Searching for Claim Report

[Peter Kassak]

Rolfeb,

this is what I found while preparing my book:
" Encounters between 9th AF Mustangs and Me262s were also becoming more and more frequent. In the morning Capt. James P. Keane led a formation of 16 P-51s to the Dieburg area. For the 353 FS this was the first operation during March. The fighter sweep resulted in four damaged and one destroyed locomotive and 66 damaged railway cars of various kinds. During the mission, at 09.15 Lt Cary announced over the radio a train south of Dillingen. 1/Lt Theodore W. Sedvert from the 353 FS 354 FG dived in his P-51 to attack the locomotive. But as soon as he emerged from clouds, much to his surprise he saw an Me262 flying ahead and below. From his superior height he held behind the enemy and with one three-second burst hit the Messerschmitt’s fuselage, starboard engine, and cockpit area. The pilot of the Messerschmitt dropped his canopy, but due to the low altitude the German pilot was not able to bale out. He decided to force-land, but upon touch-down the damaged machine exploded, killing the pilot. On 2 March 1945 the Luftwaffe lost in that area Me262A-1a W.Nr.110655 from I/EKG(J) 1, and its pilot Ofhr. Horst Metzbrand was killed. It seems certain that it was Ofhr. Metzbrand who fell prey to Lt Sedvert. The leader of the sweep, Capt. James P. Keane, claimed destruction of a German Fw44 at 10.00 in the area of Illesheim aerodrome. German records mentioned the loss of the Fw44 W.Nr.2953 from I/EKG (J), but the name and fate of the pilot is not known."


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regards