Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Allied and Soviet Air Forces

Allied and Soviet Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the Air Forces of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union.

 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
  #1  
Old 16th December 2018, 10:55
Monaco Monaco is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 246
Monaco is on a distinguished road
Grasshopper´s war

Hello gentlemen,
reading the meticulously researched "History of the Mediterranean Air War Vol.4" is a pleasure for the interested, but I was a little bit disappointed when it came to the light spotter aircraft of the allies...several of which were claimed by Jagdwaffe pilots (with Spenner the leading "ace") in the period winter/spring 1944 - no hint of the allied units involved. I ordered two books on this theme and came upon a interesting case in "The fighting grasshoppers" by Ken Wakefield p.75 when an L-4 was lost in a collision with a Bf.109:
On 22.11.43 an L-4 spotter (US 5th Army) flown by Staff Sergeant H.G. Wadell with his mechanic T/3 R.D. Cannon was attacked and damaged by a Bf.109 fighter near Alano, the crew was unhurt. Less fortunate was Staff Sergeant James T. Smith of 10th FA Battalion (3rd I.D., VI Corps, US 5th Army), who´s L-4 collided with an attacking Bf.109 whilst maneuvering at low level. The L-4 lost a wing and crashed near Pietramelara with Smith KIA. 1st Lt. Ross S. Fleming of 151st FA Battalion suffered an engine failure on t/o and crashed (KIA).
An unidentified german unit (MAW Vol.4) claimed 2 „Lysanders“ shot down on 22.11.43.
Amongst the german losses were Bf.109G-4 WNr.20268 „Yellow 4“ of 3./JG.77 crashing near Monte Romano, cause unknown, with Uffz. Wolfgang Spading MIA and Bf.109G-6 WNr. 140054 „White 5“ crashing 25km WNW Rome on scramble, cause unknown, Fhr. Paul Gossling MIA.
Monte Romano is far off Pietramelara, but 4 km E of Pietramelara there´s a village and mountain called Roccaromana (rocca = mountain in italian language). Could Spading have collided with Smith´s L-4 and 3./JG.77 be the unit claiming 2 "Lysanders"?

Cheers

Michael
Reply With Quote
 


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Additional info on 21 Nachtjäger? Theo Boiten Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 7 24th December 2015 14:11
Nightfighter claims in Febr.1945 Peter Kassak Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 2 6th April 2013 10:12
Photos of Commonwealth War Graves Andy ingham Allied and Soviet Air Forces 8 17th January 2009 13:47
Polish War Crimes Sylvester Stadler The Second World War in General 12 15th April 2008 11:20
War over SE Asia part deux Jim P. Japanese and Allied Air Forces in the Far East 7 21st April 2005 13:46


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 02:11.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net