[Johannes]

Hi Harryurz

Many thanks for your contribution.

Yesterday I specifically welt through the mikrofilm losses for the Luftwaffe for 01/01/1945, units are clumped together, but I went through the whole lot, and there is nothing for Spreckles.
However I do think now that it is unlikely that two Russian aircraft were claimed for this pilot. I think this is based solely on Prien's earlier JG1/JG11 publication, which also proclaims another two Russian aircraft in a period covered by the mikrofilms, and these are not recorded when they certainly would have been.

Refering again to Mombeek's "Luftwaffe Gallery, Luck, Fate and Destiny"...IBAN:978-2-930546-23-0 points system, Spreckles four "kills" would amount to nine points in theory, what is unknown is if this pilot finished-off or damaged any other aircraft.........you would thin so, these would have been awarded minor points, or even half points. So in my opinion Spreckles twelve "kills" is likely to be twelve "points". He had three points for the destruction of a "viermot" , two points for a "viermot" H.S.S and two points for each of the Mosquito's.

Spreckles claims in themselves are rather odd, all are quality aircraft, the destruction of a Mosquito was as revered as much as a "viermot".

Hopefully our losses expert Matti is reading this, his opinion on Spreckles being shot down and wounded during "Bodenplatte" would be final on that particular topic.

We could see if somebody has a late war photo of Spreckles and see if there is a wounded badge on him. One assumes that he would have been awarded the EK1, but again referring to Mombeek's book there was a second points system working(this was news to me), this awarded points though small for particular sorties, and fifty points for shooting down a single-engined fighter, so it's impossible to associate decorations with "kills" really.

Spreckles two Mosquito claims were with AST./JG11, I know nothing about his unit, but suspect they flew aircraft designed to combat these ellusive Mosquito's JG50 previously were assigned this task...unsuccessfully, but when dis-banded the pilots joined JG1/JG11.

Kind Regards

Johannes