He219 loss 19 April 1944?

[keith A]

Were any He219s shot down in aerial combat or lost on operations on this date?

regards

Keith

[alessandro bray]

Hi Keith,

the only nightfighter loss on this date that i have is :
Bf110 G-4 Wn 740148 IV/NJG1 near Tirlemont after combat

Alessandro

[Kutscha]

Keith, in Roland Kemp's book on the He219 he lists no losses in April.

[keith A]

Many thanks. My thinking was that SL HW McLeod of 443 Sqn claimed a Do217 on this date but some have suggested this was a Bf110 of NJG1 as you suggest. However it seems odd that McLeod and WC JE Johnson both misidentified his claim as a Do217. Both were experienced pilots and McLeod identified a second claim for a Do217 (an HS293 carrying Do217M of KG100?) two months later. While the tail configuration of the BF110 and Do217 is similar the Bf110 is much smaller in length and wingspan than the Dornier.

The pilots got a good view of the aircraft before it crashed so again its surprising they could not see it was a Bf110, a type they would have been familiar with but perhaps not encountered.

My thinking is that perhaps it was the much larger He219 (a type much used by NJG1) which does resemble the Dornier in size and configuration from distance.

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello

Actually there was a written off He219 on 19th April 1944 but this He219 was used for training use in Venlo for 'new' pilots of the I./NJG 1. During the landing this He219 was damaged beyond repair (70%) and there is no link with the Allied claim mentioned.

Best regards, Marcel

[keith A]

Thanks Marcel. The "DO217" crashed into a garden behind a row of cottages and according to Johnson all the crew baled out too low and were thought killed. Whatever it actually was I cannot see it being a Bf110G because to see the deaths of the unfortunate crew Johnson and his flight must have been close enough to identify the aircraft. I have also noted a detail I missed . The loss of NJG1 Bf110G also does not fit the time, coming as it does at 1355, whereas McLeod claims his victory at 1850.

Best regards

Keith

[alessandro bray]

Hallo,
another very possibility can be a Ju188E-1 lost to enemy fighter in the afternoon of the 19. april 1944 by AusbildungGruppe KG2. The not so usual Ju188 can expain the claim for a Do217.
Ju188E-1 U5+BV 11./KG2, FF fw Werreberger and BF gefr Michalski KIA, gefr Patalog and Vogel WIA
Info from Balke "Luftkrieg in Europa"

Alessandro

[keith A]

Cheers Alessandro. The Ju188E is a much better fit. The crew compartment and twin radial engines would allow for misidentification. Admittedly the tail configuration is an issue but from a distance the tail shape might have been obscured. Do you have a time and location for the loss?

regards

Keith

[Karsten]

Hello,

I Think, the name is Werremeyer, Hermann 01.12.1920

KR Rüdiger

Balke KG 2
VDK

[Tempest]

Hi All

The IWM has the camera gun footage of S/L McLeod attacking an Bf110 with wing tanks on the 19-4-44, well that's what it looks like to me. I did a search for 443 Sqn gun camera and you can view it on line although I could only watch it on my PC.