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Re: Luftwaffe losses - convoy KMS41 12/02/44?
Hello Stig,
As you say somewhat confusing I have assummed the report of Herr Rathel on page 121/122 of the Smith/creek book is correct. I have tried to see if the loss lists in the Griel/Dressel book help but only a little.
5695 in Griehl/D. is just shown in the loss table as '' II/KG40 Feb 1944 Jagerbeschuss'' however page 127 has that the Gp.Kom of II/KG40 as being lost in w.n 5695 and the NVM shows the loss of the Rieder crew as being on the 12-2-1944.
5679 Griehl/D. shows ''F8+PN 12-2-1944 NJ-Abschuss'' which seems to link to the loss of the crew of Oblt Ewers with NVM giving location as Pessec by Bordeaux. However the NVM shows Ewers crew as being from 4/KG40, it looks like the original loss date of 13-3-44 has been changed to the 12th but its hard to read, cause of loss is given as Jager. Normally I would expected the aircraft to have the 4th staffel code of M, the F8+FN 5th staffel code would normally link to the Rieder crew who the NVM show as 5th Staffel. The other thing is that the Rieder crew are shown as Ff, B, Bf , Bm, Bs, Bs, Bs. I wonder if the third Bs is from another crew possibly the wounded man from 5554. The second page of the NVM has Pessec b Bordeaux 4.Staffel Ogef Wolfgang Kanehl wounded Lw.Laz. Bordeaux. Unfortunately as you say the loss tables in Smith/C. puts Rieder in this aircraft which I assume is just an error.
5554 both Griehl/D and Smith/C. give this as II/KG40 Bruchlandung on 17-12-1944 in their loss tables but Smith/C. shows this a/c as landing with a wounded gunner on 12-2-1944 in the text. Either then the date or wn are wrong or 5554 was damaged on 17-12-1943 and flying again for the 12-2-1944.
5569 Smith /C. shows this as missing on 12-2-1944 following a fire, while Griehl/D has ''II/KG40 Jan.1944 Flugzeug vermisst'' but I assume the Jan. is a misprint and Herr Rathel got it right.
I did ask for the NVMs for I and II/KG40 and the one for the Rieder and Ewers crew does not give aircraft details which would have helped. No NVM was sent for the loss of the crew of 5569 so apart from what is in the two books I do not have anything on this loss,
Regards
Brian Bines
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