[Larry deZeng]

I tried to PM the following to Herr Ott but he did not reply to my PM:

These are the German reports in full for the two days of interest taken from the consolidated daily report from Commander-in-Chief Southeast (Army Group F) to OKW, OKH, Ob.d.L. and other addressees and classified GEHEIM, my translation. They include all relevant information provided by Luftwaffenkommando Südost and Feldluftgaukommando XXX, both headquartered at Belgrade-Pančevo:

16 April 1944 (German Report)
Approx. 150 4-engine bombers attacked the city of Belgrade, with the bomb carpet marched through the center of the city (few military losses, but considerable civilian casualties). Airfield at Pancevo hit (little damage) and the airfield at Zemun (2 aircraft totally destroyed, 3 damaged, runway and taxiway damaged). Supplemental damage report postscript: a total of 3 aircraft destroyed at Zemun airfield, repair shops 50% destroyed and hangars damaged. In Belgrade, 13 German and 318 Serbian dead, great damage to buildings in city center. At Pancevo airfield, runway damaged, 2 aircraft totally destroyed.
Own Luftwaffe: Schlachtflieger employment in Croatia with weaker forces. Fighters shot down 10 enemy aircraft plus 3 probables, while Flak shot down another 4. 1 Ju 52 with 17 men aboard was shot down by an Allied escort fighter.
(Oberbefehlshaber Südost daily report 17.4.44 in NARA T-311).

Additionally
16 April 1944 Allied fighters strafed Uljan, 2 men badly wounded. (NARA T-314:562/397).

Allied Confirmation:
"15th AAF B-17s bombed industrial targets, airfields and an aircraft factory in the Belgrade area." (Kenn C. Rust, 15th Air Force Story in World War II. Temple City (CA): Historical Aviation Album, 1976. p.16).


17 April 1944 (German Report)
Renewed attack on Belgrade (17.4.44), by approximately 300 4-engine aircraft. Rail lines and bridges (great damage to the marshalling yard and the railway bridge over the Sava, and heavy damage to buildings in city center). Estimate of attacking aircraft later increased to 530 bombers and escort fighters. Zemun airfield was also hit again during this raid, with heavy damage.
Own Luftwaffe: stronger Schlachtflieger employment against Partisans in Croatia. 1 Allied aircraft certain and 3 probables shot down by fighters over Bulgaria.
(Oberbefehlshaber Südost daily report 18.4.44 in NARA T-311).

Additionally
17 April 1944 Fighter-bombers attacked Rogaz Bay destroying 1 boat and damaging 2 others. In another fighter-bomber attack on the Split railway station, 4 men were wounded.
10 Fighter-bombers attacked Knin destroying barracks and damaging headquarters buildings; additionally, 3 trucks were destroyed. (NARA T-314:562/403).

Allied Confirmation:
"15th AAF B-24s bombed the marshalling yard at Sofia, while B-17s bombed industrial targets, airfields and the marshalling yard at Belgrade." (Kenn C. Rust, 15th Air Force Story in World War II. Temple City (CA): Historical Aviation Album, 1976. p.16).

During the 15th AAF attack on Belgrade, 325th Fighter Group flew escort with 38 P-47s. Lt. Emmons shot down two aircraft (type not given) bringing his score to 8, while
Lt. G.B. Edwards and F/O P.J. Kastner each downed a Bf 109, One further enemy aircraft was claimed as "probable". The Group lost no aircraft.” (McDowell, Earnest R. and William N. Hess. Checkertail Clan: The 325th Fighter Group in North Africa and Italy. Fallbrook (CA): Aero Publishers, 1969. Card cover. 98p. Heavily illustrated. Rosters and mission lists. Index. p.45).

*****************************

These reports show one (1) Ju 52 going down, but on the 16th rather than the 17th. They do not show the loss of the other Ju 52, presumably because it belonged to Lufthansa and not to the Wehrmacht.

The above is provided in the interest of completeness only.