JG5 1941/42
 

I think what with the work of Johannes, Jochen Prien and others and a gap of 74 years, anything more forthcoming will be highly unlikely, I'm afraid to say

Re: Florian Salwender JG77/JG5 1941/42
 

I think you have hit the nail squarely on the head, Chris

Re: Florian Salwender JG77/JG5 1941/42
 

Thanks for all the contributions.

I notice that Salwender was awarded the Iron Cross at some stage of his career. Would the citation indicate his successes?

Cheers
Brian

Re: Florian Salwender JG77/JG5 1941/42
 

Iron Crosses were commonplace & never came with a citation just a certificate with no details as to why it was awarded (unlike RAF awards)

Re: Florian Salwender JG77/JG5 1941/42
 

When you consider that during the early war period they were awarded after a pilot's first victory and later on, that criteria still held sway for victories over western allied opponents, you kind of see that it was nothing overly special, much as Chris has said.