Luftwaffe victory on the 11th of April 1944, Rostock area

[D_Dutch]

Hello all,

I am currently researching a Luftwaffe Victory on the 11th of April 1944.
It involves the following aircraft which crashed;


Type: Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress.
Number: 42-97241.
Unit: 563rd Bomb Squadron/388th Bomb Group (Heavy).
Date: 11th of April 1944.
Area: Near Rostock over the Baltic Sea.
Fate: Crashed in the area of Rerik/Mecklenburg.


The B-17G Flying Fortress, named "The Expectant Father", was under attack by enemy FW 190's just after they bombed a Heinkel Aircraft Factory at Rostock. The enlisted men had to bail out of the aircraft due to the fact that fire was spreading behind the radio room. Three of them landed in the Baltic Sea and drowned. The officers stayed with the aircraft until it crashed and were taken P.O.W.'s afterwards.

Would it be possible to find out which Luftwaffe unit claimed the victory?

With kind regards,

Koen.

[digedag1]

13.20 hrs
Ltn. Dieter Zink, Stab IV/JG3, B-17, 20km S of Rostock
or
13.20 hrs
Oblt. Otto Weßling, 11./JG3, B-17 HE-2 Rostock

It was the second sortie for JG3 this day, some fighters than landed in Warnemuende.
Start for the first sortie at 10.05 hrs Salzwedel AF, battle over Central Germany.

digedag1

[D_Dutch]

Thanks for the reply. Did not expect an answer so fast!

I must add to the information, during the mission four B-17's were lost.

I did some reading on Oberleutnant Otto Weßling, and read that he claimed three victories on B-17's on that day.

Two of them were at 11.00 hours and 11.04 hours at the South of Oebisfelde and near Miesterhorst. The other one was indeed at 13.20 hours near Rostock.

The fourth B-17 that was shot down that day would have been shot down by Leutnant Dieter Zink.

Now, if all of this is 100% correct, there are some contradictions;

1. All of the four B-17's of the group were shot down after they released their bombs at 13.15 hours in the afternoon.

2. Only FW 190's shot down B-17's, even though at approx. 11.49 hours the group was attacked by 25 ME 109's for about 24 minutes, these did not shot down any aircraft.


Am I overlooking something?

With kind regards,

Koen.

[digedag1]

Why contradictions?
The BG was attacked by german fighters shortly after bombs away.
2 cr in the Baltic Sea, 1 made it to Sweden and 42-97241 cr at Rerik.
Obviousely also attacked by a Me 109 Group on flight to Rostock (JG5,JG53). With no losses for the group. Why not. Where is the problem?
Further claims in the Baltic Sea area are reported by other pilots of JG3, JG1, JG11,
ZG26.

digedag1

[D_Dutch]

I thought that Weßling flew Bf 109's and no FW 190's, and since the B-17's were shot by FW 190's I thought it was not possible that Otto Weßling shot one of the aircraft since he did not fly FW 190's.

And since Otto Weßling shot two of the three B-17's at approx. 11.00 hours I thought that he could not have shot more than one at the during the attack at 13.20 hours, but this is allready solved by your statement;

Originally Posted by digedag1

Further claims in the Baltic Sea area are reported by other pilots of JG3, JG1, JG11, ZG26.

With kind regards,

Koen.

[Frans A]

D Dutch
For your information:
Oblt. Otto Weiszling was KIA on 44-04-19 at Eschwege (D)
Frans.A

[drgondog]

Originally Posted by Frans A

D Dutch
For your information:
Oblt. Otto Weiszling was KIA on 44-04-19 at Eschwege (D)
Frans.A

The location and time closely match a 109 victory credit to Captain Bob Woody, an ace of the 355th FG, after a hard fight from west of Nordhausen to Eschwege...