[RodM]

Hi,

there is no Bomber Command loss that matches Briegleb's first Abschuss in both time and location. His second Abschuss was certainly 1654 HCU Lancaster PB118.

As to Döring's two Abschüsse, available evidence heavily suggests that they were two 1664 HCU Halifaxes, the first of which was only damaged.


Of the two B-17's mentioned above, one was, in all probability, the first casualty over the UK during Gisela (the successful claimant remains unknown - it certainly was not Döring), while the other, although having suffered damage over Germany earlier in the night, was not damaged during an apparent attack just after midnight. In fact, it is possible that the tracer fire seen by it's crew was actually aimed at the B-17 that was shot down.

My comments are based completely on primary source documentation (including but not limited to the Bomber Command Operational Research Section assessment of ALL the Bomber Command crash sites and 95% of the engagements that resulted in damage to aircraft). Sadly, the conclusions given in Chorley's otherwise excellent BCL Vol 6, do not appear to be completely reliable, and the 'magic bullet' theory used to justify Döring accounting for the 214 Sqdn B-17 does not stand up to closer scrutiny.


Although of no use to you at the present time, you will find a comprehensive account of Unternehmen Gisela in Drs. Theo Boiten's forthcoming book, 'The Nachtjagd War Diaries', due to be published in May 2008. The account (which, incidentally, includes details on both Briegleb and Döring on this night) both compliments and expands upon Simon Parry's wonderful book.


Cheers


RodM