The last kill of WW2?

Can anyone tell me if Gerard Thyben was the last pilot to shoot down an Allied plane in may 45? I think a Pe2.

Thanks,

Gary

[Pilot]

I think that last plane to be shoot is one Nakajima Hayabusa, down at night 28. August 1945 by Black Widow.

[Boomerang]

Hello Gary:

I assume you are discussing the last Allied aircraft shot down in Europe.

John Weal's Focke Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front describes Gerhard Thyben, Staffelkapitan of 7/JG 54 shooting down a Red Banner Baltic Fleet Pe2 when flying from Courland to Kiel on the morning of 8 May 1945 (all while having his chief mechanic in his radio compartment!). The time is not specified more precisely in this account.

However, IIRC, Hartmann flew a sortie and shot down a Soviet fighter on 8 May. Determining the 'last' kill would depend on pinning down the times of the two victories mentioned above (and others that may come to light). You may also have the issue of dealing with victories in different time zones.

Cheers

Don

hi,to both big thanks,i gary,

[marsyao]

there are so many question mark on Hartmann's May 8 kills that I would dismiss this claim: Hartmann claimed shot down the Yak above a a city when there was still heavy fighting going on, Russians actually had already occupied that city about a week, so there was no ground battle at that time. Hartmann claims he caused a fight between Americans and Soviet fighter in that mission, no such fight existed in either Soviet or US record, and finally no fighter loss could be found in Soviet record in that place and that time

[Ota Jirovec]

A hot candidate for Luftwaffe´s last kill is Oblt. Fritz Stehle, Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 7 who claimed a Jak-9 late in the late afternoon on 8 May 1945 over northwestern Bohemia while retreating with his Me 262 from Žatec to Fassberg. It seems that he actually shot down an Airacobra, whose pilot, mladshiy leytenant Sergey G. Stepanov of 129 GIAP (22 GIAD) crashed to his death near the village of Kliny. Parts of Stepanov´s Cobra were later recovered - you can see some fragments from his aircraft as well his grave on:

http://www.plarchiv.eu/nalezy/nalez14.htm

If the question was meant to be about the last WW2 claim in Europe, let me add that some USAAF (and probably also VVS) claims were made even later...

Hope this helps a little,

Ota

[marsyao]

Gentlemen, it looks like we are talking about the last kill of WW2 in Europe, remember WW2 did not end until Japanese surrendered in September 1945, between May and September, many more aircrafts were shot down.

[Nefiakoff]

Certainly, but I'm sure we want to find the last of Jagdwaffe, in Europe.
Hartmann claimed his Yak-9 also in the morning. Kacha gives time degree: 8.30-9.20.

Regards

Nef

[Leo Etgen]

Hello all

Nice thread with much interesting information. I thought that perhaps some of you would find the following artwork by Jerry Boucher illustrative It depicts the victory by Oberleutnant Fritz Stehle mentioned by Ota. www.hsgalleries.com/gallery04/me262jb_1.htm

Horrido!

Leo

[Horst Kube]

Originally Posted by Leo Etgen

Hello all

Nice thread with much interesting information. I thought that perhaps some of you would find the following artwork by Jerry Boucher illustrative It depicts the victory by Oberleutnant Fritz Stehle mentioned by Ota. www.hsgalleries.com/gallery04/me262jb_1.htm

Horrido!

Leo

Before Walter Schuck took off on 8th of May 1945 in a Me 108 at about 6.00 pm in Saaz (Zatec) heading for Fassberg, he saw the last of the few Me 262 from JG 7 go out at around 5.00 pm - among them Fritz Stehle. He met him again in the camp of Fassberg and also later in the fiftees, but Stehle did not claim a shoot down or mention any contact with opponents for that day to Walter.

Cheers, Horst