More silly questions from Nick

[Jim P.]

The JG 26 War Diaries generally don't include any losses where the pilot was not injured in some way, and many of those where the pilot was OK I suspect were extracted from FB. On the other hand, the Gen.Qu. reports losses don't include the pilot name if unhurt, or the aircraft loss was assessed as <10% damaged. Is the date of this incident known? Or even within a range of say a 10-day period?

[Leo Etgen]

Hello Jim

This is the paragraph included in JG 26: Top Guns of the Luftwaffe by Don Caldwell which describes this incident:

"A typical interception in the fall of 1942 has been described by Johannes Naumann, at that time an Oberleutnant in II/JG 26. The Gruppe was ordered to attack the bombers on their return flight, as there was no chance of reaching them before the bomb run. The B-17s were flying in a staggered formation at about 26,000 feet. The Focke-Wulfs finally struggled up to 27,000 feet, only to see the American formation receding into the distance. The speed of the FW 190s at that altitude was little greater than that of the bombers, and a stern chase closed the range only very slowly. Frustrated, Naumann opened fire with his MG 151/20 cannon at the extreme range of 750 yards, to no effect. By this time, half of the original formation of twenty-four Focke-Wulfs had dropped out of the chase for one reason or another. Suddenly there was a loud noise from in front of Naumann's feet—his engine had exploded, bringing his combat sortie to a sudden end. No bombers were downed; none had even suffered visible damage."

Unfortunately, there is no particular date given nor information on the aftermath.

Horrido!

Leo