Hans Plazer shot down Warburton?

[Brian]

Hi guys

I have noticed on a website that an Austrian Me262 pilot named Hans Plazer shot down Wg Cdr Adrian Warburton. Any truth in this?

Cheers
Brian

[blythsco]

Hello Brian

There is a five part (10 minutes each) series on Warburton on You Tube. Here is a link to part 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbna5nM6NHI

The conclusion is that he was downed by flak although I see no reason why it could not have been a combination of ME-262 and flak. He was accustomed to fly much lower than the photo recce pilots in Northern Europe and that may have contributed to his loss. His mental state was not the greatest according to some guys checking him out for the mission that day. My father was a pilot with the 7th PRG at the time and enjoyed talking with Warby during his less than 2 weeks with the group. They tried to teach him American baseball and he was incapable of catching the ball and took it on the forehead a number of times to the amusement of everyone present (Warby included).

All the best

Scott Blyth

[Chris Goss]

Suggest one looks at my postscript to 'Warburton's War'-credit was given to Heimatbatterie 211/VII; never any mention of a 262

[blythsco]

That is an excellent suggestion Chris. I have been meaning to order the Warby book and didn't realise that you were involved in the update.

I find no claims by an ME 262 pilot that day in the various Luftwaffe claims lists. There is however a claim by a JG 53 pilot that day of a P-38. The pilot was Heinz Laemmel. The area is listed as "RR-5 tiefflug" time 14.10 filmc. 2027/I anerk: nr 152 (I assume gun camera footage). I understand that tiefflug means low altitude but don't know what the RR-5 stands for. Maybe the flak battery did the initial damage and then Laemmel finished the job. The Wickipedia article on Warburton mentions bullet holes in the prop found during the excavation. I don't know who provided that bit of information or how accurate it is.

Cheers
Scott