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Re: Me 109 losses on June 24 1944 near Angers
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Originally Posted by Laurent Rizzotti
I continues to read the book and found two other strafings on the 24th:
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Originally Posted by Laurent Rizzotti
around 13h00 (German time) 16 P-51 strafed Semallé airfield, near Alençon (N of Angers, more or less in the direction of England from Angers) and destroyed in a few minutes 15 Fw190 from II/JG 1. Apparently the old base of this Gruppe, the nearby airfield of Essay was also strafed the smae day and one ground radio was fatally wounded there.
The II/JG 53 was now based around Angers on campain fields amenaged at Briollay, Tiercé and Soucelles. The last one was hit twice in the morning and another time in late afternoon by US fighter-bombers. Two Bf109G of 6./JG 53 were destroyed, a part of the fuel stocks burned and several soldiers were wounded.
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We could probably rule out JG 53 as the victim in this case.
According to Jochen Prien's history, the two Bf 109s of 6. Staffel were destroyed by bombs at Soucelles. The 355th Fighter Group was an escort outfit and they did not carry bombs on June 24th. It was strictly a shoot 'em-up.
Also, there is a discrepancy about the attack on Semallé airfield. Eric Mombeek's history of JG 1 says this took place on 1300 hrs on June 25th, 1944. His account says that 15 Mustangs strafed the airstrip and 15 Fw 190s of II.Gruppe were destroyed. He also noted that some reports identified the attacking planes as Thunderbolts.
Last edited by Six Nifty .50s; 2nd June 2005 at 01:43.
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