Bf 109 massacre of 24 March 1945 (359th FG)

[Skyraider3D]

On 24 March 1945 a flight of Mustangs of the 369th FS of the 359th FG bounced fifteen Bf 109s that were setting up a landing pattern over Eiklon airfield. In the one-sided battle, thirteen of the 109s were shot down with the other two being damaged.

The victories were awarded to:

Capt. Collins William F 2
1st Lt. Kelly Dale E 1.5
1st Lt. Lancaster Robert T 2
2nd Lt. Mcgehee Fred S 2
Maj. Parsons James W 1
1st Lt. Tenenbaum Harold 1.5
1st Lt. Thomson Bryce H 1
Capt. Thomson Robert C 2

Does anybody have any information of the Luftwaffe unit involved in this slaughter?
Also I didn't manage to find any information on the airfield mentioned.

[odybvig]

Hello

These 13 kills are not mentioned in the Luftwaffe loss lists (Gen.Qu.6 Abt.)

These A/C are listed for that day

24.03.1945 III./J.G.11 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10 WNr. 491475
24.03.1945 III./J.G.11 Messerschmitt Bf 109 K-4 WNr. 33231
24.03.1945 IV./J.G.5 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-14 WNr. 770228
24.03.1945 IV./J.G.5 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-14 WNr. 781202
24.03.1945 I./J.G.52 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-14 WNr. 465753
24.03.1945 III./J.G.52 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10 WNr. 613078
24.03.1945 III./J.G.52 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-14 WNr. 465314
24.03.1945 2./N.A.Gr.2 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-10 WNr. 770246
24.03.1945 2./N.A.Gr.2 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 WNr. 19996

Source: www.ahs.no/ and own Gen.Qu.6 Abt lists

Best
Olve Dybvig

[Skyraider3D]

Hmm odd...

Books of the 359th FG by Jack H. Smith show a gun camera still from Lt. Kelly. It is difficult to tell, but the aircraft appears to be a Bf 109 G-10 (smooth gun fairings + fixed tail wheel + wooden tailfin). It has a dark coloured spinner and either no or a bright coloured RVT band. The aircraft number appears to be white. Camouflage is most likely green-grey (or two-tone grey but definitely contains RLM 75).

One of the Mustangs involved was damaged by a 20mm round.

Interestingly some of the pilots note that the crosses on the wings appeared to be shaped so they resemble a circle from a distance (on the guncam still they're standard white crosses on wing tops and fuselage).

In any case, thanks for looking

[George Hopp]

Could it have been a training group with losses being put in another category?

[John Beaman]

Also lost that day were 4 K-4s from JG 27 and 2 G-10s from JG 300.

[John Manrho]

I would say this is I./JG 27. They reported losses in combat near Störmede Airfield. Losses were reported as 4 KIA. Eyewitnesses reported the loss of 6 Bf 109 so we can assume 2 pilots bailed out. Just west of Störmede airfield lies the small village of Eikeloh.....

regards,

John

[Helmut]

Please notice the book about the "Airfield of Störmede", which is available by ebay.

In fact "Eiklon" is a little village in the west of the airdrome. Often the german fighters started from Störmede in this direction.

In "Fliegerhorst Störmede" you will find a detailed report of this day, based on alliied and german sources.

Perhaps you know, that one german pilot ist MIA since March 24th, 1945.

Greetings

Helmut

[Skyraider3D]

Thanks for the tip, Helmut. Looks like a really interesting book, although I am unable to buy it at this moment. I am seriously short of shelf space and having just purchased another dozen books last month, I'm worried my wife might kick me out if I get another 300+ page book!

[Spurensucher]

The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was flown by Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel Werner Geserich. In an air raid with American escort fighters over the City of Bielefeld his machine was badly damaged.

Fhj-Fw Geserich had to land between the farm Niemann and the border to the Municipality of Steinhagen on an arable land, in the district of Ummeln, City of Bielefeld. He left the damaged plane and tried to get to the nearby Hagen (a small woodland in German language) on the "Maschweg" to rescue of the American fighter, but was killed on the way there by cannon fire.

An eyewitness who lived nearby kept this event in her diary. She went to the dead man and found that he came from the vicinity of the City of Potsdam.

https://www.airwarhistory.com/ummeln

The crash site is close to where I live.

[Skyraider3D]

Thank you for your very interesting reply! With "The Messerschmitt Bf 109" do you mean the exact one from the gun camera still?

I noted the images have long gone since I originally started this post, but I still have a copy of some of them.

Regarding the map, as John Manrho said: "First, green area is landing ground. Red square is barracks area. Blue line is aircraft dispersal. North of airfield in orange is ammunition storage and railway line is in purple."