flak info

[captain_M]

Hi Guys
I’m searching any information about Flak activity round Hanau on the 6th January 1945. The MREU reports at the NAA refer to captured German report KE 10139. I’m keen to find out who was credited with hitting Halifax NR195.

As a senior member pointed out, the KE reports in the UK are still classified (much to my frustration). Does anyone know if the Freiburg Archives hold this kind of information? Any other ideas where to look would be appreciated?
Many thanks
Captain_M

[Horst Weber]

Originally Posted by captain_M

Hi Guys
I’m searching any information about Flak activity round Hanau on the 6th January 1945. The MREU reports at the NAA refer to captured German report KE 10139. I’m keen to find out who was credited with hitting Halifax NR195.

As a senior member pointed out, the KE reports in the UK are still classified (much to my frustration). Does anyone know if the Freiburg Archives hold this kind of information? Any other ideas where to look would be appreciated?
Many thanks
Captain_M

Good evening captain !

What is a MREU report ?

KE 10139 sounds like a Kampfflugzeug, Englisch report, filed under # 10139 by the responsible Luftgau-Kommando (LGK) and is hold in UK by some classification. I have no idea, if this collection of files has entered the Freiburg Archives, since information of this matter concerned individual personnel matters and an agreement between the U.S. and Germany was signed, that those original files stay in the U.S. The same could have been agreed with the U. K. . If you should know the crash-location of the a/c, the local adminstration probably could give you more info about. If you decide this step, please give me a PN.

All the best !

Horst Weber

[Icare9]

Hi and welcome - hope you don't get bitten as you did on the other forum.
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6646

From the information you have so far gained, it appears that Rowland (later Chief of Staff RAAF) piloting PB228, stated he had been hit by another aircraft (which also crashed at Grossauheim) As his aircraft broke apart, it is possible that it did fall in different areas, coming down from 17,000 feet at 200 mph..... The wreckage landed on the bank of the river. The crew don't bale out in a nice neat group, it's every man for the hatch and obviously the pilot tries to retain control for as long as possible.

What now makes you think it was lost to flak? I don't know what more information can be discovered, or about your grandfathers brother, Leslie Morgan, the navigator on NR195.

Like you, I'd love to access reports from flak batteries, in my case those aorund Leipzig on 4th Dec 1943....

We'd all like to help you and outdo the other forum, so what can we do that you haven't already got? The flak records were virtually all lost or destroyed in the chaos at the end of WW2. Those that were captured were taken to the US where they remain and very little has been released about them. Why? No idea, can't see it's protecting any big State secrets after all this time, but you know how Governments love their secrecy!!
It's frustrating because night fighter records are available online, so if an aircraft doesn't appear as a claim it's likely to be flak, weather or accident related (and generally in that order!!

[Larry deZeng]

We'd all like to help you and outdo the other forum, so what can we do that you haven't already got? The flak records were virtually all lost or destroyed in the chaos at the end of WW2. Those that were captured were taken to the US where they remain and very little has been released about them. Why? No idea, can't see it's protecting any big State secrets after all this time, but you know how Governments love their secrecy!!
It's frustrating because night fighter records are available online, so if an aircraft doesn't appear as a claim it's likely to be flak, weather or accident related (and generally in that order!!

Not so. It was the Luftgau reports of downed enemy aircraft that went to the respective governments after the war and were retained by them upon agreement. See Herr Weber's post above. The Flak records, what relatively few that did survive, can be found at BA-MA Freiburg. Where? Search "Flak Records" on this web site as I just answered this question a few days ago. The one-line summary entries for each Flak claim can be found on the same summary sheets where the Luftwaffe fighter claims are entered. Microfilms and microfiche of these can be bought from BA-MA and are the focus of frequent discussion here on this forum. Whether a Flak-Abschußmeldung exists for the bomber in question is a matter of pure luck. A lot of these reports survived but a lot did not.

L.

[captain_M]

Good morning Mr Weber, Mr deZeng and Icare9
Thank you for the replies to my post.
I found the MREU report (Number 3 Missing Research Enquiry Unit) in the Australian Archives, as the pilot and gunner of Halifax NR195 were Australian.

The report concluded Halifax NR195 was hit by flak. In the file I found this message:

“. extract from K E. 10139 captured german records states halifax sho tdown 6/1/45. at grossauheim distreict of hanau f/o nerney identified by identity disc buried in grossauhe im c emetery . kinno t”

I’m hoping someone on this forum knows who was credited with hitting this aircraft.
Thanks again everyone’s help, I think I’ll be paying a visit to the town of Freiburg next month.
Captain_m