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Originally Posted by Reno
Lagarto - I think we share a common interest for this date in history! I have been researching all the various claims to what really happened on this date and was intrigued by the fact that no losses were sustained by JG1 on this date, which is the day pf first P-47 kill of WWII in th ETO. There are still several sources that claim the P-47 losses were due to engine/mechanical failure, as opposed to enemy action.
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There is some confusion here.
According to the 4th Fighter Group history
Escort to Berlin, there were two separate encounters with German fighters, about 50 minutes apart, involving two different squadrons. Officially the show was called Rodeo 204 -- a fighter sweep to Furnes, Belgium, to Cassel, France.
Times given are conflicting, probably because the group was split up. Both 56th and 78th Group aircraft participated to gain experience. At 1701 hours, Blakeslee was leading the 335th FS when he spotted three FW-190s over Knocke, at 23,000 ft., and bounced one from 6,000 ft. above. The summary says the German pilot dived away and the tail chase levelled off at 500 ft. before the Focke-Wulf crashed into the sea near Ostend.
Meanwhile the 334th FS was crossing the North Sea, and they engaged FW-190s at about 1750 hours. Two pilots were shot down and killed: Capt. Stanley Anderson (P-47C 41-6407) and Capt. Richard McMinn (P-47C 41-6204). Both crashed into the water several miles off the coast of Belgium, between Ostend and Blankenberghe.
Lt. Col. Chesley Peterson was the overall mission commander and took off at '1650', although that could be a typographic error. Major Don Blakeslee must have departed earlier with the 335th FS -- because they were over the mainland by 1700, and he also picked up two dislocated squadrons of the 56th Fighter Group. Peterson's plane (P-47C 41-6414) was the first loss of the day, and not involved in combats. He aborted early because of engine trouble shortly after take-off, and bailed out into the sea 30 miles off the English coast. Rescued by a Walrus 45 minutes later.