Captured Luftwaffe Pilot Photo
 

All:

I was browsing through the USAAF photo collection on Fold3 and came across the attached photo that is labelled as showing a very young looking captured Bf 109 pilot with his downed machine.

The typewritten notation appears to indicate that this photo was taken 1/1/45 and that the ship was brought down by a single .50 caliber round near Halstroff, France by AA gunners of the U.S. 90th Infantry Division. The caption also indicates that the AA unit accounted for 8 other aircraft from this unit.

Any ideas on the identity of this pilot or aircraft? The photo shows the starboard side of the aircraft and neither the werknummer or id codes are visible.

Best regards,
Paul

Re: Captured Luftwaffe Pilot Photo
 

Hi there Paul,

Bf 109 G-14 W.Nr. 462 892 "Blaue 2" Gefr. Alfred Michel, 16./JG 5, Waldweistroff, 1 January 1945. Source: Signal Corps via Facebook.com

Cheers
Marc

Re: Captured Luftwaffe Pilot Photo
 

Thanks, Marc. I thought this might be a well-known photo, but it only had the original wartime caption on Fold3 without further info.

Best regards,
Paul

Re: Captured Luftwaffe Pilot Photo
 

You're welcome, Paul.

Cheers
Marc

Re: Captured Luftwaffe Pilot Photo
 

Marc, I wonder if 16./JG 5 would be the correct caption? The IV. Gruppe was based in Norway for the whole duration of the war.

Re: Captured Luftwaffe Pilot Photo
 

Sidney, I owe you a beer (which i'm actually sipping right now in this incredible 31 degrees Celsius heat wave we have right now in Geneva..):

It is actually 16./JG 53 ! Ref: Manhro and Putz 2004, p. 237.

Thanks!
Marc

Re: Captured Luftwaffe Pilot Photo
 

You are most welcome Marc. Lapsus calami :).

Regards,
Sinisa

Re: Captured Luftwaffe Pilot Photo
 

Weather is changing , here 10 Cm snow,

Rémi/Les Agettes just 1100 m, ......

Re: Captured Luftwaffe Pilot Photo
 

In a Letter from 1975 Michel stated the he was after that 3 years POW in England Luxemburg, Croydon, Liverpool than Northern Ireland/Bangor and at least Hollywood near Belfast. Greetings Peglar