Unknown crash site

[ginamod]

Hi All,
probably I have posted this request alredy in former times, but no successful result.

Now another attempt in this mysterious case:
On 26th March 1945 Harvey Pansch crashed with his F-5E 4-L-O plane model (similar to p-38 shape) somewhere between Innsbruck and Bozen (unsecure).
Although these data are Ok we are not able to locate Pansch`s crashite.
A mission report gives 47° 10` E and 11° 25` N. Sorry to say that in this region until now there was never found any F-5 part . Similar can be said for the South of Brenner region.
# 44-24486 MACR 13370
My definite question is only: Who knows somewhere in the central Alpine area a crash site from 26th March 1944?
All your suggestions will be carefully analysed.
Many thx
dnalor

[Chris Goss]

1944 or 1945?

[edwest2]

Previous posts:

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archiv...p?t-61962.html

[ginamod]

Many thx Ed,
1945 of course, 44 was a typo.
Thx for the review,
I will study it with new eyes and with my new background (which could not be really newed).
Will send my comment after reading the review.
Best
dnalor

[Stig Jarlevik]

Geoffrey Sinclair wishes to add the following

The loss was in 1945, since 44-24486 was not accepted until August 1944.

From 32nd Sqn history. 26 March 1945

"Lt. Harvey Pansch was airborne at 0900 hours, briefed to cover targets in the Munich area. After rendezvousing with 6 P-51's of the 52nd FG over San Severo, course was set for the target area. At approximately 1100 hours, in the Munich area, two Me262s made one pass at the formation from five o'clock high. Four of the fighters broke into the attack and the enemy aircraft immediately peeled up without firing a shot. After the encounter the four fighters flew directly south to base, while the two remaining fighters stayed with Lt Pansch. At approximately 1210 hours while flying on instruments in the vicinity of Innsbruck, the two fighter saw Lt Pansch's aircraft pull up on its nose sharply and do almost a split -S. Ten seconds later Lt Pansch radioed to his escort "I'm in a spin and can't get out". All fighters landed at their base, but no further word has been received of the photo pilot."

Geoffrey Sinclair

[Alex Smart]

Agree,
Geoffrey 's excerpt from the Squadron history is almost exactly what can be found in page 4 of the macr.

Page 2 of the 4 page MACR does have the 26 March 1945 in the Date: space.

And it follows that as described, the Map co-ordinates are given the wrong global position re East/North which is an understandable error.

The correct being 47°10' N by 11°25'E.
So just where would that be ?
Target given as just Munich.
Final map ref puts the aircraft almost directly south over the Wipptal/Schonberg-Stubaital area of Austria.

Also I am interested to discover what the number 2467 represents at the top of page 2, and the number 1879 at the bottom of pages 2,3 and 4 ?

For general interest two P-51D' from the 319 Sqdn,325 Fighter Group were also lost in the same area (Langenloia) on the 26 th. They were Pilot: Robert R, CAUDILL ,POW.
P-51D -15 44-15679, "75".
AND
Vernon B, KRHL, KIA.
P51D-15 44-15449, " Baby Doll".

Alex

[ginamod]

Dear Friends,

Lt. Harvey Pansch´s crashsite remains a mystery, but one day it will be solved.....by discovering the parts/debris of a F 5E Lightning.

I had very close contacts via natives to Harvey´s sons, but they seemed not interested at all.
In my opinion Harvey never knew where he went down, no harm meant.
He was under stress, he was taken prisoner quite fast somewhere in an
Alpine valley apart from civilisation. He was taken POW within short,then escorted to Moosburg POW camp, that it is what we we know definitely from him ? Sorry to say that we/I have no records from Moosburg POW camp with name PANSCH.
I had a very good research contact to an expert from Berchtesgaden and he assured me that he has nothing in his big area about a crash on 26th March 1945 !! I marked Pansch`s coordinates in Austrian Alps nr Innsbruck. Natives have (not yet) no debris which match a F 5.
I will emphasize the search from Brenner to Innsbruck.
Many thx to all contributers R Swank, Steve R, Stig, Alex....
All new ideas welcome
Best dnalor

[FrankieS]

to Alex
small correction:

Caudill: not "Langenloia"
but 3550 Langenlois (10 miles NE), which would then f. ex. be
near Parisdorf/Maissau/Ravelsbach area


Kahl: possibly 3462 Bierbaum am Kleebühel

[Alex Smart]

Hi ginamod,
Have you tried this -

https://www.moosburg.org/info/stalag/archeng.html

Alex

[ginamod]

Alex,
many thx for this great compilation.
I hope that one of it has info about Pansch´s crashsite
or the site where he had been taken POW.

ATB
dnalor