Query: Ofw. Max Buchholz 1/JG3 2/9/40

[Peter Cornwell]

Bill,

Your earlier threads (2 & 7 April) seem to have got you no further forward in your search for whomever may have shot down Sgt DYMOND of No.111 Squadron & the approach you are adopting risks becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy. For example, there is no guarantee that he fell to German fighters, let alone Bf109Es, & IMO there is simply insufficient information available to arrive at any safe conclusion on the subject.

It would be quite wrong to assume that the other I./JG3 claims that day took place on the same mission; three were on an earlier bomber escort sortie during combat over south-east London (take-off 11.50 hours BST) when they reported an engagement with Spitfires, Hurricanes, and Moranes (sic). Lt Eberhard BOCK claimed one of the ficticious Moranes (confirmed) for his fifth victory, Oberfw Heinrich OSSWALD a Spitfire (unconfirmed), and Lt Gerhard SPRINGER another Spitfire (unconfirmed). One could, I suppose, propound that BOCK's 'Morane', not being a Spitfire, was in fact a Hurricane but that would be, at best, extremely speculative. And I'm afraid that there really is no short-cut to over 40 years study of the claims & losses of the period - I only wish there was.

PS: I notice that in my haste I mis-read the I./JG3 KTB and the claim by Oberfw Max BUCHHOLZ for a Hurricane was actually during a sortie timed between 16.55 - 18.10 hours (BST). My apologies, but this is still too late to have involved Sgt DYMOND.