P-38 Loss North Africa 31 Jan 43

[Chris Goss]

Oblt Julius Meimberg shot down a P-38 on the above date. The following day, he himself was shot down and burned. Whilst in hospital, the P-38 pilot (who had been captured) tried to visit him but Meimberg was so ill, he refused. I made a note of it somewhere but can I find it now so can anyone remind me who might have been the American pilot?

[RSwank]

The 82nd FG lost 5 planes on the 31st. There seems to be POW records for two of the 82nd pilots. So they would be possibilities.

http://raf-112-squadron.org/82ndfghonor_roll.html

Leonard E Pratt, 82nd FG, lost 31 Jan 43, POW in Stalag Luft III.
Harold R Decker 82nd FG, POW Stalag Luft III.

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo Chris,
.
P-38 activities in Tunisia have been a long-standing interest of mine, but as you know this is still a difficult area to research.
.
The 82nd FG flew two missions that day (31st January 1943). One by the 95th FS escorting B-26s on an overwater anti-shipping mission, no losses. The second by the 97th FS escorting more B-26s to attack Gabes aerodrome. Their three losses included two POWs; 2/Lts. Harold R. Decker and Leonard E. Pratt. The latter suffered a number of minor injuries and became a POW after being handed over to the Germans by local inhabitants.
.
The 1st FG certainly flew this day and may have suffered one P-38 lost but as far as I can tell they had no pilot losses.
The 14th FG had been rested by this date.
The 3rd Photographic Group has always been the most difficult P-38 unit to obtain any information on, and I have nothing useful.
.
Meimberg himself in Vol. 2 of Prien's 'JG 53' states he was directed to a lone P-38 at 7,000 m. over Tunis. He shot it down noting the pilot baled out, winding up in hospital as a POW. The time given (German) was 13.14 hours from Tony Wood's Luftwaffe claims research. Using the same resources (times and locations) it appears the four P-38 claims by JG 77 were against the 97th FS while the B-17 and single P-38 claims by I./JG 53 were against a B-17 raid to Bizerte, the latter probably escorted by the 1st FG. Because Bizerte, Tunis and Gabes are far apart and the actions mentioned all occurred around the same time (c.1200-1315) there was unlikely to have been an overlap in Luftwaffe claims.
.
I disagree with RSwank insofar as the 82nd FG lost five aircraft on January 30th (destroyed or written-off), but 'only' three on the 31st. I don't think the above has helped much, except maybe to point in the direction of the 3rd PG. I will do a little more checking though.
.
Regards,
.
Martin.

[kaki3152]

According to the 82nd FG unit hisory "Adorimini" by Steve Blake, one of these POWs (Leonard E. Pratt) was strafed by two Bf109s.

According to the 82nd FG history only three P-38s were lost on January 31,1943:

2nd Lt Harold R. Decker 97th FS POW
2nd Lt. William A. Knell 97th FS MIA/KIA
2nd Lt. Leonard E. Pratt 97th FS POW

Leonard Pratt escaped from a POW camp two years later and returned to Allied control.

[kaki3152]

I think I can provide some further information:

Using the NARA POW database search field for January 31,1943, I obtained a 3rd PG POW loss on January 31,1943

2nd Lt. Robert H. Young, s/n O-660608, 3rd Photo Recon Group taken POW January 31,1943.

[Chris Goss]

Thanks all-the PRG ac seems a distinct possibility noting Meimberg's lone P-38 and at altitude. Any ideas of serial?

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Chris,

Here is some information to complement what Martin wrote above.

The 95th FS/82nd FG flew an anti-shipping mission over the Gulf of Tunis from 10:50 to 15:00, over target at 13:00, suffering no losses.

The 97th FS/82nd FG escorted bombers to Gabes in central Tunisia from 11:00 to 15:50, over target 12:35. Lt. Pratt and Lt. Knell were both missing (strangely, unit records make no mention of the loss of Lt. Decker, and clearly state that only Pratt and Knell were lost on this mission). The 27th FS/1st FG escorted bombers to Gabes 08:45 to 13:45, over target 12:30. No losses. III./J.G. 77 claimed a pair of P-38s shot down in this region.

The 94th FS/1st FG escorted B-17s to Bizerta in northern Tunisia from 10:10 to 13:15, over target 11:50 to 12:20. No losses. The 71st FS/1st FG escorted B-17s to Bizerta 10:40 to 15:30, over target 11:50 to 12:10. Also no losses. I./J.G. 53 reported the destruction of a P-38 at 12:15, but there was no actual American loss.

As Martin noted, the 14th FG flew its last mission on 28 January 1943, so was not involved.

So the 3rd PRG is the only real candidate for Meimberg's victim.

All the best,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.facebook.com/airwarpublications