JG 77 over Ploesti

[sveahk]

Good evening,

In a Fp.-letter (L 31587) to his brother, written 11.7.44, Uffz. (J?)oni Wolf from 7./JG 77, describes how he shot down an American fighter over Ploesti on the 9.7.44.

Now, in Werner Girbig's book "Die Luftoffensive gegen die deutsche Treibstoffindustrie und der Abwehreinsatz 1944-1945" he states two things:

1. Sunday, 9.7 1944, only I./JG 53, 10./JG 301 and II./JG51 flew over Ploesti. Not JG 77?

2. Monday, 31.7 1944, a Uffz. Woll from III./JG 77 is shot down. The same?

Perhaps somebody knows more about this?

Greetings
Hans

[RT]

On 09.07.44 III.JG77 didn't reported losses, so It could hv not be engaged, but on 4th yes, Woll martin was reported killed on 31.07.44, from 8.JG77
I hv to add that losses were reported on 09.07.44 concerning this sector
these concern I.JG53 6+10.JG301 II.JG51 I.JG53
An anton=toni Wolf was injured on 31.07.44 with 7.JG77, he died on 24.01.45 with 10.JG77

Remi

[sveahk]

Thank you Remi for your quick response!
Toni Wolf from 7./JG 77 is obviously the one I'm looking for. I just wonder where he shot down this American fighter, in his letter he says 9th (and I assume it's July) and Ploesti...

Greetings
Hans

[Chris Goss]

NO claims for JG 77 on this day

[RT]

Nd for whole 1944, no losses on a 9. day for the III.JG77, overclaim to his relatives could hv been costed him martial-court at least

[sveahk]

Just so I'm not unfair, here's the part where I read "9." and "Ploesti" and "konnte ich einen amerikanischen Jagdflieger abschiessen". If somebody reads anything else, I stand rectified!
Hans

[Tom Semenza]

This might be translated as "I might (or could) have shot down an American fighter plane" rather than that he did in fact shoot one down.

Tom

[sveahk]

I let a linguistic expert (from the church archives in St Gallen) read through this text today and he confirmed my suggestion: Toni Wolf writes that he shot down an American fighter over Ploesti on the 9th.

So, did he lie or did he fly...?

Hans

[yogybär]

What is written in teh letter defeinitely means that he shot down something. Doesn't have to be a lie anyway, maybe he really thought that he shot down the E/A. Or maybe, he even did shoot it down, but it wasn't confirmed? That should be possible to check today with the USAAF's loss lists.

Los of possibilites though...