[Adriano Baumgartner]

Dear Matti,

Thank you so much for adding this information from WASt, which confirm what has been written on De Zeng Files.

The dead cards Chris Goss shared with me (from the full crew) do confirm that the time or their dismiss at circa 16:00hs and 3 Km NW of Poljakowka.

We know the weather was not particularly good. From the 5 machines from FKG 50, two returned with mechanical problems, one did not find the target and returned and only one completed the sortie. The machine of Major Schede was totally destroyed.

From the information you wrote, they apparently belly landed (we do not know where) and were being carried to Gumrak by truck when hit by a heavy bomb (either hit by the V.V.S. or shelled by Artillery - which is not clear).

Can any Russian friend or member of this board can point us where is Poljakowka on a WW2 map? Maybe this would give us a clue to where they belly landed or where killed.

What seems strange from the book I mentioned earlier is that it looks like the EKM or Pilot's Badge of Major Schede would have been found, thus confirming his identity and solving the mistery where he was killed (actual place). This is why it seems interesting to check from where this information comes from. And if those items were found they were probably photographed or are circuling around.

Matti, your information is quite interesting. Most probably the Russians were not aware that the He 177 was in operations. It would be nice to see if such a claim was submitted or how (what they registered) the Russian fighter pilots claimed that particular day.

Also the hour (16:00hs) informed on the dead cards may lead us to other interpretations...if this is the time they were hit on the LKW by a russian shell (Artillery) or heavy bomb (V.V.S.?). If so, they may have belly landed quite a lot of hours before....Sadly we do not have the time of take off from the 5 machines from FKG 50 (From Zaporoshye).

Matti, thank you again for your most valuable help on this Board (Forum) and particularly onto this thread.

Most humbly yours,
Adriano