Bf109 shoot down that causes B-24 loss

[Tony Kambic]

I’m reading a book by a 44th BG veteran whose B-24 was damaged and he ended up a POW in Switzerland. He was flight engineer on a B-24 and it landed in Switzerland on March 18, 1944. His first mission was Jan 11, 1944. In the book he then jumps through other missions to the first large scale mission to Berlin, March 6, 1944. After that, he tells this story:

He claims that he and the tail gunner saw the 109 approaching, both started firing at it, then watched it explode. As it came apart, one of the 109 wings fluttered down, cut through a B-24, which then lost a wing, and plunged to the earth. He said he knew the other B-24 as his friends were on that aircraft. He said he and the tail gunner did not report the downing of the 109 when being debriefed since they were both sick that it knocked down their friends in the action. After he was released at the end of the war, he then learned that entire crew was KIA.

Reviewing the 44th BG missions, the only date between the March 6 and March 18 where an entire crew was lost was March 8 mission to Rouen. My question is there a Bf109 loss reported on that date attacking B-24s.

Tony

[KM1957]

Can't add anything on the mission in question or the dates mentioned, but Rouen seems a long way from Switzerland for the B-24 to have sought refuge there.

Kent

[Tony Kambic]

This Bf109 shoot down is not related to his going down in Switzerland. His B-24 landed in Switzerland on March 18, 1944. The possible shooting down of the Bf109 that then caused a B-24 to plunge was on March 8.

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

Check out the following:

https://www.greenharbor.com/44BGLundyROH.pdf

Col.

[KM1957]

Sorry for my mistake on the dates mentioned, will blame it on old age.

Kent

[kaki3152]

The 44th BG lost 8 B-24s on March18,1944, but six (6) of them were interned in Switzerland. Altogether, 16 B-17s/B-24s were down in Switzerland on this day, a record for the entire war.
BTW. what was the name of the 44th crew member?
Regarding the downing of the Bf-109 and the B-24, there was a case of a parachuting crew member who landed on the wing of a another bomber over Ploesti and caused the bomber to crash.

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

"BTW. what was the name of the 44th crew member?"

ASN15105134 T/Sgt Daniel L CULLER (Engineer). Syracuse, Indiana.

See: Link, Post#4 (pp.231-258 of 468 PDF) for full details of March, 1944.

Col.

[Tony Kambic]

Daniel Culler.

I suspect that he wrote this story after his March 6 Berlin mission, but reviewing the link that Col Bruggy (Thank You) sent, the closest event to how Sgt. Culler described would be the Feb 5 mission. Which doesn't necessarily compile as it is a 68th BS aircraft and Culler was in the 66th and the aircraft was stated to be an Fw190, and one crew did survive.

FEB 5: The 68th plane, STAR VALLEY, #42-100181 Z, was shot down by enemy aircraft, which made very concerted attacks against the Group’s formation. It crashed at St. Leonard en Beauce, near Blois on the crew’s eighth mission.

Culler's book is 'Prisoner of the Swiss' (2017) written with Rob Morris. Culler was abused and tortured and relayed quite a tragic story.

So now need to perform more research on Luftwaffe records.

Again, thanks Col Bruggy, for that detailed document.

Tony