Ghostbombers updates

[Siko54]

Thanks Nick - love the website! PS sent you an email

[Nick Beale]

Some more material added this evening:

• Kittyhawk vs. Fw 190: added Staffel affiliation for Uffz. Kurt Fischer.
• SG 4 in Italy: added extracts from Ob. Südwest situation reports for 13, 14 and 15 May 1944 plus a note about Uffz. Karl-Albrecht Roensche.
• SG 4 in Normandy: more information about casualties on 6 and 8 June 1944, including photos of Fw. Willi George and Uffz. Franz Plewka.
• Geschwader Bongart: additional detail on Re 2002 W.Nr. 1230 at Étampes-Mondesir; added paragraph about participation by 3. leichte Flakabt. 741 (mot.) in anti-partisan operations; acknowledgment of assistance from Steve Coates.
• Bf 109 H: added forename for Uffz. Luginger of 4.(F)/123.
• Convoy UGS-40: addition about the loss of Ju 88, 1H+KS.
• Kommando Koch: additional note about Hohentwiel radar.
• Kommando Rastedter: new page on the Metox radar warning receiver.
• KGr. 100 and the Coventry Blitz: more about the effects of RAF raids on 14/15 November 1940 and attacks on beam station SPREE.
• SG 10 in Yugoslavia: forenames of two casualties and a place of death for one of them.

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Nick,

Further to the thread discussion in the "eBay: captured german planes thread" posts #4259 and #4261 here one discrepancy between the ULTRA intercepts of the Nancy 25 May 1944 bombing damage and data published in Prien, Rodeike and Stemmer's Messerschmitt im Einsatz bei der II./JG 27, 1997, p. 539:

Bf 109 G-6 W.Nr. 440179 "Gelbe 4", Fw Otto Zörner, 6./JG 27, is given as a 100% loss 18 March 1944, pilot KIA during air combat at Dietershofen at Illertissen.

Otherwise, one typo is easily solved:
Bf 109 G-6 740423 "Weisse 1", 9./JG 26 is actually Bf 109 G-6 W.Nr. 440423 "Weisse 1" which was the mount of Ofhr. Heinz KEMETHMÜLLER, 9./JG 26, documented at Fl.Pl. Vandeville 10 April 1944.

Will keep on checking ASAP.

Cheers
Marc

[Nick Beale]

Thanks Marc,

Here are the original ULTRA documents that I used (I haven't re-checked to see if I transcribed everything correctly).

I don't know where Jochen got his data from — NVMs possibly?

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

Thanks Marc,


Here are the original ULTRA documents that I used (I haven't re-checked to see if I transcribed everything correctly).

I don't know where Jochen got his data from — NVMs possibly?

Thanks for providing the originals, Nick, highly appreciated. A quick question: the Nancy raid mentioned in the originals is dated 24 June 1944, not 24 May 1944 ?

Correction: if not mistaken, the three pages originals you kindly provide are ULTRA CX/MSS/T226/66 devoted to the attack of A/F Soucelles, 24 June 1944 - then base for 6./JG 53 ?

Thanks again
Marc

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Marc-André Haldimann

Thanks for providing the originals, Nick, highly appreciated. A quick question: the Nancy raid mentioned in the originals is dated 24 June 1944, not 24 May 1944 ?

Correction: if not mistaken, the three pages originals you kindly provide are ULTRA CX/MSS/T226/66 devoted to the attack of A/F Soucelles, 24 June 1944 - then base for 6./JG 53 ?

Thanks again
Marc

JG 26 at Nancy is taken from CX/MSS/T198/41, "Unsigned and incomplete series of accident reports dated 26/5" and other messages. So it definitely happened in May.

III./JG 27 at Soucelles:

CX/MSS/T226/21
Dated 24/6 to IC:
Low-level attack by 8 Mustangs on a/f 7 (C% 0) C ((satellite of Angers)) from 08.05 to 08.25 hrs.
2 Bf 109 of (Roman) of III./JG 27 burned out. (B% 6) Bf 109 of (Roman) III./JG 27 shot up.

