August 31,1944 Jg-52 combat w/ 52nd FG questions
 

On August 31,1944 an element of six Bf-109G of II/JG-52 led by Hptm Helmut Lipfert and including Lt. Foennekold attacked the 52nd FG which was attacking an airfield. The Bf-109s shot down 4 P-51s but lost 5 Bf-109s,the only survivor being Hptm Lipfert,who claimed one P-51.

The German dead are listed as:
Uffz Heinz Krah, Ofhr. Nikolaus Schroder, Lt. Hans Otto Junge, Uffz Fritz Zaubitzer, and Lt. Otto Foennekold.

Now the questions arise:
(1) In his book "The War Dairy Of Helmut Lipfert", Helmut Lipfert (Lipfert led a Rotte) , his wingman is identified as "Gefreiter Guenter Staender". There is no Gfr. Guenter Staender in the casualty list.

(2) In the Luftwaffe victory list by Tony Wood,there are two P-51 victories listed, one by Hptm Lipfert at 1020 at location 47 257 @ 400m.
The other P-51 claim is by Uffz Heinrich Koch who claims a P-51 at 1017 at location 47 228 @ 100 m. There is no Fw. Heinrich Koch listed among the casualties on this date.

(3) In the book "Ritterkreuztrager of the Luftwaffe" by Obermaier, Lt. Fonnekold is listed with 3 P51 kills on this date:"Am 31.8.44 gelang es ihm,drei US-Jaeger P-51 Mustangs abzuschiessen." Yet,there is no listing for Lt. Fonnekold in the victory claims list.

Altogether a very confusing combat. Otto Foennekold was killed by a P-51 Mustang while landing.

Speculation is encouraged.
Carlos

Re: August 31,1944 Jg-52 combat w/ 52nd FG questions
 

Last year I published a two-part article on that particular air combat over Szászrégen (Reghin, Sächsiches Regen), Nortern Transylvania (then part of Hungary, today part of Rumania) on August 31, 1944. Unfortunately (for the English language readers), the article was published only in Rumania and Hungary.
One day I will translate it into English (or French) and publish it somewhere in "west", too...

I identified 4 P-51 and 4 Bf 109G + 1 Fw 190F + Ju 52/3m shot down in air combat over that area. A couple of other Luftwaffe and even Rumanian (!) airplanes were also shot down by trigger-happy Mustangs en-route to/from their target.

I don't have info on either Ofhr. Nikolaus Schroder, or Lt. Hans Otto Junge, but I know that Gefr. Günter Stender (6./JG 52)was also killed in combat.

Re: August 31,1944 Jg-52 combat w/ 52nd FG questions
 

Dénes,

Great to hear from you. Yes, it would be nice to read your article in English (or French, I can figure that out),any chance of seeing it soon?

The JG-52 losses I found on the Net. They agreed with the name provided by John Manhro many years ago. Gefr. Günter Stender (6./JG 52) is not mentioned on this list as a casualty.

Carlos

Re: August 31,1944 Jg-52 combat w/ 52nd FG questions
 

Hi All

Checking Bernd Barbas book II./JG 52 he states
1) Six Me 109 took of to intercept a presumed Il-2 attack on their base
From 6.St Lipfert and Ständer took off. From 5.St only Fönnekold is stated as leading a Schwarm (obviously a mixed 6.St and 5.St).

2) THREE ME 109G-6 were lost by the unit that day, all three pilots being killed
a) Uffz Fritz Zaubitzer 5.St
b) Lt Otto Fönnekold 5.St
c) Uffz Heinz Krah 6.St

3) II./JG 52 claimed five victories
a) Uffz Krah (his 9th) 6.St
b) Oblt Helmut Lipfert (his 145th) 6.St
c) Oblt Fönnekold (his 136th-138th) 5.St

Since Barbas is the official biographer of JG 52, something must be wrong here. Either the combat contained MORE fighter units than only II./JG 52 or it had to have more than six fighters taking off from the unit in question. That one fault could creep into a publication such as Barbas is possible, but I find it strange that so many individuals as listed previously should have gone undetected in the official history

Cheers
Stig Jarlevik

Re: August 31,1944 Jg-52 combat w/ 52nd FG questions
 

52nd FG reported 3 losses from this engagement:

Lt. Robert Davis, 2nd Fighter Squadron, KIA
Lt Paul Fraser, 4th Fighter Squadron, POW
Lt. Frank Tomlinson, 2nd Fighter Squadron, POW

Aerial reconnaissance had reported a large concentration of enemy aircraft at Saschsich-Regen airfield. 48 P51s took off to attack these, led by LtCol Boedeker, the Deputy Group Commander.

As the the P51s of the 5th Fighter Squadron approached the airfield, they encountered 3 FW190s in the landing pattern and shot them down (one was later reclassified as a probable). The 2nd Fighter Squadron and 4th Fighter Squadron joined the action; a Do17 was also shot down, along with 5 ME109s.

The bulk of the engagement took place around the Saschsich-Regen airfield being used by II/JG52 and other units. 52nd FG was credited with destroying some 60 aircraft on the ground and claimed 9 aircraft shot down in aerial combat. The unit received the Distinguished Unit Citation for its action.

Re: August 31,1944 Jg-52 combat w/ 52nd FG questions
 

KB

The 52nd FG may actually have suffered 4 casualties in this combat:
The additional casualty was Lt. Carlson, 2nd Squadron.
This is from the "Narrative Mission report Number 86 for 31 August 1944" by the 52nd FG.
Now in the book on the 52nd FG there is a Lt. Roy Carlson of the 2nd FS who was flying missions after August 31. He may have returned later from the mission.

Re: August 31,1944 Jg-52 combat w/ 52nd FG questions
 

thanks-good info.

Re: August 31,1944 Jg-52 combat w/ 52nd FG questions
 

Yes, indeed. Lt. Carlson died in this mission aboard his P-51 serialled QP-X. He crashed approx. 15 miles from the target. No first name is given in the USAAF document.

There was a fifth Mustang lost as well, when it crash landed on Madna airfield, Italy, while returning from the mission. No further details are available.

Re: August 31,1944 Jg-52 combat w/ 52nd FG questions
 

How many of the losses were attributed to flak or aerial combat?

Re: August 31,1944 Jg-52 combat w/ 52nd FG questions
 

Four to enemy fighters and one for technical failure.