[Laurent Rizzotti]

According to Gunter Rosipal loss list, on 26 January 1944, Fw Helmut Preusger of 10./JG 54 was wounded by enemy fire and his aircraft (unknown type and WNr) destroyed at 100% at Siwerskaja.

The Luftwaffe losses summary indicates that this day IV./JG 54 lost one aircraft "destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, not observed by enemy".

This is coherent with the Rosipal loss: the aircraft of Preusger was hit but he managed to return to base before totaling it (so explaning the "not observed by enemy").


On 31 January 1944, Rosipal lists three losses:
_ Fw Heinrich Brücker of an unknown Gruppe was killed by own Flak at Towaschewo (aircraft type and WNr unknown)
_ Oblt Friedrich Brock of 8./JG 54 survived unhurt to the loss of his Bf 109 G-6 WNr 1982? (one digit missing) at Schwerin, cause unknown, damage 100%.
_ Oblt Fritz Walter of 12./JG 54 was wounded when his aircraft (type and WNr unknown) was damaged beyond repair (70%) when it overturned while landing at an unknown place.

The Luftwaffe losses summary indicates that this day IV./JG 54 was the only JG 54 Gruppe to suffer losses: four "destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, observed by enemy", 1 "destroyed without enemy action on operational flight" and 1 "damaged without enemy action on non-operational flight".

The Flugzeugbestand of IV./JG 54 shows that this group had only Bf 109 G-6 in his inventory and lost 8 through enemy action and 6 without enemy action. The Lufwaffe summary losseshas also 14 total losses for this Gruppe for January 1944, but 11 through enemy action and 3 without. Of the 11 first, 3 were listed as missing and were maybe counted in another category by the Flugzeugbestand.

If anyone has a NVM for the above pilots, this may help to clear these cases.

Thanks in advance

Laurent