View Single Post
  #4  
Old 9th January 2005, 05:07
Andreas Brekken's Avatar
Andreas Brekken Andreas Brekken is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Aurskog, Norway
Posts: 1,494
Andreas Brekken is on a distinguished road
Notes on this loss

Hi, guys.

Please keep in mind that the recollections of Ranwig and others were recorded years after these incidents occured....

Regarding the losses mentioned directly and indirectly by the previous posters, I have the followited:

For November 9th 1941:

From Marshall:
Bf 109T-2, WNr 7755, Totalverlust bei Notlandung nahe Egersund wegen Motorstörung auf Feindflug

(Database record shown here: Bf 109T-2, WNr 7755)

From Marshall:
Bf 109E-7, WNr 3471, Totalverlust nahe Hitraa, Leutnant Werner Fricke vermisst.

(Database record shown here: Bf 109E-7, WNr 3471)

The loss of November 29th is recorded like this:

From Marshall:
Bf 109E-7, WNr 6363, Totalverlust nahe Hitraa, Uffz. Erich Kerstens gefallen.

(Database record shown here: Bf 109E-7, WNr 6363)


Thus it seems that if Ranwig witnessed the demise of 'Weisse 10' it was in fact none of the above losses he saw!

Further info from the Summarische Verlustemeldungen show that while the loss of WNr 3471 (Lt. Fricke) was recorded as a Category 20 (Totalverlust ohne Feindeinwirkung mit Feindauftrag), both the loss of WNr 6363 (Uffz. Kerstens) and WNr 7755 (Pilot unknown) indicate that enemy activity was involved. The losses are categorized as category 1 (Durch Feindeinwirkung vermisst) and category 5 (Totalverlust durch Feindeinwirkung auf Feindflug durch Bordwaffenbeschuss ohne Feindbeobachtung) respectively.

Thus WNr 7755 was lost due to engine trouble after being hit by enemy gunfire, and Uffz Kerstens in WNr 6363 was reported as MIA after his aircraft had been shot at.

The possibility is still however that 'Weisse 10' was flown and lost by Lt. Fricke, as described by Ranwig, but then the aircraft WNr and subtype in the records are as Morten has mentioned, wrong.

According to my records, the only other possibility is then WNr 7748, an aircraft that was lightly damaged in June 41 with JG 77, and records after that has not been found. All other Bf 109T was either recorded as total losses in other accidents, ore are mentioned in reports far after the date we are talking about here.

In my opinion we should look to the other losses of Bf 109T's in JGr Drontheim to locate Ranwigs 'Weisse 10', something I will try to do tomorrow.

Regards,
Andreas
Reply With Quote