Mishaps Bf 109E-7 Wnr 6774 and 7476 identical?

[Hans Nauta]

Dear all,

On the Luftwaffe losses returns of schools and miscellanious units the next accident is mentioned:

25.12.41
Fl.Ber.d.Ob.d.Lw.z.b.V.
Fl.Pl. Bergen
Fahrwerkschaden bei Landung
Bf 109E-7 6774 60% Bruch
Fw Witt, Gerhard verletzt

However on the losses returns of operational units appears:
25.12.41
7./JG1
Bergen
Unfreiwillige Bodenberührung
Bf 109E-7 7476 60% Bruch


I've several reasons to believe that is actually one incident with two Werknummers and units being mixed up, at least 7476 of 7./JG1 may be the most likely as being correct.

I hope the Bf 109 buffs on this forum are able to check their files for me to see if above accidents/werknummers are really different just as on the loss lists or probably refer to just one?

Thanks in advance for your efforts,
Hans

[RT]

Hello Hans,

Probably both are wrong as they are F models Wn's, both Wn we could find later on , not better the 6476 ,

Rémi

[Hans Nauta]

Hi again Remi,

Thanks for your remarks, let's await what the other experts can contribute to the dilemma.

Regards,
Hans

[RT]

Something strange that is the only loss of JG1 registred for 3 months , even a "non-official" occured on 23.dez. What says Prien about that ?? Matti has maybe an other Wn ??

Rémi

[Jim P.]

WNr. 7674 at Bergen op Zoom per Prien and company. If both losses refer to the same incident, its likely that the pilot was from Fl.Ber.d.Ob.d.L. z.b.V., the aircraft from JG 1.

[Matti Salonen]

For me it seems also possible, that both are one and the same and both WNrs are incorrect. Also the unit obviously should be I./JG 1 and not 7./JG 1. My "educated guess" is the following:
1941-12-25, I./JG 1, Bf 109E-7, 7674, Fl.Pl. Bergen/Holland, Unfreiwillige Bodenberührung (bei Landung?). Bruch 60 %.
Flugzeugführer Fw Witt, Gerhard, verletzt

Ofw Witt crashed later in JG 1, which fits well into the picture. Also, this WNr is E-version, which fits to the loss report designation. And last, these Wnr digits are all on both reported WNrs.

Matti

[Hans Nauta]

Hi again Remi, Jim and Matti,

Thank you very much for your info and thoughts. I agree with Jim that it is not impossible that Fw Witt belonged to another unit than the Bf 109, hence twice a listing in different losses returns. And Matti draws the best assumable conclusion in my opinion.

The last thing which is bothering me is the correct Werknr.

Losses returns school & miscellanious units: 6774
Losses returns operational units: 7476
Prien: 7674

The Namentliche Verlusst Meldung of the wounded Fw Witt might shed some light on this, but I'm afraid there's no copy around under the forumites?

I'll contact Dr Jochen Prien about his source for 7674 instead of 7476.

Thanks for now,
Hans