Searching crashplace of P-38J 42-68097, 4 March 1944

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello, I am studying the fate of 2nd Lt Edward Gustave Pfeiffer of 55th FS, 20th FG who was captured on 4 March 1944. The text below has been built starting from the MACR 2783.

"2nd Lt Edward Gustave Pfeiffer of 55th FS, 20th FG was flying this day the P-38J-10-LO 42-68097. The squadron was southwest of Berlin at 28,000 feet when he called his flight leader, Capt Serros, asking him to wait for him and then reporting he had to feather up his left engine. The squadron leader, Capt Maurice R McLary, and his wingman went back for him and weaved over him as escort. About 15 minutes later he called McLary, saying "Mac, I'm going to have to bale out. My right engine is quitting." McLary replied "OK... So long, and good luck", and dropped down and circled over him to see if his chute opened. He was at 18,000 ft and preparing to go down through the overcast with both engines feathered. He then called again, saying he was going to ride it down to 10,000 ft before baling out. The last he said was, "See you in Hollywood, Mac." It was then 1130 hrs and they were near Sonneberg, Germany, according to the original MACR 2783.

Pfeiffer survived and spent the end of the war in captivity. After his release he filled in a casualty questionnaire that was added to MACR 2783, in which he stated he bailed out near Werl, close to the Ruhr, far more west than what was said by the original MACR. No German crash report is attached to the MACR."

Both possible crashplaces listed in the MACR are far away from each other. Sonneberg is IMHO too far south (the biggest Sonneberg in Germany is in Thuringen, and three other are in Sax), and I guess Pfeiffer was brought to Werl after capture and remembered it, so my opinion is that Werl is more plausible than Sonneberg, but I would like to have a confirmation of the crashplace of this P-38.

Thanks in advance