Luftwaffe shared victories (was: Hartmann ....352 victories or 80?)

[Klaus Schiffler]

The History Channel showed a documentary on "Heavy Metal" entitled "Mosquito Attack" on the development and operational history of the DeHavilland Mosquito. At the very beginning of the program, the narrator makes the preposterous claim that German fighter pilots received credit for two kills if they downed a Mosquito. Evidently, the writers of the program confused the point-system used by the Luftwaffe in the awarding of decorations and medals.

Later in the show the famous raid on the prison of Amiens on 18 Feb 1944 is shown. There was never any mention of the Typhoon fighter escort nor the interception by 7./JG 26 nor the loss of Group Captain Charles Pickard's Mosquito which was shot down by Fw. Wilhelm Mayer for his 13th kill. Mayer did not receive credit for a 14th kill. A Typhoon of 174 Sqd. was shot down by Lt. Waldemar Radener for his 12th kill. No losses were sustained by JG 26.

It is unfortunate that in the usual and typical fashion, the writers for the HC don't do the research into the German side of which there now is an abundant amount of material. In this case the writers could easily have looked at the excellent book "The JG 26 War Diary: Volume 2 1943-1945" by Donald Caldwell.