US 9th Fighter Escort to RAF Bomber Command

[Horst Weber]

Hello !

On 16 December 1944, 367th FG took off at 13:41 hrs with 36 P-38 to a bomber escort mission. The rendevouzed the LANCASTRS at 14:34 hrs enroute to the target Siegen, Germany. The pilots of 367th FG could observe the bombing, which seemed for thier point of view to be excellent. On the withdrawal, at about 15:10 hrs, 394th FS was jumped by 16 Me 109 and 10 FW 190 attacked the LIGHTNING of 393rd FS.

Some dog-fights occured and one Me 109 and a FW 190 were claimed destroyed as well as one FW 190 was claimed as damaged. 367th FG doesn't report neither an aircraft loss nor a damaged one. The LANCASTER loss must have occured by a pass of 6 to 8 FW 190 through the bomber formation, which was observed by pilots of 367th FG.

It is obviously, that II./ JG 2 (6th Staffel, Me 109) was at least involved in this incident, since this unit lost Uffz. Werner Trieb at a landing attempt after a Feindflug that day on Kirchgöns landing strip.

Best regards,

Horst weber