P-38 Loss 11 Feb 44

[Chris Goss]

At 1300 hrs on this date, 9./Le Flakabt 976 shot down a P-38 which crashed at Saarburg, the pilot baling out and was captured. Can anyone please tell me the identify of this loss

[hanshauprich]

Hello Chris
planes crashed in wooden aera by Saarburg/Trier. Pilot became PoW by the local Game Warden Officer. Must be 20th, I remember only the name of the pilot sounds very german like! There is an complete Report with drawings, Eyewhitness reports etc. about the crash at the Bundesarchiv.
h.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Could be 42-67821 Chris

Stated as shot down by flak and crashing in the Kammerforest near Saarburg.
2/Lt Leonard S Smutko POW

A really bad day for 20 FG

B Rgds
Stig

[Alex Smart]

MACR 2288

Others were-
42-68036 - Montgomery - MACR 2158.
42-67718 - Cooper - MACR 2159.
42-67726 - Keathley - MACR 2289.
42-67848 - Orr - MACR 2290.
42-67728 - Minton - MACR 2291.
42-67981 - Hanzo - MACR 2292.
42-67850 - Sands - MACR 2293.

Nothing much for the 20th,
But names for the 24th
Gearhart - MACR 2703 - 42-12815.
Quiring - MACR 2665 - 42-67878.
Geiger - MACR 2666 - 42-67860.

[hanshauprich]

Ltn. Smutko was hit by 20mm Flak during an low lewel attack at the iron and steel company at Völklingen. The Flak gunners where mostly 15 to 16 year old Luftwaffenhelfer!!

[Heuser]

Smutkos a/c came down near Krutweiler, S Saarburg.

Most probably he fell to Hptm. Tratt of Stab II./ZG 26 and 1. and 9./lei. Flak Abt. 976 (o) around 12.50 German time.

Info from BA/MA RL 14/70 (Luftgau-Nachrichten-Regiment 12, 8.Flugmelde-Reserve-Komp.) and the Flak-Report from NARA.

Regards,

Heuser

[Chris Goss]

Thanks all. The reason why I asked is while sorting out Alfred Price's material, this abschussmeldung was found. 10 pages plus a map which gives all you want to know about this. No mention of a German aircraft involved and confirms crash was Salzbrunnen im Kammerforst. Pilot, stated as Unterleutnant Lothar Steffen Smutko, was taken to a hospital in Saarburg and after that to an airfield at Eueren

[hanshauprich]

Hello,
the crashplace is in the wooden aera of the Kammerforst near "Am Salzbrunnen" A couple of years ago I search the aera and found pieces from the P-38.
Smutko was at the local hospital in Saarburg and then transported via the Airfield Trier-Euren to Oberursel Interrogation Center. I still have a few small pieces from the "Lightning".
h.

[TigerTimon]

Originally Posted by hanshauprich

Ltn. Smutko was hit by 20mm Flak during an low lewel attack at the iron and steel company at Völklingen. The Flak gunners where mostly 15 to 16 year old Luftwaffenhelfer!!

American Air Museum in Britain ( https://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/146627 ) says the aircraft was flying bomber escort against Frankfurt am Main...

KR, Timon

[Heuser]

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

Thanks all. The reason why I asked is while sorting out Alfred Price's material, this abschussmeldung was found. 10 pages plus a map which gives all you want to know about this. No mention of a German aircraft involved and confirms crash was Salzbrunnen im Kammerforst. Pilot, stated as Unterleutnant Lothar Steffen Smutko, was taken to a hospital in Saarburg and after that to an airfield at Eueren

According to his MACR, "Yellow Flight" of 79.FS was bounced by "Me 210", broke up an was told to hit the deck. I assume that Smutko then came across lei. Flak Abt. 976...

There were two P-38 losses (Orr and Smutko) against 5 claims in this area:

Three by Tratt (two confimed), one by Oblt. Richard Philipp (3./NJG 102, confirmed) and the one by Flak Abt. 976.

Salzbrunnen im Kammerforst: correct, this was the crashplace of the P-38. Smutkos chute came down on a meadow near Krutweiler, right on the oppsite bank of the Saar river.

Regards,

Heuser