Aircraft battle of July 6, 1944, in northern Italy

[Elenaz]

I'm looking for information about who dropped B-17 Serial Number 42-31848 in the air battle of July 6, 1944, in northern Italy. From the German Claims I see that Uffz. Hanff claimed only a P-51. I can not find any other claim from the JG77. It may also be possible to have an Italian "Gruppo Caccia"? I can not find information about this. Thanks for any help.

Elena

[Nick Beale]

It's a very long time since my colleagues and I wrote about this (Nick Beale, Ferdinando D’Amico and Gabriele Valentini: "Air War Italy 1944–45, the Axis Air Forces from the Liberation of Rome to the Surrender", Airlife Publishing Ltd., 1996, ISBN 1 85310 252 0) but our research found no ANR involvement in this action.

[Frank Olynyk]

The MACR for this loss is 6376. Crew of 10, 8 KIA, 2 POW. In checking the MACR there is no identification of the type of enemy aircraft involved. It is noted that the aircraft had a problem with #4 engine as it approached the target, which was later feathered. It bombed the target, but started straggling. Attacked by one or two "enemy aircraft" according to the witnesses, and shortly after blew up.

Enjoy!

Frank.

[Rottler]

According to German documents the 42-31848 crashed 1 km south of Trecenta near Legnago, casualty No. ME 1536.

In the MACR documents are four eye witness descriptions. In one of them the tail gunner of another 429th Squadron B-17 reported:
"I first saw No. 848 at 1044 hours at 20,500 feet, it was just before reaching the target und number four engine was smoking. It continued on ist way to the target and dropped ist bombs. Just off the target number four engine was feathered and he was lagging behind the formation. About one minute later No. 848 banked to his left, made one complete circle then one enemy aircraft attacked from 6 o'clock high. A few seconds later number four engine blew up and then I observed two chutes open - then another chute came out, it was on fire. Then No. 848 blew up into 8 or 10 big pieces all on fire."

Regards
Leo

[Elenaz]

These "enemy aircraft(s)" seem to come from nowhere. I do not know what to think. Thank you so much for your contribution.

Elena

[Elenaz]

I am sure that the conclusions drawn on "Air War Italy" are historically perfect. There is probably no claim on that B-17 because the plane had been heavily hit by the flak. My doubt about the presence of ANR was fortified by the macr 6513 (F/O Ostrom, P-51 clashed on the same day). From 2nd Lt. Leland's Report (page 3): "I observed three enemy aircraft attacking the bomber formation (...) Attacked one MA 205 and called to my flight that there were at least two more enemy aircraft in the vicinity, warning them to watch our tails. After following the enemy aircraft through a brief dog-fight, which brought me to 15,000 feet. (...) I looked behind me and observed another enemy aircraft (MA 205) preparing to attack me".
I did not find in any Italian book any reference to the presence of the 1 and 2 Gruppo Caccia that day. I can not even find a confirmation that on July 6, 1944, the ANR still used the Macchi 205 (replaced by G55 and immediately following the ME109). In the book "L’Aeronautica Nazionale Repubblicana" of Arena, the MA 205 seems to have been used until August, but I cann’t trust the information of that book without further confirmation of qualified historians.
Excuse my bad English,

Elena

[CENTURION]

According to "I Falchi di Mussolini" of Marco Mattioli, on 6 july 1944 4 Bf.109s of the 2° Gruppo Caccia engaged an Allied formation near Bologna without results.
Regards.

Marco