[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

I can confirm the mission was flown on 3 Dec 1944.

On this day, in the morning, III and IV./JG 4 took off to intercept a bomber raid but did not reach it and returned to base.

At noon all four groups of JG 4 received orders to attack Allied troops advancing in the Aachen/Duren area.

At 1300 hrs, around 30 Bf 109s of I./JG 4, 20 of IV./JG 4 and 20 of III./JG 4 took off and flew towards Aachen at low altitude.

They flew into heavy AA fire in this area.

IV./JG 4 lost four pilots killed, including its Kommandeur, and four captured, included the Stafü of 13./JG 4

I./JG 4 lost 5 killed (including the Stafü of 4./JG 4, and one killed due to bad weather), 2 captured and 3 wounded.

III./JG 4 apparently turned back before reaching the front.

Detailled losses on 3 Dec 1944 for JG 4:

Fw Rudolf Rademacher of 1./JG 4 killed in the Bf 109 G-14 WNr 460558 "white 3" (100%) in combat in Koln-Aachen area

Uffz Friedrich Schwab of 1./JG 4 wounded and belly-landed after combat his Bf 109 G WNr 490172 or 490171 at Froitzhem, 12 km SE Düren (% damage unknown)

Fhr Rudolf Beyer of 3./JG 4 captured when his BF 109 G-14 WNr 464202 "yellow 11" was shot down in combat in Eschweiler area

Ofhr Herbert Franzke of 3./JG 4 captured when he belly-landed Bf 109 G-14 WNr 460378 "green 1" (or 3?) 1 km west of Eschweiler area

Uffz Helmut Lauer of 3./JG 4 wounded in combat in Aachen area

Uffz Hugo Voss of 3./JG 4 killed when his Bf 109 G-14 WNr 464215 was shot down in combat near Kerpen, Krs Daun

Lt Roderich von Engelhardt, Staffelführer of 4./JG 4, killed when his Bf 109 G-14 WNr 406373 "blue 16" was shot down in combat at Mittelsstrimmig, 9.5 km of Zell/Mosel

Uffz Gotthard Hartung of 4./JG 4 killed when his Bf 109 G-14 WNr 464438 "blue 7" was shot down in combat south of Röttgen, 6.5 km south of Bonn

Uffz Walter Kirsch of 4./JG 4 killed when his Bf 109 G-14 WNr 464302 "blue 6" crahsed in bad weather at Kemel, 5 km NW of Bad Schwalbach (damaged % unknown)

Ofhr Siegfried Palme of 4./JG 4 wounded and belly-landed after combat his Bf 109 G-14 WNr 760737 "blue 9", probably at Darmstadt/Griesheim (% damage unknown)

Bf 109 K-4 WNr 330267 of III./JG 4 lost in combat

A Bf 109 G-10 of III./JG 4 shot down by AA fire in the Ardennes

Hptm Franz Wienhusen, Kommander of IV./JG 4, killed when his Bf 109 G-10 "white 21" WNr 130282 was shot down by AA SW of Roetgen, 10 km NW of Monschau

Lt Günther Magdanz of 13./JG 4 captured after belly-landing in Stolberg area his Bf 109 G-14/AS WNr 780351 "white 15" hit by AA fire

Uffz Johann Beck of 13./JG 4 captured after belly-landing in Roetgen area his Bf 109 G-14/AS WNr 784980 "black 1" hit by AA fire

Oblt Ernst Scheufele, Stafelführer of 14./JG 4, captured after belly-landing near Grosshau, 10 km SW of Düren, his Bf 109 G-14/AS WNr 782354 "black 2" hit by AA fire

Fw Paul Feldmann of 15./JG 4 missing after his Bf 109 G-14/AS WNr 785632 "yellow 6" was shot down by AA in Aachen area

Uffz Heinz Liebich of 15./JG 4 killed when his Bf 109 G-14/AS WNr 782381 "yellow 3" was shot down by AA east of Roetgen

Fhr Dieter Obermüller captured after his Bf 109 G-14/AS WNr 785376 "yellow 7" was shot down by AA 1 km SE of Düren

Uffz Heinz Hook of 16./JG 4 killed when his Bf 109 G-10 WNr 490373 "blue 17" was shot down by AA in Aachen area

Another Bf 109 G-14/AS of IV./JG 4 destroyed (100%) in combat in Aachen area

Source:
"Chasseurs d’assaut", by Eric Mombeek (unit story of JG 4). ISBN 2-914017-10-3

By the way, after this disaster JG 4 did not return over the front the next days. After a quiet day on the 4th, JG 4 suffered a series of accidents on the 5th and apparently did no operations on the 6th.