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Re: P-38 losses, southern Greece 15/17 November,1943
Hello Brian
Hammel writes that the 14th FG escort pilots claimed 8 Bf 109s and a Fw 190. Ring gives only one III./JG 27 pilot KIA. Murawski agrees and adds that Fw. Dietz from 7./JG 27 was killed when B-17 gunners shot down his a/c. He adds that IV./JG 27 was temporary out of business because it was roughly handed by Spits on 17 Dec (3 KIA, one of them Kommandeur, who succeeded to bail out but was captured by partisans and later executed, and 2 MIA). III./ JG 27 claimed5 bombers and 2 P-38s on 20 Dec. I’m not greatly shocked to find out that USAAF fighters overclaimed in MTO, IMHO USAAF pilots got confirmation easier in MTO than in ETO in 1943-45 but 8 109s claimed by 38 pilots vs one shot down by bomber gunners is clearly worse than I’d have expected. Not sure was there other Axis S/E units save Stab/SG 3, which IIRC still had Ju87Ds, so I have no idea was the 190 also 109 or another type.
Juha
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