[gilles collaveri]

Hi Stig

I have not answered yet your message and I shall try now to bring some elements :

As you said, it was a messy fight, with aircraft buzzing around and it is very difficult to understand who fought who.

yes, I agree, we can think that the JG200 Bf109 met the 31st FG.

A remark : I was not able to locate the exact crash site of Melvin's P-38. It is noted "in the vicinity of Cuers" but where exacty ? incertitude, again..

Now, I would like to share with you a tentative & interesting scenario made by Nick /Nogo99, that I thank for his help, based on a departure from Aix les Milles (whereas the real take off may have been from Avignon ? another unclear parameter for me), that would make sense, see hereunder,

Again, this is pure speculation, but probably close to the truth.

Best regards

Gilles

According to this model, the Bf 109 G-6/U4 departs from the Aix-Les Milles airfield. The sortie is conducted under the control of Jafü Süd, utilizing the overlapping radar network of 9./Ln.Rgt. 51 and adjacent stations.

At 09:34, a verified encounter occurs with Melvin E Wiedbusch's P-38 (43-28774), approximately 100 km from the Avignon sector. During this engagement, it is a verified fact that Melvin's aircraft is either shot down or crashes while diving too steeply (wingman witness Jack D. Jolex) on Werner Bauch. This could explain why 9./Ln.Rgt. 51 made the claim—the aircraft simply disappeared from their radar—and why Werner did not identify the aircraft type, as he may never have actually seen it go down. Following the separation, the Bf 109 remains within the seamless coverage of the German radar grid, as documented by historical Jagdräume maps covering the coast and the Rhône valley. It is highly probable that ground controllers at Jafü Süd, observing a new, larger threat—the USAAF 31st Fighter Group approaching the Avignon marshaling yards—immediately re-vector the aircraft toward this sector.

The timeline and distance correlate precisely with this dual-engagement hypothesis. At 09:56, exactly 22 minutes after the initial combat, it is verified that the 31st FG intercepts Bf 109s near Avignon.

Traversing a 100 km distance within a 22-minute timeframe requires an average speed of approximately 273 km/h (170 mph). In contrast, a Bf 109 G-6 in uninterrupted cruise flight (approx. 450 km/h) would cover this distance in merely 13 to 14 minutes. The 8 to 9-minute differential aligns perfectly with the time required to execute the combat maneuvers during the encounter with Melvin, disengage from the area, receive new radio vectors, and adjust course toward Avignon.

Arriving in the Avignon sector at 09:56, the aircraft would theoretically be operating with depleted fuel reserves after an extended sortie and a preceding combat encounter. Positioned in close proximity to its base at Aix-Les Milles, the aircraft may have been entering a Return To Base (RTB) profile. The Bf 109 is then intercepted by the numerically superior 307th Fighter Squadron.

At this exact verified time (09:56), verified USAAF claims are officially filed by Lt. Robert Riddle (achieving Ace status), Lt. Carl H. Brown, and Col. McCorkle flying P-51's. The Bf 109 sustains catastrophic damage during this attack, forcing Werner Bauch to bail out. It is a verified fact that his parachute caught fire during the egress or subsequent descent (french witnesses), resulting in his verified death and marking the fatal conclusion of the sortie.