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Old 1st March 2005, 20:31
loreto loreto is offline
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loreto
information about Peter Henn/Alfons Schertl

Hello

I seek information about Peter Henn, author of the Book in German " Am Himmel Blieb Keiner " published by Geisenheyner & Crone of Stuttgart, in French " La Derniere Rafale " published by Editions J'Ai Lu of Paris and in English " The Last Battle ".

In the site German Biographies and Memoirs(http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaver...2/GermBio.html), there is the following comment on Peter Henn.

Henn, Peter, pseud. of Alfons Schertl. The Last Battle; Maidstone, Kent: George Mann, 1973 218 p. ISBN 0-70410007-X

That is to say in fact its name was Alfons Schertl.

Reading the book and researching in the net, I could arrive to these information.

In July of 1943 it flies in front Italian in airships Bf109-G, in to 6th Squadron of II Group of JG51 Jagdgeschwader Mölders, where it accomplishes its first missions, it combats in the landing of Sicily, it goes back to Germany combatting the aerial attacks, in this time it happens the attack Scweinfürt, in the end of 1943 and beginning of 1944, returns to the front Italian where is until March of 1944, when it is going together with its squad to Romania to defend the oil wells of Ploesti, where in April of 1944, they have its Bf109-G sabotaged by Rumanian mechanics, that they place explosive in its motor, in a patrol in that one finds flying its low height motor it explodes knocking down its airplane, in spite of being picked up of the ironworks, he survives, but it is moved away of the hunt, because its head very not hurt but it supports flights in altitude.

It is transferred for bureaucratic functions in the luftwaffe, but in the end of 1944 it gets its transfer for a group of assault aviation in the II group of Schlachtgeschwader 4(SG4), in to 4th, 5th or 6th squadron, this group meets at that time in Silesia, training tactics in flight against tanks with FW190(F/G), after it is going West to the front combatting in the winter offensive in December of 1944, where it makes bombings on Bastogne in Belgium, it participates in January 01, 1945 of the attack of Luftwaffe against the allied aerodromes.

Still in January of 1945 turn for Silesia, close to Breslau abates a Yak9 (only discount described in the book), it stands out the fact of they be already fighting on German soil, after the group it is transferred for the aerodrome of Klotzke in Dresden, where it accompanies the night bombing accomplished by English in February of 1945.

In march of 1945, its group is transferred for the czech redoubt, leading a squadron, it comments that its group boss doesn't fly, he just delegates orders, the group is in this way driven in combat by the squadron bosses, its last mission is accomplished on April 23, 1943, where he has to attack a strong station in the area of the city of Goding (current Hodonín), where they meet several tanks, it takes bombs and projectiles anti-tanks, it leads a squadron of six airplanes, tends as its lines two young aviators and the second element is led by one Stabsfeldwebel. In the dive about the station is reached, tends its knees bent on itself, more not could use the legs, the second element is abated. It drives the youths for the north in spite of the pains and when judging to be on the front, it lands on the womb, but in fact the Russians had penetrated the German front, exactly in the earth strip in that it had landed, it is captured and freed in 1947, with the two amputated legs.

I hope somebody can help me with more information on the pilot and author.

Thank you
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