Mistery Battle of Britain Bf-109E-7- I/(J)LG-2

[Brian Bines]

The Location of Enemy Aircraft report (AIR22/266) shows four Bf109 crashes examined following crashes on the 12th Oct.
1. Me 109 Crashed at Chantry Farm - report continues as directly quoted by Mason. Pilot baled out POW (Oblt Sauer 2/JG52)
2. Me109 at Beans Hill Harrietsham . Pilot baled out POW (Oblt Buesgen I/JG52 )
3. Me109 crashed Weeks Lane Brambourne Down, Pilot baled out POW (Fw Voss 3/JG52 )
4. Me109E-3 belly-landed at Chapel Holdings Small Hythe Tenteden. Markings <1+ pilot POW ( Lt Millscheski Stab II/JG54 ) also credited to Tuck.
In addition other sources give Bf109E-7 5793 of 2/LG2 shot down by Tuck over Channel but shown on QM's returns as 20% damaged pilot unhurt, Bf109E-4 5565 of 2/LG2 damaged 15% on return to Calais-Marck, Fw Reichenbach 4/JG52 baled out over Channel body washed ashore Sheerness on 14th Oct and three Bf109's of II/JG53 returning with combat damage.
Tuck (257 Sqd) shown as flying an aircraft of 92 Sqd. this day.

[Jochen Prien]

Gentlemen,

following this thread I have checked my files with respect to the fate of Bf 109 E-7, WerkNr. 5793, especially the source that recorded its total loss on October 12th, 1940. I had made a note then that contrary to the GQM-report the a/c was not just slightly damaged - 20 % - but shot sown in aerial combat over the Channel becoming a total loss, yet I cannot reconstruct where this information came from then. Definitely not from Mason or Ramsey, which were quoted in a footnote in JG 77 Vol. 1, p. 407, as additional sources, including the comment that contrary to these two sources the death of the pilot in this incident cannot be confirmed from the sources then available to me.

What would substantiate the total loss of WerkNr. 5793 on that day however is the fact that - as far as my sources go - it was never mentioned again in a later loss report or other source.

That's as much as I can add to this discussion. Hope it helps.

Regards

Jochen Prien

[kaki3152]

Thanks to all for a very enlightening discussion on such an obscure subject. It just reinforces what I have observed about researching WWII aircraft, you have to check the information from a variety of sources to determine the truth