Luftwaffe losses Italy 27 Jan 1944

[Siko54]

Hi folks,

Am just trying to fathom out who shot up Hauptmann Erich Bunge of 5./SG4 who flew out of Viterbo 0815-0905 and recorded in his Flugbuch being badly shot up by a Spitfire.

According to the Mediterranean Air War Vol 4 Rodney Scrase recorded a kill at 0855 of an FW190 also listed in the ORB and Tom Docherty's "Swift into Battle" Vol 2. In Angus Mansfield's book on Rodney Scrase (Spitfire Saga) he includes more detail from the combat report that at 0830 Rodney observed 6 FW190s on the deck, dived on one and fired 3 bursts, before observing the FW190 flying into a gully and breaking up on crashing. According to the Mediterranean Air War no FW190s were lost that day (5 BF109s lost) and the only other British claims for FW190s damaged were in the afternoon.

So, would appear pretty conclusive the Spitfire that shot up Bunge was Scrase? The only area for confusion appears to be the presence of the P40s of the 99th and 58th FS, who were also noted by Scrase in his combat report (although they were well inland). They appear to have submitted claims for 8 FW190 definites, 3 probables and 4 damaged!

Does anyone know of any other FW190 losses on the 27th or was Bunge's severe damage pretty much it? The other option is that the writing in his Flugbuch has been misinterpreted - it is about the worst Suetterlin I have ever seen and I am pathetically grateful to the kind soul who translated a few flights as a favour (thank you), but there is always the possibility it is not 100% correct. I'll add a photo of the Flugbuch comments if anyone is able to help or can pin down if Scrase was the one who shot Bunge up. Thank you all

[Siko54]

[Nick Beale]

The best I can offer is some context:

(ULTRA VL 5001)

Flifü’s appreciation of his own ops on 27th:

Four powerful operations by ground attack aircraft, fighter bombers and mortar aircraft against Anzio landing, concentrating all forces and utilising all tactical facilities. Eighteen tonnes bombs dropped and 18 mortar bombs fired. In some cases results not observed in detail owing considerable smoke and strong defence by fighters and AA.

Assumption that Allied air losses considerably in excess of crews’ claims confirmed by radio monitoring. Allies used 400 fighters but attacks on German bomb-carrying aircraft beaten off by the escort in bitter combats. Five German fighters lost.

Eight sorties on completion of beach head mosaic. Two offshore Anzio–Civitavecchia to depth of 80km from 09.30–10.15 and two P/R in front of left wing of 44. Infantry Division.

Some details of attacks on Anzio harbour: 12 x Fw 190 attacked at 07.40; 16 x Bf 109 with bombs and mortars attacked at 10.15; 12 Fw 190 attacked at 13.30hrs.

[Siko54]

Thanks Nick, that’s massively useful as ever. So the 5 losses quoted would back up the figures of 5 BF109s lost on the 27th in the Mediterranean Air War then. I guess the numbers of Luftwaffe aircraft damaged would be fairly substantial too. Much appreciated for your help

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Lufwaffe losses summary database has for this day for units fighting in Italy the following losses:
I./J.G.4: 1 aircraft destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, observed by enemy (Report date: 31/01/1944)
III./J.G.53: 1 aircraft damaged by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, not observed by enemy (Report date: 06/02/1944)
II./J.G.77: 1 aircraft destroyed by anti-aircraft artillery during operational flight and 3 aircraft destroyed by gunfire from enemy aircraft during operational flight, observed by enemy (Report date: 01/02/1944)

So only one German fighter was reported damaged. But damaged below 10% will not appear in this source. II./SG 4 is covered by the above database (12 aircraft destroyed and 4 damaged) but shows no loss on 27th, so Bunge's aircraft was either not badly damaged, or is missing from reports.

[Siko54]

Many thanks Laurent!

