Baltic GAF losses ?

[David Pausey]

16-05-44 two 418 sqn Mosquitos flew a Day Ranger to the Baltic and claimed two He111’s, one Fw190(12/JG5), one He177, one Hs123 and one Ju86 shot down. Are there any details of the crews and units these aircraft came from ?

Thanks

David

[Delmenhorst]

one of them:
Fw 190A-8/R2 Werk Nr. 680163 flown by Uffz. Johannes Staassen from 12./JG 3. Uffz Staassen was on a gunnery exercise near Zingst during his transfer from Bf 109 to Fw190. He was killed during the air combat.

Finlayson reports:

'We proceeded to Zingst with S/L Cleveland and found a Fw 190 doing rocket gun practice, firing into a field just east of Zingst landing ground, at about 1000 feet. We climbed to attack, he took evasive action turning sharply to port. However we out-turned him and at 1725 horus laying on a 30° deflection shot at 300 yards range with a 2 second burst of cannon and MG caused him to burst into flames. He levelled out on a heading of 210°, we got in behind him at 150 yards range and gave him another two second burst. The E/A flicked over on his back and exploded, completely disintergrating. '

[David Pausey]

Many thanks Delmenhorst can you tell which unit the Fw190 was from JG5 OR JG3 ?

REGARDS

David

[Brian Bines]

Hi David,

Is the date for all the claims correct, the reason I ask is that MOSQUITOPANIK shows the Heinkels and Ju86 to Scherf on the 16th. However the Sharp/Bowyer book Mosquito indicates Scherf got a Ju86 and a He111 at Greifswald and a second Heinkel at Bad Doderan on 2/3rd May. For the 16th it shows Scherf/Finlayson with Cleveland/Day on a Ranger to the Baltic with Scherf returning with a damaged aircraft and Cleveland ditching with Flak damage off the Swedish coast losing Frank Day. Cleveland being rescued, it also notes Scherf was killed in a motor accident in Australia in July 1949.
I only have the two books to refer to so I do not know which is correct,

Regards

Brian Bines

[mhuxt]

Brian,

Scherf's combat report for 16 May says he claimed an He 111, an Fw 190, an He 177, an Hs 123 and a Ju 86 destroyed in the air, with a further He 111 destroyed on the ground and a Do 18 damaged on the water.

[edNorth]

I have four Ju 86 in GQM (Schulen) losses noted for 05.44: one "pilot error" and "striking ground" was Ju 86 E-5 W.Nr. 195, II/FAG 101 (code not given) 100% at Perleberg (North-Germany) on 03.05.44 and three at different locations (due-enemy action) on 24.05.44. Noting found for date 16.05.44.

[David Pausey]

Hi Brain here are the claims made on the 16-05-44
S/L C.C.Scherf
F/O C.G.Finlayson
17:05 He111 Gedser Head
17:25 Fw190 Zingst
17:30 He177 Kubitzen Bay
1732 He111 Parrow airfield on ground
17:34 Hs123 Kubitzen Bay
17:35 Do18 Parrow seaplane base on the sea
17:37 Ju86P Stralsund

S/L H.D.Cleveland
F/S F.Day
17:35 He111 Kiel Bay area
Do217 Parrow airfield on ground

edNorth
Can you give the locations of the three Ju86's lost to enemy action on 24.05.44, the losses may have been reported late ?. 418 Sqnclaimed a Ju 86 at Greifswald A/F on the 02-05-44 and two LeO.45's on the21-05-44 S of Horning,Denmark(poss two of yourJu86's?).

Thanks David

[ju55dk]

The claim for 2 Leo near Herning 21.05,44, was in fact one He 219 A Wnr. 190107 G9+FL from I/NJG 1. Uffz Tampke and Uffz Tants both killed. Another case of overclaming.

Junker

[Brian Bines]

David and mhuxt,

Thanks for the clarifiction on the claims, has anyone been able to trace the He177 in Kubitzen Bay.
I have the reports for a previous 418 Sqd. mission on 27th Jan 1944 and had been able to trace the claims from an article in Avions Magazine,

Regards

Brian Bines

[edNorth]

David: All are from GQM Schulen losses.

0181 Ju 86 E-5 Ln.Schule 5 (Luftflotte Reich) Non-OPS (S) dam by onboard <enemy> machine gunfire (enemy observed) (65%) near Weimar 24.05.1944 (Sch Fu. Günther Marks killed)

0256 Ju 86 E-9 Ln.Schule 5 (Luftflotte Reih) Non-OPS (S) damaged by onboard <enemy> machine gunfire (enemy observed) (65%) at Neulitzendorf 24.05.1944 (F Ofw. Fritz Ohlsen killed, Sch Fu. Alois Luppeinski inj, Sch Fw. Günter Hiera inj <amd in 15.06.44>)

0318 Ju 86 E-2 Ln.Schule 5 (Luftflotte Reich) Non-OPS (S) destroyed by onboard <enemy> machine gunfire (enemy observed) (100%) near Eisleben 24.05.1944 (F Fw. Paul Schremser, BM Ofw. Hermann Menzel and Sch Gefr. Richard Langenleiter injured, Sch Ogfr. Willy Schulte injured, Sch Ogfr. Heinz Langer, Sch Gefr. Josef Pries and BF Uffz. Heinz Kolbe inj/rep killed in losses 15.05.44)

also found this...

- Ju 86´ FFS B 32 (Luftflotte Reich) Non-OPS (S) pilot error and force landed (30%) south of Brünn 03.05.1944 (rep as Ju 86 0048 in LWFLS losses; likely wrong as Ju 86 0048 is rep falling before in Soviet hands at Stalingrad.) Possibly a Ju 88 ?

ed