Sword Beach D-Day

[Don Caldwell]

Phil --

The best source for Priller's activity on D-Day is Cornelius Ryan's classic The Longest Day, which should be readily available. It was one of my major sources for JG 26: Top Guns of the Luftwaffe, which I tried to make clear in the text (the editor forbade footnotes.) Ryan interviewed Priller extensively, and Priller was in fact Ryan's most important source for Luftwaffe activity. Priller's own account in Geschichte eines Jagdgeschwaders is very brief, and does not mention strafing the beachhead. Did he stretch his story for Ryan, or did he condense it in his own book out of modesty? We'll never know. Many pilots were known as line-shooters, but Priller, while colorful, did not seem to exaggerate his own performance -- for example, his victory claims were always scrupulously documented. Most of the more colorful anecdotes in his book were inserted by Hans-Otto Boehm, his "co-author", who completed the book after Priller's untimely death. Given all of the above, I chose to believe the account in Ryan's book.

Franek, the only Priller logbook I've seen ends in July 1943. If you have knowledge of one covering D-Day, the fraternity of Luftwaffe historians would greatly appreciate learning more about it.

Phil, Ryan's claim for Priller's sortie was that he was the first over the beachhead, and his Rotte were the only fighters there in the morning. JG 2, SG 4 and SKG 10 made it later in the day. Priller's aircraft most definitely did not carry bombs, but those of SG 4 and SKG 10 would have. Priller's run was probably before 0900 hours. If that matches your relative's recollection, then he may have seen Priller. If your relative was on Sword at noon or later, he probably saw a Jabo from SG 4 or SKG 10.

Don

Gentlemen,

Since the discussion is the D-Day beachead, I found the following account among microfilm frames from the 325th PR Wing.

"After the landing, 802nd PG filmed ground and air activities over the beaches with special Mosquitoes rigged with several motion picture cameras: one directed rearwards, one downwards, one each were installed in the external wing tanks facing forward and another in the nose.

"Interrogation of 7th PRG and 802nd PG pilots on return provided the chief source of information regarding activities during the early invasion hours. F-5s of 7th PRG encountered the first enemy air opposition. Two Fw190s attacked an unarmed F-5, but the pilot managed to escape by diving at full-throttle towards the beach area after having his canopy blown off and radio shot out."

No mention is made of this event in the official 7th PRG Association history book by Pat Keene. The attacking Luftwaffe aircraft, were they Fw190s as detailed in official records or Me109s?

Norman Malayney

[stelmogcx]

Don,

Thanks for that reply - a very interesting and useful post. I'll be passing all of this on later in the week, and will post any extra interesting information if I get any!

Thanks to all who have helped, it's fascinating stuff.

Phil

[Franek Grabowski]

Don
Years ago(!), on the old forum someone posted this information with reference to the Priller's log book. I will see if I can find the post in my archives. I remember that it struck me both clear denial of Priller's flight and silence of the community. It is even more interesting in spite of Bodenplatte events.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Norman Malayney

The attacking Luftwaffe aircraft, were they Fw190s as detailed in official records or Me109s?

Norman Malayney

Bf 108s — I saw the "The Longest Day" at an impressionable age!

[leonventer]

Originally Posted by Franek Grabowski

Years ago(!), on the old forum someone posted this information with reference to the Priller's log book.

Here's the thread to which Franek is referring:

priller-190a-8.wn − rt, Jun 24 2004 18:21
is anybody still interest on priller's wn???

Yes! − CJE, Jun 24 2004 18:24
Though I already got an answer.

Re: Yes! − RT, Jun 24 2004 18:30
so here are more
from Jan to beg July at that time is in Germany
2383
2595
2616
7213
5860
7317
7229
2386
7287
7298
7317
0118

On 6.June he has flown 2 missions //Übungsflug// on 7217 and 7298 from Vendeville from 15.25 to 1610 and from 16.22 to 16.53

Year? Thanks. (nm) − CJE, Jun 24 2004 18:32

Re: Year? Thanks. − RT, Jun 24 2004 18:40
1.9.4.4

Thank you. (nm) − CJE, Jun 24 2004 19:32

Re: Thank you. − RT, Jun 24 2004 22:00
Seeing the "furious" above answer maybe my concise ones, hv hurt anybody so I could add that Priller with his;
2383 made his 82. victory -spit
2386 83. spit
2386 84. b17
2386 a notlandung
2386 x. spit
7298 86. b17
7298 87. spit
7298 88. p47
7317 89. ventura
7298 90. b17
7317 91. b17.....

A list via FB and other sources − Jim P., Jun 24 2004 20:10
( ...Jim provided a comprehensive listing of Priller's 190s, including variant, WNr, markings, plus comments... )

Re: Yes! − Franek Grabowski, Jun 28 2004 01:30
So, if I understand correctly, his famous D-Day sortie is a myth?
Franek

I remember that it struck me both clear denial of Priller's flight and silence of the community.

Not your finest hour, Franek. The community was silent because the thread had dropped off the first couple of pages (you were four days late in joining the party.) Also, it was obvious to most people that RT was wrong about the year being 1944 because:
a) Priller's 82nd to 91st victories occurred in Jan-Jun 1943, and
b) Jim P's posting showed that the listed Werknummern were 190A-4s, A-5s and A-6s, not A-8s.

We know you like stirring the pot, but Caldwell, Frappe and others have thoroughly documented Priller and Wodarczyk's 8AM sortie on D-Day. It undermines your credibility when you readily dismiss the established research in pursuit of mindless speculation.

It is even more interesting in spite of Bodenplatte events.

OK, I'll bite. What are you alluding to here?


