Fw190D-9 Shootdown 17 Feb 45

[Eagle0025]

I recently received a request from a fellow German researcher concerning the following shootdown. On 17 Feb 45, Uffz. Paul Gassmann, 3/JG2, was shot down in Fw190D-9, werknummer 211056, near Laudenbach, Germany (between Darmstadt and Würzburg). I have also seen the crash area listed as Langendiebach b. Landenbach-Aschafenburg. Uffz. Gassmann was able to bail out and luckily survived the war. He is still alive today.
Herr Gassmann reports he was shot down in a dogfight with P-38s. He would like to find out what group, squadron, and possibly the pilots the P-38s were from. I have searched my records and cannot find any USAAF aerial victory credits for 17 Feb 45. If these were P-38s, they were NOT from the 474th FG or 370th FG because there is no record of any missions that day in their official squadron histories.
I thought I would ask here in case anyone out there has any details about that day and this particular shootdown. Many thanks in advance.
Cheers, Gary Koch (474th FG Association Historian)

[Nordpol54]

Gary,

i found the following entry at lostaircraft:

Unteroffizier Paul Gassmann (* 28.4.1923), ID-Nr. 68420/782, 3./I./JG 2, Fw 190 D-9, W-Nr. 211056, 16.2.1945 shot down by P-38 and FSA at Laudenbach, plane 99% write-off.

Mentioned crash-site Laudenbach in this entry is allocated south of Klingenberg/Main, close to today's county-borders of Hessen and Bavaria.

Loss date differs between Your post and the lostaircraft record. I've no idea which is the correct one - 16th or 17th Feb. 1945?

I found no involved US P-38 unit either for both days. Possibly someone else has something at hand.

Best Regards
Norbert

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Norbert,

Just a quick thought: "shot down by P-38 and FSA" should be read F-5A, the photo reckon version of the P-38. This might be a good clue as to which US Air Force unit was involved (is 9th AF a possibility?).

Cheers
Marc

[S Sheflin]

Greetings,

Slightly off topic but hopefully of interest, Uffz. Gassman is listed in Jim Crow’s “KLADDE” (Record Book of Groß Ostheim), as flying nine combat missions for I./JG 2 in March 1945:

45/03/18, Fw190D-9, 16+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/19, Fw190D-9, 16+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/20, Fw190D-9, 16+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/20, Fw190D-9, 16+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/21, Fw190D-9, 2+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/21, Fw190D-9, 2+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/22, Fw190D-9, 2+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/23, Fw190D-9, 2+ Y, to Zellhausen
45/03/23, Fw190D-9, 15+ Bk, to Altenstadt

Steve Sheflin

[Jim P.]

FSA more likely means the pilot baled out of the machine - as in 'Fallschirmabsprungen' (did I spell that right?).

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi, all

I have the date of this loss registered as 16.2.45.

Have you checked claims for this date?

http://www.aviationhistory.no/ref_db...?lossid=102300

Regards,
Andreas B

[Khorat]

The GQM file llisted this loss February 16th 1945, other sources (Girbig) given the 17th, shot down in combat with 2 P-38, for me the 16th looks more possible, b´cause some other losses of JG 2 in the same are.

khorat
Michael Balss

[Nordpol54]

@ JimP.,

You're right - it means "Fallschirmabsprung" (parachute jump). Sorry for using the German abbreviation, but i am not aware what the English abbreviation for that is.

Best Regards
Norbert

[drgondog]

USAF 85 records only credits for PTO for 16,17 and 18 February for P-38 squadrons. No Recce squadron listed.. possibly claimed as a 'damaged and never entered as a 'destroyed'. Example, the Fw 190D hit hard but evaded into a cloud would at best be recorded as a 'Probable'

There were no 8th AF P-38s, even F5's (IIRC) in February - all went to 9th AF.