10./NJG11 Egon Komatowski

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hello,

I am looking for information about Bordfunker or Bordmechaniker Egon Komatowski who belonged to 10./NJG11 from at least January 1945 to the end of the war. He may have flown in the Me 262 two-seater.

So far, I could only find information about one radar operator who flew with the two-seater: Reinhard Lommatzsch who was killed while bailing out of a Me 262 B. Does anybody know the names of the other radar operators who flew the Me 262 B?

Regards
Roger Gaemperle

[RodM]

Hi Roger,

Fw. Hans Fryba flew operationally as Lt. Altner's BF in the Me262B, after the death of Lommatzsch on 27-28/3/45, and participated in the only known night claim for an Abschuss in the two-seater.

As you know, you have the document that indicates a 'Hfw. Lippert' (sic) and a 'Ofw. Gabriel' flew a sortie together while in 10./NJG11 (date and aircraft type not stated), but there is no real provenance to the authenticity of this document, and the observations recorded in the document do not appear to relate to any known RAF night raid during 1945.

Cheers

Rod

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hi Rod,

Thanks for the name of Hans Fryba.

Regarding 'Hfw. Lippert' (sic) and a 'Ofw. Gabriel': I don't doubt the authenticity of the document. There could be several reasons why the document seems not to correspond to any known RAF raid. Lippert may have overestimated the bomber force and instead of 50 there were only 20 of a diversion raid. Or Lippert wasn't sure about the area where they sighted the bombers (if the location wasn't measured from the ground at the moment when he sighted the bomber force).

I have attached a map with the flight locations according to the document. If one assumes straight lines between the single cities the distance ist about 600 km (in reality it was probably more). Flight duration was 1.5 hrs which gives an average of 400 km/h.

Perhaps it helps to compare with RAF raids in spring 1945. The bombers were sighted in the area Nienburg (which was not exactly on a straight line between Hannover and Lüneburg).

Regards
Roger Gaemperle

[RodM]

Hi Roger,

thanks for the reply.

The added problem with the observations recorded in the document is that specific times of sightings are given. Looking at every night raid throughout Mar-April 1945, there appear to have been no raids/spoofs/diversions involving RAF heavies that passed through the specific area, in the general direction stated, at the specific time.

Cheers

Rod

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hi Rod,

I guess that it won't be possible to find out how many aircraft and what type of aircraft they met on that mission unless some other documents appear which tell us more about the date and mission.

I thought it must have been after Mar 45 assuming that it could have been a Me 262 B but that was my guess, it could well be that it happened before that and that the aircraft was not a Me 262 but another nightfighter.

At least, there are other sources that proof that Lippert was a pilot of 10./NJG11.

There is still very little known about 10./NJG11 except for the well known accounts of Lamm, Altner, Becker. I am sure there were a lot more than just 3 pilots.

Regards
Roger

[RodM]

Hi Roger,

besides Welter, Becker, Altner, Lamm, Lippert, and BFs Lommatzsch, Fryba, and Gabriel, the following pilots also served with the Staffel as far as I'm aware:

Lt. Georg Czpionka, Uffz. Fritz Neppach, Ofw. Fritz Reichenbach, Ofw. Gustav Richartz, Ofw. Heinrich von Stade (KIA 2-3/4/45), Ofw. Gottfried Schneider (joined near end of war, after flying Ta154 operationally, 'don't know if his regular BF, Ernst Hammer, joined as well), Ofw. Paul Brandl (killed 4/2/45), Oblt. Walter Eppelsheim (killed 4/2/45), Ofw. Walter Bocksteigel (killed 17/2/45), Ofw. August Weibl (killed 3/3/45).

Cheers

Rod

[Marakai]

Hi,

I've stumbled upon this thread/post while google-researching information on Fw Gottfried Schneider.

I've begun a frustrating search into his wartime career, as I suspect he is my grandfather.

"Suspect" because I can't be sure apart from the combinations of clues. He passed away a few years ago - and according to family members closer to him, not only had he always refused to speak about his war record, he actively destroyed all his records, documents and other items. I only met him twice in my life on short trips to Germany (I live in Australia) and didn't find out until after his death that he was a "flyer", a Feldwebel and "flew at night" (so much for the information given to me by family - you can tell they're not exactly military or aviation buffs).

As there seems to be no other Gottfried Schneider in the Luftwaffe that I've been able to unearth, I have to conclude that this is indeed my late grandfather. You can imagine my disappointment that I never found this out until too late and could never ask him personally.

So, here I am trying to assemble bits and pieces piecemeal.

From what I can tell he was considered an ace with 20 claimed and 17 confirmed kills, starting as Uffz and then Fw in NJG3, most likely flying the Bf-110. It seems he did indeed fly the Ta-154 in action as one of the few.

Only this post mentions that he must have been promoted to Ofw and transferred to NJG11. And that his radio operator was one Ernst Hammer.

Can I ask where the information is from? What are the sources, so I can hopefully pursue another path? I hope I'm not hijacking a somewhat old thread that asked about a different person, but I'm grasping at straws!

Thank you and regards
Mike

[Maximowitz]

Take a look here Mike if you haven't seen it already:

http://aircrewremembrancesociety.com...anPilotsS.html

Have you looked in Dr Theo Boiten's "Nachtajagd War Diaries?" You might find information there.