JG 54 Victories against the US 8th Air Force

[Nick Hector]

As a return favour to Nokose and all of our Russian friends who have so generously contributed to the "JG 52 Victories" thread, I thought I would compile some info on III/JG 54's 8th Air Force victims and share it on the board. The purpose is for any Russian historian who is compiling individual victory lists of JG 54 pilots (and their corresponding victims) to be able to complete their records. I hope to be able to help them as much as they have helped me. Enjoy!

17.4.43.
Reinhard Seiler shot down B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress 41-24459/LL-B "Hellzapoppin" of 401st BS, 91st BG. 1/Lt. John W Wilson and four others KIA, remaining five crewmen all KIA. The loss is also attributed to the well-known Heinz Knoke and it seems they might have doubled up on their claims for this one.
Friedrich Erlenkaemper shot down B-17F-40-BO Flying Fortress 42-5172/LL-Z "Thunderbird" of 401st BS, 91st BG. Lt. Harold H Beasley and one other KIA, remaining 8 crewmen all POW. Joe Baugher website says he also actually claimed 41-24459/LL-B "Hellzapoppin" of 401st BS, 91st BG.
Hans-Ekkehard Bob shot down B-17F-30-BO Flying Fortress 42-5070/LL-A "Invasion II" of 401st BS, 91st BG. Capt. Oscar D O'Neill Jr and crew all POW.

14.5.43
Rudolf Klemm shot down B-24D-5-CO Liberator 41-23819/A "Rugged Buggy" of 68th BS, 44th BG. 1/Lt. Malcolm C Howell and one other KIA, remaining 8 crewmen all POW

15.5.43
As described in Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces vol. 1, B-17F-30-DL 42-3173/DS-R "Spare Ball" of 511th BS, 351st BG, was attacked by 5 Bf109s who kept attacking it in turns until it crashed into the sea. Lt. Joseph A Meli Jnr and crew were all KIA. To me it seems Oblt. Froehlich, Rudolf Patzak, Karl Weber, Horst Sack and (possibly) Friedrich Rupp were likely the "five Bf109s" that finished it off. Franck Ruffino's Heinz Knoke website credits the loss to aerial bombing by Helmut Lennartz.

19.5.43
Rudolf Patzak shot down B-17F-40-BO 42-5155/XK-T of 365th BS, 305th BG. 1/Lt. William F Higgins and 6 others POW, remaining 3 crewmen all KIA. At least one source says there was an evader.

21.5.43
Hans Hermann apparently claimed a Liberator but this is likely a misidentification or overclaim as it seems no B-24s were lost on this date.

13.6.43
Siegfried Schnell shot down B-17F-65-BO Flying Fortress 42-29715/GL- "Klo Kay" of 332nd BS, 94th BG. Capt. Bolling H Rawlinson POW, rest of crew all KIA.