Fascinating - I'm wondering whether (given how bad Bunge's handwriting was) the "Badly shot up by Spitfire" should actually be "Shot up by a Spitfire"? Doesn't answer the question of who Rodney Scrase shotdown though and especially given the very clear depiction in his combat report of an FW190 crashing - furthermore his 'kill' was verified. Also there were 10 Spitfires that engaged, with lots of witnesses, so it is not like it was him on his own.

I still think the most likely person Scrase shot at was Bunge, like a lot of things I guess we'll never know for sure. Many thanks for the help

[Laurent Rizzotti]

I would not take the types seen by the various pilots as 100% true.

In the confused actions over Anzio on this day, Spitfires and P-40s were trying to intercept Fw 190s escorted by Bf 109s. A natural tendency for fighters pilots was to "upgrade" their opponent's aircraft to a more "prestigious" ones. So Bunge said he was shot up by a Spitfire but it might be a P-40, and Scrase had possibly fired at a Bf 109.

It could even be worse. In Mediterranean Air War Vol 4, you can read that Allied fighers claimed 15 Fw 190s and 10 Bf 109s during the day over Anzio area. As often in this book, the narrative is not up to date with the tables at the end of the day, as it is written that the 25 'confirmed' Allied victories "do not appear to have actually resulted in a single truly confirmable aircraft shot down", while the German loss lists show 5 Bf 109s lost, 3 by Spitfires (and one unidentified, that my source above shows as a Bf 109 of I./JG 4 shot down by enemy aircraft. Confirmed with no more details in JG 4 book by Eric Mombeek).
MAW 4 only lists two German victories in the area: a Spitfire by Lt Joachim Ahlert of 4./JG 77 and a Dragonfly (observation plane... Auster or L-4) by Hpm Manfred Spenner of 3./JG 4. In the loss list compiled years ago by Tony Wood, there are two other Spitfire claims by Uffz. Wich-Fähndrich of 6./JG 77 and Uffz. Leo Sliwa of 5./JG 77, with no time, the source being JG 77 book for Prien.
MAW 4 lists four Allied figthers shot down in air battle (2 Spit and 2 P-40s, with a 3rd damaged by e/e and crash-landed at base. The loss list says that one of the P-40 was shot down by a Spitfire ! Nothing about it in the narrative) and 3 possible (one Spitfire of 93 Sqn that crash-landed due to engine failure after an air battle and 2 Spit of 225 Sqn lost to no given reason).

My guess is that in the confusion, it is possible that a part of the Allied overclaims were actually real... but Allied fighters.

In the end, I doubt that it will possible to link Bunje's report to any precise Allied claim. Especially as we don't know when the five actual German losses took place.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

To be fair, it was not only the Allied pilots who overclaimed. MAW4 reports the results claimed by a raid of a dozen Fw 190s on the harbour: "A large landing craft was reported to have exploded and sank and hits on eight cargo vessels were claimed to have been achieved."

Seen from the Allied side:
British Admiralty War Diary, 27 January 1944
"... L.S.T. 321 was slightly damaged in an air attack today."
"Enemy air effort, judged by the number of sorties, appears to be diminishing. During daylight today, 140 enemy aircraft were reported over the assault area, of which 25 were claimed destroyed, 3 probably destroyed and 5 damaged."

The Official Chronology of the U.S. Navy in World War II, 27 January 1944
German air opposition to landings at Anzio begins to increase; submarine chaser SC-534 is damaged by near- miss of bomb.
Comment: I don't know how this piece of data was added to the chronology, but the war diary of SC-534 is online and for that date they only recorded seven General Quarters alerts and nothing else (see https://www.fold3.com/image/271077886)

British Admiralty War Diary, 28 January 1944
"Yesterday unloading in Anzio area proceeded rapidly in fine weather. ... Despite rather heavy air attacks on shipping in landing area there were no losses to ships or landing craft so far as known. ..."

[Siko54]

Thanks again Laurent One to put down to "we'll just never know"! I like your theory about the blue on blue - maybe Scrase's 'kill was actually a P40 that crashed instead?

Looking at MAW4 there was at least one confirmed blue on blue of a Spit v P40 that afternoon anyway.