Me 262 victory claim 08May45

[Nokose]

Does anyone know if one of the German Me 262 pilots claimed a P-39 Airacobra (Russian) on the 08May45? I've checked in Manfred Boehme's book "JG 7 The World's First Jet Fighter Unit 1944-1945". Which states that JG 7 shot down it's last two aircraft on that day. Oblt Friedrich "Fritz" Stehle claimed his 22nd a Yak-9 (from another thread) but a P-39 is what I'm looking for here.

[Nokose]

If some one has the books by J. Richard Smith and Eddie J. Creek on the Me 262 maybe you can check. I did find on www.luftwaffe.cz in the victories of 1945 it listed Stehle's victory as a Yak-9 at 16:00 and Boehme's book as the reference but then putting to the side it was actually a P-39. If this is the case then Stehle's last victim fits what I found. 08May45 Guards Ml.Lt. Sergey Grigor'evich Stepanov of the 129 GIAP was flying a P-39 Airacobra on being shot down. The OBD lists him as "Did not return from combat mission". One of his fellow pilots stated that he was shot down by a Me-262.

[Nokose]

I've received a inquire about the the details of Stehle's attack, does anyone know the details? Also there was mention of a second victory claim that day by JG 7 possible at the same time as Stehle's was this his also or someone else?

[Peter Kassak]

Here is the memorial plate erected at the crash site of the Airacobra
http://hloubkari.cz/forum/index.php?topic=780.0
JaPo and their Me 262 Kg and KGJ book mentiones this.
Try to ask Jan Zdiarsky , director of erzgebirge air battle musium for details

Peter

[Nick Hector]

I have always had this one recorded as follows on my own listing:

Either 129 GIAP, (22 GIAD) Lt. Sergei Gregoriyevich Stepanov in P-39 (more likely) or Alexej Ivanjuk of 152 GIAP in Yak-9 (less likely)

...Hope that helps.
Nick