Quote:
Originally Posted by Doolittle81
Heinz has not mentioned St.G. 76 having suffered such a catastrophic loss (11 out of 12) in conjunction with his shootdown, so I'm wondering if he were located elsewhere than in the midst of this particular flight/staffel of doomed Stukas.
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Claims submitted rarely equate to actual losses suffered and that is true of any air force. I./StG76 only had the following losses on 12 May 1940:
1./StG76 Junkers Ju87B-1. Returned damaged by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie south of Bouillon 9.00 a.m. BF Uffz Richard Kuy badly wounded, FF Lt [ ] Haller unhurt. Aircraft 10% damaged but repairable.
1./StG76 Junkers Ju87B-1. Damaged by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie south of Bouillon 9.00 a.m. and believed forced-landed near Geroldstadt. BF Fw Friedrich Petrick badly wounded, FF Oberlt Zaratza Unbehauen unhurt. Aircraft 15% damaged but repairable.
2./StG76 Junkers Ju87B-1. Engine badly damaged in attack from below by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie east of Sedan and crash-landed in the Semois valley at ‘Les Longs Champs’ outside Dohan, east of Bouillon, 9.00 a.m. Probably that claimed by Sgt Perina. BF Uffz Helmut Gäth badly wounded in chest – died shortly after landing, FF Lt Heinz-Georg Migeod unhurt. Aircraft S1+GK 50% damaged but repairable.
Helmut Gäth was originally buried in a field grave in an orchard off the Route du Sati on the north-eastern approach to Dohan. He now lies in Noyers-Pont-Maugis Cemetery, Block 3, Grave 1835.
2./StG76 Junkers Ju87B. Badly damaged by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie east of Sedan and crash-landed behind the German lines 9.00 a.m. BF Gefr Ludwig Kirner slightly wounded, pilot unhurt. Aircraft 100% write-off.
2./StG76 Junkers Ju87B. Shot down Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie east of Sedan and crashed in woods near Bouillon 9.00 a.m. FF Lt Rudolf Schulze-Wimken, and BF Uffz Heinz Rolland both captured wounded – later released. Aircraft S1+DK 100% write-off.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Doolittle81
Could you provide me the source (a quote and reference) regarding Perina's naming "east of Boullion" as the specific location of one of his shootdowns?
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Les Victoires de l'Aviation de Chasse Francais Vol.1 by Arnaud Gillet (Paginove 2003) p128 "8.25 S/Lt Perina Ju87 E. de Bouillon, 8 km. l'E. de Bouillon. Sur (47 Z.O.A.E.)". As confirmed by the 'tally' of GC I/5.