Alarmstart 14.04.1945 ----> 2 losses

[Jagdkommando]

Hi members,

On Saturday 14.04.1945, there was an "Alarmstart" for 16./JG 5 at "Rygge" airfield in Norway.
The 2 pilots, Uffz.Heinz Schoppert and Uffz.Willi Voltmer (Voltmer had just come back from Honeymoon), took off on at roundabout 16.26 (norwegian time).
The 2 pilots failed to RTB and its said that they met between 10-20 P-51 Mustangs somewhere over Skagerak were they were shot down.

Does anybody have any clue wether there were pilots from the 19.Sqdn. or 65.Sqdn. that shot them down ??
And where over Skagerak did it take place ??

Jagdkommando

[Ota Jirovec]

Hello,

John Foreman in his Fighter Command War Diaries, Volume 5, p. 395 wrote about this date: "In the North, Mustang pilots escorted Coastal Command strike aircraft to Lister. Engaged by IV./JG 5, Squadron Leader Peter Hearne of 19 Squadron destroyed a Messerschmitt."
This was apparently a sole claim by RAF fighters over Norway that day. By the way, S/Ldr Hearne´s Combat Report gives location as "Lista A/F" and time 1520 hrs.

Hope this helps,

Ota

[Jagdkommando]

But there were 2 pilots shot down that day. Non of them came back.
There are also something with time of incident here that doesn't quite match the time of the "Alarmstart" and the time of Joseph Peter Hearn's kill. In April 1945 the time in Norway and U.K was exactly equal. Summertime etc.included. That's documented....
Maybe oen of the pilots from 16./JG 5 or IV./JG 5 if u like, was killed due to an accident.

Jagdkommando

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

Could S/Ldr Peter Hearne's victim have been Gefreiter Bahlmann of 13./JG 5 who is listed as having been killed in action against British aircraft and crashed off Lista peninsula? Both Unteroffizier Heinz Scoppert and Unteroffizier Willi Voltmer of 16./JG 5 are listed as having been killed in action against British aircraft at an unknown area. One other Bf 109 of JG 5 flown by an unknown pilot is listed as having been lost in an accident at Lade airfield.

Horrido!

Leo

[Jagdkommando]

Hi Leo,

Exactly. Bahlmann was the victim of Hearne by Lista, but Schoppert are listed as killed and Voltmer as missing. But over what area ?? Hmm..
Who shot down Schoppert and what happened with Voltmer ??

Jagdkommando

[Christopher May]

My father, Jack May, was Peter Hearne's wingman in the Lista action. He is still alive, and now resides in Prescott, Arizona. He would be willing to answer any questions about the incident.

I believe Mr. Hearne is also still living, and farms mushrooms in Sussex.

Dad did not claim a kill but did give chase to one Messerschmitt after S/L Hearne shot his target down. Perhaps he winged the other fellow and brought him down unknowingly.

I have a newspaper clipping giving an account of the dogfight, and can also check Dad's logbook, if anyone is still interested.

[ju55dk]

Hi Christopher.

Was your father also with Hearne on the 9 of april 1945 when Hearne claimed a Bf 109 near Aalborg?

Junker

[Christopher May]

Originally Posted by ju55dk

Hi Christopher.

Was your father also with Hearne on the 9 of april 1945 when Hearne claimed a Bf 109 near Aalborg?

Junker

I don't know. I will see him this weekend, and ask him, and also have a look in his logbook.

[Christopher May]

My mistake, that would be Suffolk, not Sussex. My dad visited Mr. Hearne there eight or ten years ago, and he was alive as of May 2010.

Here is the contact information for his farm:

Capel Organic Mushrooms

Churchford Grange

Capel St Mary

Ipswich

Suffolk

Telephone: (01473) 310380

E-mail: info@capelmushrooms.co.uk

[Christopher May]

Originally Posted by ju55dk

Hi Christopher.

Was your father also with Hearne on the 9 of april 1945 when Hearne claimed a Bf 109 near Aalborg?

Junker

I saw Dad today and also looked in in his logbook. On 9 April 1945 he was with another flight of Mustangs that failed to rendezvous with the Mosquitos they were to escort, and turned back to Peterhead. They only booked 1.5 hrs of flight time which would not be enough time to go to Norway and back.

On the other hand, he told me that after the Lista operation, they met four Bf109s over the North Sea on their return home. He and his C.O. split up, and each of them briefly attacked a pair of the Messerschmitts. However, the Germans fled for home and no additional kills were claimed. He thinks it is possible that one or more of the German aircraft were hit, and perhaps this explains the missing aircraft you mentioned. He was told later that those four Messerschmitts had been strafing the Newcastle area.

I am noticing that his memory is much more faulty in the past six months or so than it used to be, so I would not take these statements as gospel if they conflict with official records. I also note from his logbook that the dogfight over Lista/Lister, when Peter Hearne shot down a 109, was on April 11, rather than April 14. The next entry is for April 15th so perhaps my dad's book is in error, or perhaps Hearne did not file his claim until the 14th.