Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces

Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the German Luftwaffe and the Air Forces of its Allies.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 5th December 2008, 17:04
Brian Brian is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Posts: 3,972
Brian is on a distinguished road
Werner and Victor Molders

Hi guys

I need help!

I have a note that Victor was erroneously attacked by two Bf109s in his Bf110 of 1/ZG1 and crash-landed at Norrent-Fontes on 6 June 1940 with his gunner slightly wounded. I can't find this in Peter's The Battle Of France - so is this incorrect?

Ruy now advises that in the new book by Kurt Braatz, the author suggests that Werner in his Bf109 of Stab II/JG53 was possibly shot down by two Bf109s (and not by Sous-Lt Layrargues of GCII/7) in error on 5 June 1940!

Over to the Luftwaffe specialists.

Cheers
Brian
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 5th December 2008, 17:55
Chris Goss's Avatar
Chris Goss Chris Goss is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,825
Chris Goss is a jewel in the roughChris Goss is a jewel in the roughChris Goss is a jewel in the rough
Re: Werner and Victor Molders

According to John Vasco & Peter, yes to the former (Fw Helmut Krappatsch slightly wounded but no mention of damage to the aircraft apart from flat tyres) and look at Werner Moelders' account in Battle of France Then & Now and make your own deductions.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 7th December 2008, 09:30
Ruy Horta's Avatar
Ruy Horta Ruy Horta is offline
He who rules the forum...
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Amstelveen, The Netherlands
Posts: 1,475
Ruy Horta has disabled reputation
Re: Werner and Victor Molders

1. Battle of France then and now is not word for word what is quoted in Braatz, including an ugly episode after he landed which is shortened extensively.

2. Further material presented in Braatz:

a. Werner never saw his assailant
b. other observers had only seen 109s in his neighborhood
c. there were strong suspicions back in 1940 (!) that it was friendly fire
d. Werner didn't care who shot him down

Either way, the material presented by Kurt Braatz makes it an interesting subject for further study for the Friendly Fire collection.
__________________
Ruy Horta
12 O'Clock High!

And now I see with eye serene
The very pulse of the machine;
A being breathing thoughtful breath,
A traveller between life and death;
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 18th December 2008, 09:47
Kurt Braatz Kurt Braatz is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Germany (Bavaria)
Posts: 84
Kurt Braatz is on a distinguished road
Re: Werner and Victor Molders

Brian,

it's a fact that Victor Moelders had been sneaked upon by 2 Bf 109s. Fritz von Scheve, the then Major beim Stabe of Wolfgang Falck, CO of I./ZG 1, reports it in detail in his 'Kriegsgeschichte der I./ZG 1', a handcrafted War Diary he presented to Falck when the latter left the group to become the first Kommodore of NJG 1 in Summer 1940. Victor himself confirmed the incident to me last year when I interviewed him for my biography of his brother. He also confirmed he and his brother took for granted that Werner had been downed by friendly fire over France.

Cheers,
Kurt
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 18th December 2008, 19:31
Brian Brian is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk
Posts: 3,972
Brian is on a distinguished road
Re: Werner and Victor Molders

Hi Kurt

Many thanks for your comment, much appreciated. Is there any chance of seeing the extract from Kriegsgeschichte der I./ZG 1 regarding Victor's shoot-down? Do we know which unit the Bf109s were from?

Send me a PM if preferable

Best wishes
Brian
Reply With Quote
Reply


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 21:25.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net