How did the german pilots keep track of who they shot down
 

My father was a bombardier in a B-17. He was shot down 2/11/44 by Addi Glunz near Poix, France. My question is how did the german pilots keep track of who they shot down? It was mentioned in one of my readings that the pilots kept a log. Did they write in it in the air or once they got back to the barracks. Did they have cameras in their planes?

Is there a list of B-17's as to when and where they were shot down-where might I find this info?

Thank you for your time.

Mary Shier

Re: How did the german pilots keep track of who they shot down
 

Mary

No too sure as to what you are asking. German pilots were only credited with kills as opposed to damaged or probables. They did have camera guns but to be credited with a kill, the pilot had to see it crash or pilot bale out, get witnesses in the air and ground, visit the crash site, interview survivors and it then went up the chain of command for them to be officially credited with the kill.

There are lists of kills and B-17s losses but it depends what you are asking as it is quite a big list/ask!

Re: How did the german pilots keep track of who they shot down
 

What do you mean by kills? Did the pilot have to die? What about shooting down a plane whose pilot managed to bale out?

Re: How did the german pilots keep track of who they shot down
 

OK. My question was due to too superficial reading. You wrote the pilot had had to bale out, so you actually answered my question. :-)

Re: How did the german pilots keep track of who they shot down
 

Teresa, the word 'kill' refers to the aircraft. It means that the target (aircraft) was destroyed or forced to land. It has no connection with human casualties.

Re: How did the german pilots keep track of who they shot down
 

Kill=victory=abschuss=Luftsieg if this helps

Re: How did the german pilots keep track of who they shot down
 

Depending of the source, the victory is claimed either 1.5 km Sud of Fréval or at 20 km North-West of Poix-de-Picardie (in both case at 14h05).

Gerhard Güttmann also claimed a B-17 not far (24 km. N.N.E. Beauvais at 13h55).

Re: How did the german pilots keep track of who they shot down
 

Yes. Thank you very much. The German term is more precise, in fact. :-)

Re: How did the german pilots keep track of who they shot down
 

https://s31.postimg.org/mg4pzhdcb/IMG_5146.jpgimgur

I read that your father B17 was shot down between 13:54 - 14:30in the afternoon by Glunz.

martin