III./JG 77 vs 12th USAAF, 1 Oct 1943

[Jochen Prien]

Dear Don,
gentlemen,

you are of course right observing that when JG 77 Vol. 3 was published some 15 years ago the corresponding claims microfilms from the BA were not yet avaliable to me so that I had to rely on the the sources at hand.

The claims lists of no other unit had to be revised to the degree that was the case with JG 77, as can be seen from the volumes of the current series; this applies in particular to the claims of JG 77 in Russia and in the Mediterrannean ToW.

This said, it is now clear that Kurt Ubben filed a claim for a B-17 on October 1st, 1943, when parts of III./JG 77 were scrambled against a bomber formation heading north on their way to Southern Germany. III./JG 77 encountered a formation of 30 - 40 Boeing B-17s that were bound for Augsburg, claiming one shot down by Maj. Ubben at 11.55 hrs. in the vicinity of Livorno - confirmed - and another by an unidentified pilot, whose claim was rejected. Flak claimed another B-17 in the same area at 11.52 hrs.

Hope this helps

Jochen Prien