BTW, here's another post on the subject from the old TOCH forum:

Priller − Klaus Schiffler, Jun 14 1999 23:48
There are several photos of Priller's Fw 190A-8 in existence which he flew in June 1944. It was marked Black 13 - + - but I have not seen any photos which show the tail with the werknr. The aircraft had the outer cannon deleted and it has the Erla-pylon for the jettisonable fuel tank. Heinz Wodarczyk officially belonged to the fourth Staffel and would have had a blue identification number. See Don Caldwell's books on JG 26.
The story of Priller and his wingman was made famous by the movie, "The Longest Day" and also appears in Cornelius Ryan's book of the same title. The two Fw 190's took off at 0800 and strafed the Sword and Juno beaches. French Commandos saw the pair coming and gunned down six German POW who were trying to escape in the confusion. At Juno the unit that was attacked was the Canadian 8th Infantry Brigade. One man fired his Sten gun at the Fw's and another man stated that they were so close that he could see the airmen's faces. The two also flew close to the eastern sector of Omaha beach, avoiding the barrage balloons as they flew at a height of about 50 feet. A sailor on the HMS Dunbar stated that every AA gun in the fleet was firing on the two and said, "Jerry or not, the best of luck to you. You've got guts."

Leon Venter

[Franek Grabowski]

Originally Posted by leonventer

Here's the thread to which Franek is referring:

On 6.June he has flown 2 missions //Übungsflug// on 7217 and 7298 from Vendeville from 15.25 to 1610 and from 16.22 to 16.53

Year? Thanks. (nm) − CJE, Jun 24 2004 18:32

Re: Year? Thanks. − RT, Jun 24 2004 18:40
1.9.4.4

So I remembered well.

Not your finest hour, Franek. The community was silent because the thread had dropped off the first couple of pages (you were four days late in joining the party.)

Four days was not too much on the old forum. Anyway, if it was so obvious mistake, why CJE asked for year? It is good, that this was cleared, anyway.

We know you like stirring the pot, but Caldwell, Frappe and others have thoroughly documented Priller and Wodarczyk's 8AM sortie on D-Day. It undermines your credibility when you readily dismiss the established research in pursuit of mindless speculation.

As Neil noted above, the mission is not documented in any means. It is a fact, Zebrowski claimed in 1970s that he was the first man over the beaches. There was a lengthy discussion in Jaegerblatt or similar Luftwaffe veterans journal IIRC.

OK, I'll bite. What are you alluding to here?

That he missed the target and got lost. Strange for a quite experienced pilot to say the least.

[leonventer]

Franek,

Originally Posted by Franek Grabowski

Anyway, if it was so obvious mistake, why CJE asked for year?

The mistake wasn't obvious at the time that CJE asked the question, but it was readily apparent after the two postings by RT and Jim P within the next couple of hours.

It is a fact, Zebrowski claimed in 1970s that he was the first man over the beaches.

He makes no such claim in his autobiography, "Nachts über den Wolken", published in 1989. In the book, Zebrowski says his Kommandeur ordered one of the Stakas, Hauptmann Ebersprächer, to conduct an early Aufklärungsflug, which verified the arrival of Allied ships off the Normandy coast. The unit is then ordered to make Schwarm-level attacks on the ships "mit Bomben und Bordwaffen." Zebrowski assembles a Schwarm for take-off at 11h00, but he mentions receiving confirmations from returning flights (i.e., ones that were dispatched before his) that the invasion was in full swing.
Near Le Havre, he notices that he's lost his three comrades. He then turns westward to fly along the coast to the Orne mouth at an altitude of 300m. He experiences the "indescribable" and "unforgettable" sight of "just ships, far and wide, all the way to the horizon", as well as the gruesome sight of "masses of GI's being systematically mown down on the coverless beaches by German machine guns." He doesn't mention firing on the beaches. He then flies over the ships and decides to attack the "middle ship in a group of three battleships on the eastern flank of the invasion fleet." Diving from cumulus clouds at 2000m, he achieves complete surprise, strafing the deck with his cannons and machine guns before releasing his 500kg bomb at 600m. A massive barrage of flak opens up during his pull-out, but he miraculously suffers only a nick to the bridge of his nose.

There was a lengthy discussion in Jaegerblatt or similar Luftwaffe veterans journal IIRC.

When I have the time, I'll attempt to find the article. If you happen to recall roughly when it appeared, that'd be a big help.

That he missed the target and got lost. Strange for a quite experienced pilot to say the least.

Yes, that is strange, but whatever happened during Bodenplatte apparently didn't happen on D-Day.

Leon Venter

[Don Caldwell]

I know better than to get involved in these stupid flames, but for the benefit of the newbies out there, I want to make it clear that all of the data in the 2004 thread WRT Priller's logbook entries -- Werkenummern, victories, and sortie data -- came out of his 1943 logbook, which is available in the BA-MA. Only the one-word reply "1944" implies otherwise, and this appears to be an uncorrected typo by whomever made that post. There are no data backing up the hypothesis that Priller lied to Ryan, just a few people's biases.

Don

[Franek Grabowski]

Originally Posted by leonventer

Franek,
The mistake wasn't obvious at the time that CJE asked the question, but it was readily apparent after the two postings by RT and Jim P within the next couple of hours.

Well, obviously not for everyone!

When I have the time, I'll attempt to find the article. If you happen to recall roughly when it appeared, that'd be a big help.

This could have been published in Luftwaffenring (if there was such a journal). I guess Paweł Burchardt may remember both the date and journal, I believe it was him, who told me about the controversy.

Yes, that is strange, but whatever happened during Bodenplatte apparently didn't happen on D-Day.

Not that much, considering it was The New Year's morning, and Priller seemed not the man, who would allow bottle to remain half full. There is no account, but he was completely pissed on 6 June, according to his own words.

Another question is, what had happened to the last log book. I recall seeing some photos of his collection in 1980s the Aeroplane.