Lt. Franz Koplik 9.JG1 May 25, 1944

[Russell M. Brengelman]

Hello to All,
I would appreciate any information which you may be able to share with me about Lt. Franz Koplik 9.JG1 . Photos would be appreciated.
I am specifically interested in a combat reports following his missions on May 25, 1944. This is the day following Koplik's participation in downing of the 95 Bomb Group B-17 "Tornado".
On May 25th, Lt. Koplik downed a 4th-FG P-51 NNW of Stuggart. The aircraft was flown by Lt. Thomas McDill. Thank you in advance, Russ

[Johannes]

Born on 26th April 1924. On 29th November 1943 he force-landed his Bf109 at Bergen-op-Zoom, Netherlands after running-out of fuel, but was unharmed. On 7th June 1944 he was shot down just after take-off from Beauvais, France by US Thunderbolt's, bailing-out unharmed from his Bf109. On 2nd August 1944 he was shot down and killed in combat with Allied fighter, his Bf109 coming down at Compiegne, France.

I can find only four 'kills' for him, all gained with 9./JG 1 as a Leutnant:-

9th April 1944 B-17 Schleswig area 1535 hrs 3000 metres
13th May 1944 P-47 South of Fehmarn 1330 hrs 7500 metres v.n.e-a.s.m.
24th May 1944 B-17 North of Berlin 1138 hrs 3000 metres
25th May 1944 P-51 Stuttgart area 0940 hrs 6500 metres

Regards

Johannes

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

Here are the loss list entries for the incidents that Johannes mentioned.

29 November 1943: emergency landing in Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 19 913) of 9./JG 1 at Bergen-op-Zoom due to fuel shortage, 60%
7 June 1944: shot down in aerial combat with P-47 fighters while on take-off from Beauvais, baled out, 100%
2 August 1944: killed in aerial combat with fighters in Bf 109 G-6 "Yellow 12" (W.Nr. 413 583) of 9./JG 1, crashed near Compiegne, 100%

Horrido!

Leo

[Russell M. Brengelman]

Leo and All,
Thank you for these details regarding Lt. Koplik's combat experiences.
The P-51 he downed on 25 May was the P-51B VF-Q ( 4th FG 336 FS). The pilot, Lt. McDill, bailed out and became a POW in Stalag III.
Just prior to the engagement with Lt. Koplik, an eye-witness reported seeing McDill down a Bf 109 south of Hessigheim, Germany after a pursuit down the Nectar River at an altitude of 30 m. The Bf 109 pilot was reported to have been killed and to have been a Corporal Holoma. Full name unknown. Because the eye-witness report came at least 40 years after WWII, the spelling of the 109 pilot's name is very likely to be incorrect. If you have unit and other information on the loss of this Bf 109 and the pilot, I would appreciate it if you would share that information with me. Thanks again, Russ

[Leo Etgen]

Hello Russ

25 May 1944: Obergefreiter Kurt Homola of 9./JG 1 shot down and killed by P-51 fighter in Bf 109 G-6/AS "Yellow 9" (W.Nr. 440 489) while landing at Besigheim, 100%

I hope that this may help you.

Horrido!

Leo

[Russell M. Brengelman]

Hello Leo,
If possible I would appreciate your help in clearing up conflicting information I have received. If Obergefreiter Kurt Homola was indeed shot down while attempting a landing at Besigheim, I would be interested in knowing if you might have information regarding another Bf 109 being shot down near Hessigheim on 25 May?
An eye-witness from Ingersheim reported in a letter dated 1990..."The Bf 109 you [McDill] chased crashed shortly after Hessigheim to the right of the Neckar River." This eye-witness was an age-17 resident of Ingersheim at the time of the engagement, but he was evidently incorrect when he stated in his letter that this Bf 109 that crashed near Hessigheim was flown by Homola.
Do you have any information indicating a Bf 109 crashing just south of Hessigheim on 25 May 1944? The help you have already provided has been greatly appreciated. Russ

[Leo Etgen]

Hello Russ

I was unable to find another loss suffered by III./JG 1 in the vicinity where Homola went down. I am near certain that this is indeed the pilot and aircraft that McDill claimed as the two locations mentioned in the letter and loss list are very close to each other. Both towns are located in the Ludwigsburg district of Baden-Württemberg and are only some two miles from each other.

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=f...wl&q=Besigheim

You will see Hessigheim to the southeast of Besigheim on the map.

I hope this helps.

Horrido!

Leo

[Russell M. Brengelman]

Leo,
Thank you for your information. It has been helpful. Your time and efforts are very much appreciated. The events which took place at ground level on 25 May are difficult to reconstruct because there were two P-51s from the 4th FG on the deck at the same time. Both were down by Bf-109s later after they had rejoined combat surrounding Allied Bombers. The second P-51 was flown by Captain Joe H. Bennett. Bennett was later downed by Bf 109 pilot Hubert Heckmann when Heckmann rammed Bennett with his propeller. Both pilots survived and met several times after the war. Russ
at about 23,000 ft.

[Leo Etgen]

Hi Russ

I am glad that I could have been of some help. III./JG 1 made the following two claims that day:

Leutnant Franz Koplik of 9./JG 1 a P-51 fighter at 9:40 north-northwest of Stuttgart at 6,500 meters
Oberfähnrich Hubert Heckmann of 9./JG 1 a P-51 fighter at 10:05 over Heilbronn at 200 meters

The unit suffered the following two losses that day in addition to a fighter lost during a low-level attack at an unknown location:

Obergefreiter Kurt Homola of 9./JG 1 shot down and killed by P-51 fighter in Bf 109 G-6/AS "Yellow 9" (W.Nr. 440 489) while landing at Besigheim, 100%
Oberfähnrich Hubert Heckmann of 9./JG 1 rammed P-51 fighter in aerial combat in Bf 109 G-6/AS "Yellow 15" (W.Nr. 163 796), belly-landed near Botenheim

I hope this helps you sort out the details of the aerial combat that day.

Horrido!

Leo