[RodM]

Hi Icare9,

thanks for the reply.

The claim doesn't seem to fit with other known details about LM742: (a) claimants stated that port wing of Ju88 was on fire, whereas survivor of LM742 stated starboard engines and wing was set on fire, (b) the location (Brux) at the time of the claim would place the combat further to the north-east (by near 100 km) of the crash site of LM742, while the heading (109 deg True) would suggest that the aircraft was on the run up to target or over the target at the time of the combat.

A sighting of an aircraft exploding on the ground in the Brux area at 22.35 hrs, may have been used to confirm the claim, but this is conjecture. Some of the other sightings of losses could also relate to the attack of Zeitz. The closest known Luftwaffe loss (at least that I know of) occurred some 140 km to the N.W. of Brux.

An important point about the crash site of LM742 is that it was around 10 km north of the intended track and actually astride the turning point onto the last leg into target of the bomber force attacking Zeitz (this turning point was at 5025N; 1200E, whereas LM742 crashed at 5025N; 1201E). Parts of the two bomber streams would have been flying parallel to one another for a time. As far as I am aware, no air combat claims were submitted by aircraft of the Zeitz force. The fact that the 1 Group Form Z is not preserved with the others for this night may be a critical loss of information.

The map attached to the BC Intercept Tactics report indicates no reported combats or attacks along the tracks of the routes flown by the Brux and Zeitz bomber streams in the area where LM742 crashed.

Cheers

Rod

Addenda - upon checking the air combat report database at the National Archives website, it seems that a combat report for a 57 Sqdn (5 Group, attacked Brux) aircraft relating to 16 Jan 1945 is held. No such claim is mentioned in the 5 Group Form Z, nor is it mentioned in the BC Interception Tactics Report...the report could just be a pro forma combat report, mentioning a sighting of an enemy aircraft with no claim.