357th FG on 7 Aug 44 (Frantic V shuttle mission, day 2).

[Alex Smart]

hello Piotr,

Thank you and for the link too.

To continue the Frantic V Operation.
On return to Italy a B17 was scrapped.
Thirty-five 357 FG Ground crew were awarded the Air Medal.
At some time between the 9th and 12th the 357th FG took part in an Op from Italy to escort some 12 C47's to collect Escapees and Evaders from a Mountain top field in Yugoslavia.
And then on the homeward run to the UK on the 12th the mission was in support of the Invasion of Southern France.
One P51 crashed on take off - pilot Cpt. Maurice Baker who returned later to the UK via Casablanca and Algeria.
A Mosquito ( NS533) of the 25th BG (Lt. R.M. Nichols, KIA & 2Lt. Elbert. F. Harris, Evd ) was mistaken for a Ju188 and shot down by a 357th FG P51, the navigator bailed over France, OK.
By the early pm on the 12th the Group were back in the UK.

To add to my earlier post two P51's from the 55th FG joined up with the 357th on the way out to the USSR and stayed with the Group throughout the Operation.

All the best
Alex

[piters]

Hello!


Many thanks for so much of information about “Frantic V”. It will be very helpful for me!

Now I’m trying to connect the 357th FG victories from 7 August with German losses in this area.
In another topic in this forum http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=17649 I mentioned about three German planes, shot down probably connected with “Frantic V”. It’s much far east than where the planes from 15th Air Force should be.
According to prof. Konieczny’s book
-B-24s from 15th AF bombed Blechhammer at 11.10-11.58 this day, arriving from south-southwest.
-B-17s from 8th AF attacked Trzebinia, 90 kms east of Blechhammer, at 12.58-13.10.

There were three German planes shot down in area west – southwest of Cracow, 20 – 40 kms from Trzebinia and 80 – 110 kms from Blechhammer. That’s why I’m more likely to connect them with 357th FG victories. They were:
1) Bf109 G-6 W/Nr 165031 "Yellow 8" III/JG52, crashed near Kalwaria (30 kms SW of Cracow), pilot Lt Fritz Eberhard.
2) Bf109 G-6 W/Nr 166065 "Yellow 4" III/JG52, crashed in Myslowice (50 kms W of Cracow), pilot Lt. Herbert Bachnick (KIA).
3) a third plane mentioned to be shot down near Zator, 30 kms west of Cracow (Bf109 or FW190).

Eberhard could have been shot down by Storch/Nowlin, because I have an information about 2 planes chasing a German one and one of two just behind them, over Lanckorona (close to Kalwaria), heading north.

I’ve prepared a map showing al these locations http://img2.vpx.pl/up/20090731/trz44.jpg

That’s why I’m looking for any details about this mission. If I knew a position of “Frantic V” and the combat reports (probably there’s a time of aerial victory), probably I would be able to link Mustang pilots with an exact planes they claimed.
At present, I’m even not sure if the planes seen in the area I live were before, whether after making their bombing run…


Best regards,
Piotr