ZG26 24.APRIL 44

[drgondog]

According to the MACR witness statements both Connaghan and Donnell were lost due to mid air collisions with the Me 110's they shot down.

Here is my list of ZG26 losses which closely match the 9 awards of Me 110's claimed (and awarded destroyed plus 5 damaged) by the 362FS:


Nagel, Georg Lt III./ZG 26, 7.Stff, Königsberg/Devau near Erding, Crashed, P-51, Bf 110G, 6130 013....
Klaus- Gottfried, Herrmann Uffz III./ZG 26, 7. Stff, Königsberg/DevauPoing, Crashed, P-51, Bf 110G, 2130 037.....
Gaudes Gerhard, Johannes Uffz, III./ZG 26, 8. Stff, Königsberg/DevauAngelbrechting near Neufahrn, Crashed, P-51, Bf 110 G, 2130 091......
Grachornigg OLt III./ZG 26, 8. Stff, Königsberg/DevauKronacker near Hohenlinden, Crashed, P-51, Bf 110G, 2420 034......
Lachinger Uffz III./ZG 26, Königsberg/DevauNear Munchen, Crashed, P-51, Bf 110G-2, wrkno unk....Unk
Kuser Uffz III./ZG 26, Königsberg/DevauNear Munchen, Crashed, P-51, Bf 110G-2, wrkno Unk....
Weber LtIII./ZG 26, Königsberg/DevauNear Munchen, Crashed, P-51, Bf 110G-2, wrkno Unk....
RiskeUffz III./ZG 26, Königsberg/DevauNear Munchen, Crashed, P-51, Bf 110G-2, wrkno Unk...
Müller OLt III./ZG 26 Königsberg/DevauErding, Crashed, P-51, Bf 110G-2, wrkno Unk

Donnell went down ~ 11mi east of Munich, Connaghan down south of Erding.. both in the 1400-1410 timeframe.

As Don mentioned the 110 engagement was all 362FS/357FG ranging from just south of Erding to an area to the southeast of Munich from 1400-1410.

For a 100+ mi radius around Munich:

A total of four Mustangs were actually confirmed (by MACR) shot down in air combat - (3 -355FG, 1-357FG), these four were by Me 109s. A Me 110 award for Donnell might be possible according to Tony Woods list. There are about 8 Mustangs (one to 7./ZG26) plus a P-47 (no Jugs travelled east of Stuttgart) awarded as destroyed in air combat in the Munich area (Woods) so it is difficult to match the LW pilots that should actually receive the awards.

Two Mustangs (357FG) were lost to mac w/110's of III./ZG26 according to witness statements but Donnell was not credited for a Me 110 - so ? It is possible that the Me 110 he collided with made it back to base... and made a legitimate claim of a Mustang 'destroyed'

Three Mustangs were lost strafing at Lenting (352FG), Speyer (357FG) and Bingen (355FG) - to AA fire.