Oblt Hartmann Grasser of II./JG 51, 24 January 1942

[Laurent Rizzotti]

This crew was lost during a reconnaissance on Dnepropetrovsk - Zaporozhye - Krivoy Rog area, while II./JG 51 was based in Briansk.

This crew might have been shot down by Lt Fritz Geisshardt or Hptm. Herbert Ihlefeld of Stab I./JG 77 who both also claimed a DB-3/SB-3 shot down this day. Geisshardt claimed one at 0945 hrs, and there are no other claims at this time, while Ihelfeld claimed an I-16 (and Geisshardt another) some minutes before his bomber at 1210 hrs. So I think the first claim is more plausible against a reconnaissance flight. I./JG 77 was based in Ukrain at the time.

But we have no proof that this crew fell to a German fighter, he is just noted missing on the www.allaces.ru website. By the way this website is useful but far from complete, even for 1942, the year for which there are most entries.

But thanks anyway for trying