A.D.I.(K) Report: Fw 190 A-8 Black 11 I./JG 2 Bodenplatte Loss

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hello,

Based on an A.D.I.(K) Report a Fw 190 A-8 coded Black 11 of I./JG 2 made a belly landing on 1 Jan 1945 at 08:45 hours near Eupen, Belgium. The pilot survived and was later interrogated in England.

I couldn't find this loss in the loss list published here:
https://www.einsatzhafen-merzhausen....1-januar-1945/

Does anybody know the W.Nr. of the aircraft and if there exists some photos of that machine? I assume it was photographed at some point in time by US soldiers as it made a belly landing.

Regards,

Roger

[Roger Gaemperle]

OK, found it here:
https://fliegerschicksale.de.tl/JG-2...-1944_1945.htm


01.01.45 : Uffz. Helmut Breitweg (1.)
* 10.10.21 Heubach / Schw.-Gem. Kriegsgef.
Fw 190 A-8 173 188 „Schwarze 11”
Lüttich-Eupen
Flaktreffer, Fallschirmabsprung
EM: 59 739 / 243

But that list states he bailed out, which according to the A.D.I.(K.) report is not true. He made a belly landing.

In addition, according to W.Nr. lists published in e.g. Rodeike's "Focke Wulf Fw 190" book on page 266 there were only aircraft from 173001 to 173100, but I don't know how accurate these W.Nr. block ranges are. Is there any other aircraft with W.Nr. 1731xx known? If not, could it be that the W.Nr. for "Black 11" was wrongly recorded?

[Kaczmarek]

Originally Posted by Roger Gaemperle

. . . Is there any other aircraft with W.Nr. 1731xx known? . . .

Not with J.G. 2 in 1944/45.

Rgds

[Roger Gaemperle]

But with another unit? It doesn't have to be JG 2, I am just wondering if 173188 was a typo or if aircraft in the 1731xx range existed.

Thanks!
Roger

[Kaczmarek]

I have checked my list for 44. Negative. For 45 my list is unfortunately incomplete.

Rgds

[John Manrho]

The NVM and RL2-III-1172 clearly state WNr. 173188. If Uffz. Breitweg really made a bellylanding is still a question. The ADI(K) says clear he did, but ADI(K) are not flawless.....Unfortunately I was too late to ask him as he passed away in 1983. Funny.....I see now that in my book I am not consistent.....in the text (page 57) I say "bellylanding and in the annex I say "baled out"...." strange. The point is if he made a bellylanding near Eupen you would expect his a/c would be mentioned in the Crashed Enemy Aircraft Reports, which isn't.....

Perhaps this is actually 175188.....that would fit nicely...???

Regards,

John

[Matti Salonen]

or 173088.

Matti

[ClinA-78]

I assume it was photographed at some point in time by US soldiers as it made a belly landing.

Indeed "Black 11" was photographed by a Belgian Guard when laying in a minefield. I cannot tell the right WNr. (173880 is even quoted) but it crashed-landed in good condition.

The photo will appear in my projected book but not soon.

ClinA-78

[Roger Gaemperle]

Kaczmarek, John, Matti and ClinA-78, thank you for your thoughts and inputs.

If the W.Nr. is not visible on the photo, I wonder what the basis was for the W.Nr. numbers (173188, 173880) that appear in some lists.

My interest in this machine is due to the control stick that a GI had removed from W.Nr. 173078. This aircraft was with I./JG 2 in August 1944 according to Ultra reports (thank you Carl and Nick for that info). It doesn't appear in loss lists in 1944 and presumably was still with I./JG 2 at the end of 1944. I./JG 2 only employed a handful of A-versions during Bodenplatte with the rest being D-9s. Of the 190 As, several were shot down and completely destroyed. As far as I found out, only 'Black 11' made a belly landing and was more or less intact. It could well be that a US soldier later removed the control stick from this aircraft.

Alternatively, I./JG 2 handed over 173078 to another unit when they converted to D-9s in December 1944 and it was found in 1945 somewhere else. But because the W.Nr. for Black 11 did not completely match the known W.Nr. block, I wanted to discuss it here. Could it have been 173078?

[ClinA-78]

s far as I found out, only 'Black 11' made a belly landing and was more or less intact. It could well be that a US soldier later removed the control stick from this aircraft.

Think about that, if the belgian guy had it removed, it would be today on my bookcase...
He just removed the tail wheel, but damn, he got the stick at hands.

ClinA-78