Details of three JG76 Bf 109s that were lost during Market Garden

[bavgan]

Hello.

A Dutch group discovered the remains of a Bf 109G about a decade ago in Netterden (NL), near Emmerich area in Germany. Its WNr is unknown but it is know n that it was an U4 from JG76 and lost during Operation Market Garden. I am after its WNr.

The loss database of Michael reveals that the JG76 operated over Neterden-Emmerich area only on 27 September 1944 and lost 5 a/c that day. So that should be the day of loss. Two of the JG76 aircraft lost that day were Erla built G-14s. Therefore the remains should be from one of the other 3.
Can anybody help in identifying the WNr of these 3 Bf109s?

Thanks, Batur

[Rottler]

Hello Batur,

according to JFV 13/VI on 27 Sep 1944 the I./JG 76 lost three Bf 109:
1./JG 76 Uffz Emil Frech † Luftkampf, Absturz Rees, FSA, 100% Bf 109 G (no WNr. known)

2./JG 76 Hptm Heinz Dziarnowski Staffelkapitän † Feindflug, unbekannte Ursache, Notlandung zwischen Störmede und Emmerich, 100% Bf 109 G-14 461393 schwarze 14

2./JG 76 Ofw Franz-Josef Bernauer vermisst Luftkampf, Notlandung Zeddam, 100% Bf 109 G (no WNr. known) schwarze 3

Regards
Leo

[Stig Jarlevik]

May I also point out that John Manrho added a WNr 461997 against the loss of Bernauer (in 2008)

I would be very interested to know where Michael (Balss?) has found the additional two losses on this date, since no one else seems to have found that.

B Rgds
Stig

[bavgan]

Hello Leo and Stig,

Thanks for the replies. I will ask Michael his sources for the other 2 losses. This post of John Manrho (http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=15264) on this forum also include these 2 extra losses. So it may be his source.

Another question, do you know any source which may have the production batch numbers of G-6/U4s that were delivered to JG76 prior to Market Garden? All I need is the first 3 digits of the WNr actally as I have to find out its month of production.

Thank you, batur

[John Manrho]

Losses of I./JG 76 during Market Garden are not recorded on NVM's or they are lost. This means that we must reconstruct the losses from several different sources. Luckily there are some Überfälligkeitsmeldungen that help us with some of the Werknummer.

For 27/9/44 we know that I./JG 76 reported personnel losses (5 MIA and 1 WIA) and material losses (1x totalverlust 100%, 5x MIA and 1x damaged). This means, if none of the MIA returned to the unit we have at least 6 total losses. However, I found only three names of KIA/MIA pilots; Uffz. Emil Frech, Ofw. Franz-Josef Bernauer (fate finally resolved in 1997) and Hptm. Heinz Dziarnowski (MIA). So the two other "MIA" pilots may have returned to the unit in the days after 27/9/44. Only the a/c of Bernauer/Dziarnowski are known by werknummer.

Now my questions; who recovered the Bf 109? ARGA? An why do you think this is a Bf 109 from JG 76???

Cheers,

John

[bavgan]

Thanks for your detailed reply John. I do not know the name of the Dutch group. I am in contact with a person from there. I will ask him the name of their group. They believe it was a JG76 aircraft because of the eyewitness accounts. I personally never rely on eyewitness accounts unless they are collected properly. I do not know any details of the accounts they collected.

I was told that they recovered some pieces of "officers trousers" and a Glashütte chronograph. Time was frozen at 14.18 hours. So, they believe that the pilot was dead and recovered by the Germans after the crash. If they have the officer trausers, it should not be Uffz. Emil Frech.

There is too much uncertainty. All I am sure that it was an U4. As I mentioned in my previous reply, I am looking for the production batch of the U4. If it is correct that the a/c was from JG76, the unit's U4 losses in August-September 1944 were all from 440xxx and 441xxx batch, and no 20xxx. So it should be from 440xxx or 441xxx.

Regards, Batur

[John Manrho]

Well, let's wait for more confirmed details and not only hearsay. Until I hear some solid evidence this could be any September 1944 crash.

John