CX/MSS/T226/66
KV 9571
((A)) From IC to IC (situation) and QM on 25/6:
i) Subsidiary A/F Soucelles near Angers.
ii) 24/6/1635 hrs.
iii) 25 Mustangs. A/C armament.

… NOTES:
1) Low level attacks on 70 C at 08.15 and 16.30–17.05/24/6 in T226/17, 21, 33, 53. Losses were: At 08.15 hrs. 2 burnt out, 3 to 6 shot up. At 17.00 10 a/c destroyed.
2) In item 2, para. VIII A and B possibly killed and wounded. Para. IX possibly a/c damaged. Cf. T209/187.
3) Comparison of the above references with the present documents suggests that 70 C may equal Soucelles.

As for 6./JG 53, II./JG 53 was operating under the control of JG 27's Kommodore at the time. Pierre Babin told me that the 6. Staffel was at Soucelles but the ULTRAs son't make that clear.

REF. CX/MSS/T224/9 KV 9269
ZZZ
Following Me 109 reported very early on 23rd serviceable at Angers.
Stab JG 27: 1
(Strong indications I. Gruppe) JG 27: 6
III./JG 27: 12
IV./JG 27: 6
II./JG 53: 9
(Comment: KV 9176 refers occupation Angers satellite airfields by these units)
231111Z/6/44

It was ordered to transfer to a new base on the 25th and operated on 26 June with 4 aircraft from Champfleury.

[Nick Beale]

I've posted some updates this afternoon:

• Unternehmen »Paula«: additional decrypt from 24 May 1940.
• Armistice to Eagle Day: additions about technical adjustments to six Ju 87 R-2 (27 July 1940)
• KGr. 100: a request for reports on operational experiences with Knickebein.
• 1940 losses: addition about the crash of a Do 17 on 14 September.
• KGr. 100, ULTRA and the Coventry Blitz: Seekriegsleitung diary entry about Operation Medium.
• Kommando Rastedter: a report on the use of the »Aphrodite« radar decoy
• I./JG 2 in Italy: more about the the death of Uffz. Walter Heiden on 14 March 1944, the combats on 19 March; revisions to the conclusions, the list of pilots and the map; various amendments throughout (with particular thanks to Neil Page, Erik Mombeeck and the work of Jochen Prien for helping to make sense of an ULTRA decrypt).
• Invasion Watch: a Seekriegsleitung assessment of 5 June and two additions to the Postscript.
• SG 4 Normandy: more about operations on 9 June 1944.
• Geschwader Bongart: the reported crash of a bomber near Limoges and more about the abduction of two naval officers.
• Staffel Kaatsch: report of a reconnaissance of Briançon on 21 September 1944.
• Jagdgeschwader recognition markings: advice of 22 December 1944 to 9. SS-Panzer Division about new fuselage bands.

[Rasmussen]

Originally Posted by Marc-André Haldimann

Otherwise, one typo is easily solved:
Bf 109 G-6 740423 "Weisse 1", 9./JG 26 is actually Bf 109 G-6 W.Nr. 440423 "Weisse 1" which was the mount of Ofhr. Heinz KEMETHMÜLLER, 9./JG 26, documented at Fl.Pl. Vandeville 10 April 1944.

If I haven't a mistake during the transcription from his fligtlog it was W.Nr.440723...

[Jim P.]

Originally Posted by Rasmussen

If I haven't a mistake during the transcription from his fligtlog it was W.Nr.440723...

I have WNr. 440723 as taken from his FB as well.

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Nick,

Regarding ULTRA CX/MSS/T226/66, page 1 you kindly shared in post #277,

I have this following discrepancy with :

Bf 109 G-6 W.Nr. 163955 "Gelbe 3", Uffz. Franz Kussius, 9./JG 27, WIA in air combat, Raum Orléans, 27 June 1944. Source: Prien/Rodeike/Stemmer, Messerschmitt 109 im Einsatz mit III. & IV./JG 27, 1997, p.332.

W.Nr. 163955 "Gelbe 3" is repeated "burnt out" at A/F Soucelles, 24 June 1944, in CX/MSS/R.227 (c) - your attachment P1250406.

Cheers
Marc