III./SG 4 6 Jun 44

[Chris Goss]

From what I can see this unit lost 6 ac that afternoon, crash sites being La Bazoge/Le Mans, St Jean D'Assé/Le Mans, Laval airfield, 8 km SE Laval, Bretigny and 5 km east of Bretigny. Can anyone confirm this and apart from 78 FG, 83 FS and 15 Recon Sqn, who might have got them? The above made claims at Mayenne and the Laval area. No RAF claims seem to match. Doug and Larry also state that Lt Gerhard Limberg was slightly wounded in another Fw 190 A-7 but this is not mentioned in the NVM. One of the attacking ac was also claimed shot down at La Bazoge

[Larry deZeng]

Chris -

If this helps, what we show for 7-8 June 1944 came from this source:

NARA WashDC: RG 242/T-971 roll 5 frames 800-900 (KTB of III./SG 4 from 1.11.43 – Juli 44);

I don't have this here as it was one of the thousands of microfilm rolls I borrowed through our interlibrary loan system during the 1980's and 1990's.

L.

[Chris Goss]

Thanks Larry. Maybe someone has a copy of the relevant date?

[Franek Grabowski]

Some information is here, and IIRC Alfred Price quoted III/SG 4 KTB from Normandy in one of his books.
http://www.ghostbombers.com/sf/Normandy/sg4_1.html
A few years ago I have tried to match combats of the day, but gave up as nothing was making sense.

[Chris Goss]

I think I have worked it out. 3 separate combats near Bretigny/Rambouillet late AM (62nd FS), Le Mans/Alencon mid afternoon (78 FG), Laval evening (15 TRS). A total of five ac shot down, two damaged and two with unknown damage. four pilots and four mechanics killed, one pilot and one mechanic wounded. However, who or what Hptm Heinz Mihlan shot down near St Jean D'Asse is unknown as nothing matches-it looks like he was got by Lt Col F C Gray and Lt V J Massa

[Nick Beale]

Incidentally … Despite what the KTB says, "St Jean D'Asse"—as I learned from Google Earth—should have an acute accent: Saint-Jean-d'Assé. Ditto Brétigny.

[Chris Goss]

Agreed but couldn't find the keystroke! Merçi Nick!

[Franek Grabowski]

I am in no position at the moment to check my old records, but I recall that there was a problem with matching US combat reports with downed aircraft. Also, matching III/SG 4 activities was a hard nut. As to German claims, there was plenty of overclaim. On the other hand, information on damaged US aircraft is quite limited, I think.