Fw190D-9 Shootdown 17 Feb 45
 

I recently received a request from a fellow German researcher concerning the following shootdown. On 17 Feb 45, Uffz. Paul Gassmann, 3/JG2, was shot down in Fw190D-9, werknummer 211056, near Laudenbach, Germany (between Darmstadt and Würzburg). I have also seen the crash area listed as Langendiebach b. Landenbach-Aschafenburg. Uffz. Gassmann was able to bail out and luckily survived the war. He is still alive today.
Herr Gassmann reports he was shot down in a dogfight with P-38s. He would like to find out what group, squadron, and possibly the pilots the P-38s were from. I have searched my records and cannot find any USAAF aerial victory credits for 17 Feb 45. If these were P-38s, they were NOT from the 474th FG or 370th FG because there is no record of any missions that day in their official squadron histories.
I thought I would ask here in case anyone out there has any details about that day and this particular shootdown. Many thanks in advance.
Cheers, Gary Koch (474th FG Association Historian)

Re: Fw190D-9 Shootdown 17 Feb 45
 

Gary,

i found the following entry at lostaircraft:

Unteroffizier Paul Gassmann (* 28.4.1923), ID-Nr. 68420/782, 3./I./JG 2, Fw 190 D-9, W-Nr. 211056, 16.2.1945 shot down by P-38 and FSA at Laudenbach, plane 99% write-off.

Mentioned crash-site Laudenbach in this entry is allocated south of Klingenberg/Main, close to today's county-borders of Hessen and Bavaria.

Loss date differs between Your post and the lostaircraft record. I've no idea which is the correct one - 16th or 17th Feb. 1945?

I found no involved US P-38 unit either for both days. Possibly someone else has something at hand.

Best Regards
Norbert

Re: Fw190D-9 Shootdown 17 Feb 45
 

Norbert,

Just a quick thought: "shot down by P-38 and FSA" should be read F-5A, the photo reckon version of the P-38. This might be a good clue as to which US Air Force unit was involved (is 9th AF a possibility?).

Cheers
Marc

Re: Fw190D-9 Shootdown 17 Feb 45
 

Greetings,

Slightly off topic but hopefully of interest, Uffz. Gassman is listed in Jim Crow’s “KLADDE” (Record Book of Groß Ostheim), as flying nine combat missions for I./JG 2 in March 1945:

45/03/18, Fw190D-9, 16+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/19, Fw190D-9, 16+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/20, Fw190D-9, 16+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/20, Fw190D-9, 16+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/21, Fw190D-9, 2+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/21, Fw190D-9, 2+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/22, Fw190D-9, 2+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/23, Fw190D-9, 2+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/23, Fw190D-9, 15+ Bk, to Altenstadt

Steve Sheflin

Re: Fw190D-9 Shootdown 17 Feb 45
 

FSA more likely means the pilot baled out of the machine - as in 'Fallschirmabsprungen' (did I spell that right?).

Re: Fw190D-9 Shootdown 17 Feb 45
 

Hi, all

I have the date of this loss registered as 16.2.45.

Have you checked claims for this date?

http://www.aviationhistory.no/ref_db...?lossid=102300

Regards,
Andreas B

Re: Fw190D-9 Shootdown 17 Feb 45
 

The GQM file llisted this loss February 16th 1945, other sources (Girbig) given the 17th, shot down in combat with 2 P-38, for me the 16th looks more possible, b´cause some other losses of JG 2 in the same are.

khorat
Michael Balss

Re: Fw190D-9 Shootdown 17 Feb 45
 

@ JimP.,

You're right - it means "Fallschirmabsprung" (parachute jump). Sorry for using the German abbreviation, but i am not aware what the English abbreviation for that is.

Best Regards
Norbert

Re: Fw190D-9 Shootdown 17 Feb 45
 

USAF 85 records only credits for PTO for 16,17 and 18 February for P-38 squadrons. No Recce squadron listed.. possibly claimed as a 'damaged and never entered as a 'destroyed'. Example, the Fw 190D hit hard but evaded into a cloud would at best be recorded as a 'Probable'

There were no 8th AF P-38s, even F5's (IIRC) in February - all went to 9th AF.