February 26th, 1943, M.T.O.

[Jochen Prien]

Gentlemen,

I need your help again: On February 26th, 1943, 4./JG 51 was involved in aerial combat with B-17s over the M.T.O. According to the official German claims documents Obfw. Otto Schultz of 4./JG 51 filed a claim for a B-17 on this date that went down 50 kms West of Gafsa / Tunisia at 16.05 hrs. On the other side 4./JG 51 lost one Messerschmitt due to battle damage resulting from combat with B-17s and its pilot Uffz. Hans Pfluger who was killed while attempting a forced landing at Villarios on Sardinia.

Now, apparently these two proceedings do not fit together; however Shores / Ring / Hess ( German edition ) tell a different story saying that the combat took place over the Tunisian coast in the area of the Northern front line and that the B-17 crashed into the sea while Uffz. Pfluger came down at Villarica, which I cannot find in my maps. So the bottom line of this is, that both claim and loss were linked to the same combat.

My questions are:

1) What was the exact location of the loss of Uffz. Pfluger ?

2) Were there one or more B-17 operations on this day ? I know of one that saw 24 Boeings attacking Axis-shipping off the Islands of Lipary near the Northern coast of Sicily, but what was the target of those that Obfw. Schultz was attacking over the heartland of Tunisia.

3) Does anybody have an account from the U.S. side as to what happened on this day ?

Any help to clear this mess would be gratefully appreciated.

Regards

Jochen Prien