14th FG mission on 8 February 1945

[Laurent Rizzotti]

I would like to know more about the 14th FG activity on 8 February 1945.

What I know is that it met CR.42s of NSGr. 7 and shot down probably 3, while an unknown German pilot claimed a P-38 shot down.

The two losses I know for the 14th FG are both near Pochlarn, Austria, about 130 km more north, and reportedly by AA and small arms fire.

Known losses:

P-38L-1-LO 44-25038 - 1st Lieutenant Frederick R. Branscombe killed - Headquarters, 14th Fighter Group - MACR 12138

P-38L-1-LO 44-25020 (14th FG) - Captain Kyle J. Pinney Jr. - MACR 12139

The fate of Captain Pinney is unclear to me. It is not buried in Europe and is not on the POW online database either.

Thanks in advance

[Alex Smart]

Hi,

Enlisted at Ft. Custer on 28th November 1941.

See the NARA website for more details about him at the time.

Alex

[Larry deZeng]

NSGr. 7
2. Staffel operating from Varaždin along the Croatian-Hungarian border:
8 February 1945: C.R.42 belonging to the Gruppenstab shot down (location not reported). 8 February 1945: 3 C.R.42s from 2. Staffel shot down by Allied fighters (location not reported), Hptm. Eduard Jacob + 2 KIA.

Since the little Falco biplanes operated at very low altitude, the P-38s must have broken away from the bombers to strafe targets in northeastern Croatia on the way back to Italy and ran into the biplanes by pure chance.

HTH,

Larry

[Nick Beale]

Losses in the QMG returns:

08.02.45 Stab/NSGr. 7 F Feindbeschuß
Fiat Cr 42 90897 90 - - -

08.02.45 2./NSGr. 7 F Jägerbesch. (Feindb.) 100
Fiat Cr 42 90841
Hptm. Jacob F 1(1) - -

08.02.45 2./NSGr. 7 F Jägerbesch. (Feindb.) 100
Fiat Cr 42 9632
Ofw. Harnack F 1 - -

08.02.45 2./NSGr. 7 F Jägerbesch. (Feindb.) 100
Fiat Cr 42 8864
Gefr. Schreiber F 1 - -

2./NSG 7 was addressed at Varazdin on 24 December 1944 (ULTRA BT 611)

ULTRA KO 565 (early April 1945) reports Stab, 2. and 3./NSG 7 (Gorica). 1./NSG 7 (Graz) disbanded in accordance with Luftflotte 4's order.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks for the replies, but actually I allready had the details of the German side, what I am lacking is an Allied view of the events.

Laurent

[Larry deZeng]

Much to my surprise, there is a published unit history for this group:

http://www.amazon.com/14th-Fighter-G.../dp/0764329219

If this doesn't give you the detail you want, then you can ask AFHRA for the Group's mission or after-action reports for February 1945.