Spitfire Claim by Uffz. Mutan of II./ZG 76

[Peter Cook]

On page 281 of volume 3 of the Lufwaffe Crash Archive, author Nigel Parker reproduces a transcript of a combat report by Uffz. Mutan, a Bf 110 pilot of II./ZG 76, who claimed a Spitfire on 30 Augut 1940. I can't find a record of a claim by Mutan, or any biographical information. Can anyone identify this pilot?

[Chris Goss]

My list of ZG 76 pilots has nobody anywhere near matching this name. John Vasco might have an idea? VDK has nobody with such a name

[Peter Cook]

Thanks Chris, I will check with Simon Parry to see if I can get a copy of the original report that was used by Parker.

Peter

[Peter Kassak]

I also tried to solve this question but came to NO answer...

[Johannes]

Hi Peter

Almost all the typed-out pre daily mikrofilms are missing for the ZG units, however II./ZG76's has survived, lot's of claims this day, but nothing for a Uffz Mutan. In fact the rank is low for a pilot(perhaps a bordfunker). Either it was never confirmed, or the papers a fake or another name, but can't be an Uffz for this date.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[John Vasco]

Originally Posted by Johannes

Hi Peter

Almost all the typed-out pre daily mikrofilms are missing for the ZG units, however II./ZG76's has survived, lot's of claims this day, but nothing for a Uffz Mutan. In fact the rank is low for a pilot(perhaps a bordfunker). Either it was never confirmed, or the papers a fake or another name, but can't be an Uffz for this date.

Kind Regards

Johannes

No it isn't. There were plent of Uffz. pilots in the Battle of Britain, and some as lowly as Gefr.

[Johannes]

Hi

Ranks actually go down as low as flieger, but not usually among pilots with other crew members, and they nearly but not always outranked their crew members. Some officers were demoted to flieger as punishment.

Ranks got lower towards the end of the war also. With II./ZG 76 after France May 1940 claimants ranks got higher on average.

Kind Regards

Johannes

P.S

Guess you know that bordfunkers claims seemed to count towards the pilots score, but the mikrofilms give the credit to the gunner himself, but they do not indicate whether gunner or pilot, so you need to know your crews. Also gunners nearly always claimed fighters i.e Spitfires.

[John Vasco]

Originally Posted by Johannes

Hi

Ranks actually go down as low as flieger, but not usually among pilots with other crew members, and they nearly but not always outranked their crew members. Some officers were demoted to flieger as punishment.

Ranks got lower towards the end of the war also. With II./ZG 76 after France May 1940 claimants ranks got higher on average.

Kind Regards

Johannes

P.S

Guess you know that bordfunkers claims seemed to count towards the pilots score, but the mikrofilms give the credit to the gunner himself, but they do not indicate whether gunner or pilot, so you need to know your crews. Also gunners nearly always claimed fighters i.e Spitfires.

11th August 1940
1./ErpGr. 210 Messerschmitt Bf110C-6. Shot down by RAF fighters following attack on convoy east of Harwich and ditched in the sea with starboard engine alight 12.00 p.m. Pilot Gefreiter Christian Weiss killed, Bordfunker Obergefreiter Richard Keilhaupt missing.

[Peter Cook]

I have had an email exchange with Nigel Parker, the author of the Luftwaffe Crash Archive – which reproduced the combat report – who states the following:

"Looking at the title of the report it states that it was found on a Luftwaffe airman so I would conclude that it came from air intelligence (it doesn't state whether he was alive or dead, or in fact identifies him). As Mutan was only an Uffz I doubt that he was going around randomly signing combat reports so I would presume that it was his work. Perhaps the person who it was found on was his commanding officer / intelligence officer who had just put it in his pocket to deal with later. Purely conjecture ... If Uffz Mutan's signed the report I can only conclude that he must have existed. If he put in a claim it may be that the report never got into the correct hands to be corroborated before it fell into the hands of Air Intelligence. We can only speculate."

My thanks to Nigel and all the other respondents.

Peter

[Chris Goss]

...and as I said earlier, Mutan doesn't appear in the VDK or other records