[Laurent Rizzotti]

Only incomplete data on GC II/4 this day in Gillet's books 'Les victoires de l'armée de l'air' and Martin's "Ils étaient là"

Martin said:
"Taking off in the afternoon 4 Curtiss H-75 of GC II/4 entered battle over Luneville with bombers protected by Bf 110s. Lieutenant Raymond Tixier-Vignancourt was killed at the start of the fight. His Curtiss n° 138 crashed in flames at Padoux, south of Rambervillers. The pilot was buried in Padoux, Vosges. He was 27 years old (born on 29 Dec 1912). His aircraft (Curtiss n° 69) also on fire, sergent Ballin bailed out and landed near Epinal. Badly burned, he was sent to Epinal hospital.
During another mission, the Curtiss (serial unknown) of sergent de La Chapelle was hit numerous times by the return fire of a He 111 gunner and crash-landed on Epinal airfield. The fighter was destroyed, the pilot unhurt"

Gillet said that sergent-chef (note higher rank) de La Chapelle attacked at 14h55 bombers of III./KG 55 and shot down the He 111 G1+DT of 9./KG 55 at Luvigny (2 POW: Lt Günther Trosly (observer) and Uffz Franz Stratmann (pilot). 3 KIA: Gefr Georg Kaschischke (Bf), Gefr Helmut Rohloff (Bm) and Flg Nikolaus Merkler (Hecksch)). He was effectively hit numerous times as he attacked at very close range. Losing many oil and with no more ammunition he broke contact and landed on Epinal airfield with two bullets in the engine and a punctured tire.

There is no clue in these two books when the two Curtiss 69 and 138 were lost and against who or what. Also I'm not sure at all that the Curtiss of La Chapelle was destroyed.

The two other losses may have fallen to Bf 110s but claims of ZG units are not well documented for this period AFAIK.

Hope it helps

Laurent