[thorthemighty]

Hi everyone,

thanks Laurent and Jan for the information...

I am wondering if anyone can provide any more details about the claims by Kurt Welter on the 16th...there are no locations cited for the lancasters...I have read elsewhere on the net that is was known for making false claims but I am aware that the raf lost more than two lancasters on the night of the 16/17 Jan. '45. (it is possible that 7/9 lancasters and 8+ halifaxs were shot down by luftwaffe aircraft/fighters, based on available info)

Jan...could you tell me if the losses you list include nightfighters (nachtjager)?...some information I have says that the raf claimed (I know there can by false claims etc.) to have shot down 8/9 luftwaffe aircraft and damaged two more on the night in question...but the information I have is partial however.

My german is not great and even with the help of a translation site I am not entirely clear about the reasons for the loss of all of the aircraft you have listed...but it would appear to me that two/four of the losses are specifically attributed to fire from aircraft...I think (if the translation is correct) that the one at weißenburg says "guns firing/gunfire" (Bordwaffenbeschuß) and Frankental/Worms "dogfight" (Luftkampf) and the loss at Radom was due to "fire fighters"? (Jägerbeschuß) and at Kisber due to "low attack"? (Tief angriff)

...the first two are in broadly the same areas as raf activity on the 16/17...but, I am pretty sure the latter two (along with the 3 bombed "Bombenwurf" at Glinik) are too far east to have been casualties of the raf based on their targets on that particular night (Zeitz, Magdeburg, Brux and Wanna Eickel) and that a number of the lancasters (at least) were lost in areas not too far from Leipzig (e.g. Gielsdorf, Questenberg and Kleinfurra) and crash sites for some of the Halifaxs lost are generally close to, around/between Hannover and Magdeburg (including Bokensdorf, Borne, Hordorf, Harsum and Börry)...whilst other Lancaster crash sites include Budlingen/Dudenrod and Pfaffenhausen...the latter being the most southerly identified crash site I think...

...I see that another two? luftwaffe losses, at Trostdorf/Breslau (which is ssw of Magdeburg) and Kornen??? state "crash" (Absturz) as the reason for the losses...would this usually indicate a crash due to fire from another aircraft??


any additional information or clarification greatly appreciated,


cheers,

Thor