41 Sqn vs Me262s, Rheine Aerodrome, 14 Feb. 1945

[silverfox]

Hi guys,
I am currently researching the Me262 of Rudolf Hoffmann shoot down by Tony Gaze of 610 Squadron in his Spitfire Mk. XIV on the 14th February, 1945. I am producing a limited edition print of this event and am trying to identify exactly where the 262 crashed. I have read both books about Tony’s life (‘Six Aces’ & ‘Almost Unknown’) and both give conflicting locations of the interception, one identifies Nijmegen and the other Munster. I meet with the pilot Tony earlier this week & he couldn’t recall where it went down but did say it was just before the Rhein River. The town of Emmerich am Rhein, Germany which Andreas mentioned on his web site would fit in well with Tony’s accounts but I wonder what logs or accounts where referenced to confirm this the be the site? I want to use the name of the town in the print so need to be 100% sure that it’s the place.

Tony’s flight log;

F/L F.A.O. Gaze of 610 Squadron recorded in his Combat Report for 14 February, 1945:

"On 14/2/45 I was leading Wavey Black section of two aircraft on standing patrol over NIJMEGEN. At about 1630 hours I sighted an Arado 234 pulling up from attacking the CLEVE area. I dropped my tank and attempted to intercept but despite the fact that I cut the corner it pulled away easily at 7,000 ft. After this we continually chased Arados over this area. I fired at two without result. At about 1700 hours when it was apparent that the jets were diving down through the cloud which was from 9 - 11,000 ft. I climbed up through it, leaving Black 2 below, hoping to warn him when they dived. Then I did an orbit at 13,000 ft. to clear off the ice on the windscreen and sighted 3 M.E. 262's in Vic formation passing below me at cloud top level. I dived down behind them and closed in, crossing behind the formation and attacked the port aircraft which was lagging slightly. I could not see my sight properly as we were flying straight into the sun, but fired from dead astern, at a range of 350 yards, hitting it in the starboard jet with the second burst; at which the other 2 aircraft immediately dived into cloud. It pulled up slowly and turned to starboard and I fired obtaining more strikes on fuselage and jet which caught fire. The enemy rolled over on to its back and dived through cloud. I turned 180 and dived after it, calling on the R/T to warn my no.2; on breaking cloud I saw an aircraft hit the ground and explode about a mile ahead of me, at E.9859. I claim this M.E.262 destroyed. Black 2 also witnessed this explosion." *

I./KG 51, Me 262 A-2, WNr. 500064, 9K+CL, Fw. Hofmann Rudolf, KIA.

• - taken from www.spitfireperformance.com

I really appreciate your help with this.
Cheers

Robert