Information Concerning Oberfeldwebel Josef Schmidt - 05.01.1944
 

Hi,

Can anyone please provide information concerning the loss of Oberfeldwebel Josef Schmidt who was a Beobachter and was lost on a mission against England on the 5th January 1944.

Could you help provide unit and how his aircraft was lost.
Thanks

Rick

Re: Information Concerning Oberfeldwebel Josef Schmidt - 05.01.1944
 

Rick - Ju88S-1 Z6+FH 1/KG66 wn 140602 Ff Hpt. Paul Gruner, B Ofw. Josef Schmidt, Bf Fw. Erich Heinze all killed .Crashed Camaches S/W Abbeville at 0310hrs following N/F attack, mission attack on London,

Regards

Brian Bines

Re: Information Concerning Oberfeldwebel Josef Schmidt - 05.01.1944
 

@Rick:

Do you maybe have a "Sterbebild" (or other photos) of Ofw. Schmidt?

@Brian:

Do you know if this aircraft can be matched with a RAF nightfighter claim?

Thanks in advance! Best regards,

Marcel

Re: Information Concerning Oberfeldwebel Josef Schmidt - 05.01.1944
 

Hi Marcel,

W/C Crew with W/O Croysdill of 96 Sqd. claimed a Me410 off Beachy Head at 0205 hrs. and another damaged off Hastings at 0220hrs. F/O Hedgecoe with P/O Bamford claimed a Ju 88 destroyed off Dieppe at 0258 hrs. comfirmed by W/C Crew.
As far as I can see losses were Ju88S-1 Z6+KH crew off Uffz. Windelband all missing, Fw190G-3 of 3/SKG10 Fw Heinrich Greeve missing and Hpt Gruner crashing at Camaches at 0310hrs following N/F attack.
With all such night claims if is difficult to be positive, I would assume Crew got the Fw190 and one Ju88 (was Gruner's aircraft the 410 claimed as damaged ? ). However Hedgecoe claimed his as a Ju88, seeing a glow on the sea, if however he only damaged Gruners a/c 12 minutes would be in the flying time off Dieppe to Camaches a distance of some 50 km.

Regards

Brian Bines

Re: Information Concerning Oberfeldwebel Josef Schmidt - 05.01.1944
 

Brian,

Thanks a lot for your help (as always!).

Best regards,

Marcel

GRUNAU, not Gruner
 

Shame on me (as I./KG66's "archivist") for not noticing it earlier, but the correct name is Hptm. Paul GRUNAU instead of "Gruner". Grunau (DOB 17 July 1913, Zerbst) was 1./KG66's Staffelkapitän.

Best regards,

Marcel