Last fight of Eduard Tratt on 22.02.44. Need additional info.

[Evgeny Velichko]

Hi all!

Can anybody help me with info about that fight?

I only know that he was shot down by Mjr. Jack Oberhansley.

Regards!

[Evgeny Velichko]

All info that I found on this day:

Mjr. Jack Oberhansley was from 354 FS. ... And he shot down 3 german planes in that mission on 22 feb 1944. Any additional info about that combat?

[Leo Etgen]

Hi Eugen

Magnus' Aces List at http://users.accesscomm.ca/magnusfamily/ww2usa.htm has Lieutenant Colonel Jack Junior Oberhansley credited with six victories while serving with the 14 PG, 78 FG and 4 FG. At www.web-birds.com/8th/78/78th.htm he is listed as having claimed one victory with the HQ and five with the 82 FS of the 78 FG. If this information is correct then he must have been serving with the 82 FS at the time he shot down Tratt. Any comments or corrections would be greatly appreciated but perhaps this might help a little.

Horrido!

Leo

[Frank Olynyk]

Oberhansly was commanding officer of the 82nd FS (78th FG) from Aug 7, 1943 to May 18, 1944; on leave from May 18 to Aug 22; CO again until the 28th, then Deputy Group CO of the 78th FG until Dec 3; and finally Deputy Group CO of the 4th FG until Feb 26, 1945. All his victories are with the 82nd FS, or the 78th FG (his last). On Feb 22 he is redited with a Me-109 damaged and a Me-109 destroyed; both at Köln; an FW-190 destroyed at Gilze-Rijen; and two half shares in FW-190s at Walcheren Island. All are timed at 1510 hours, because the combat report specifies no other time for his combats. He was flying P-47D--11RE 42-75406 MX-Z.

Frank.

[George Hopp]

If Frank's claims for Oberhansly on February 22, 1944, are even close, there is no way he could have shot down Eduard Tratt who was flying an Me 410. I had always thought he was shot down by bombers as he attacked them single-handed.

[Evgeny Velichko]

Originally Posted by George Hopp

If Frank's claims for Oberhansly on February 22, 1944, are even close, there is no way he could have shot down Eduard Tratt who was flying an Me 410. I had always thought he was shot down by bombers as he attacked them single-handed.

THANKS Frank and George!!!

Here is the only info that I have:

22 Febr. 1944 622 B-17 and 177 B-24 from 8th AF USAAF under cover of 659 P-38, P-47 & P-51 moved to Sweinfurth, Aschersleben, Bernburg & Halberstadt. But because of bad weather only first group of B-17 could reatch target. 2nd group of B-17 returned to base, and B-24 group attacked secondary targets in Holland. Almost all american fighters followed 1st group of B-17, and there comed a great battle.

USAAF total losses were:

38 B-17, 3 B-24, 8 P-47, 3 P-51 destroyed,
148 bombers were damaged (4 of them unrepaireble), 34 fighters damaged (13 - unrepairable).

Luftwaffe lost 53 aircrafts, also 53 was damaged. 25 pilots were KiA, 13 - WiA.

II./ZG 26 lost only 1 airplane claimung 3 B-17 (best score of ZG units on that day), but it was Me 410 A-1 (W.Nr. 420410) “3U + 1” of Hauptmann Eduard Tratt. Some sourses say, that II./ZG 26 was intercepted by P-47 squadron.

ZG 26 "Horst Wessel", 1. Jagddivision with:

I./ZG 26 n.n., from Völkenrode airfield, claimed 1 B-17 and lost 2 airplanes, 2 pilots WiA.
22.02.44 Uffz. see 3/2 2./ZG 26 B-17  HT-52: 7.000 m. [Hameln] 13.45 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr. -

II./ZG 26, Hptm. Tratt, based at Hildesheim, claimed 3 B-17, lost 1 - 100% and 2 damaged Me 410.
22.02.44 Fw. Baunicke 5./ZG 26 B-17  westl. Freising: 6.000 m. 12.45- 13.00 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr.56
22.02.44 Oblt. Fritz Stehle 5./ZG 26 B-17  südl. Dachau: 6.000 m. [Bayern] 13.00-10 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr.57
22.02.44 Ltn. Rudi Dassow 4./ZG 26 B-17  Bielefeld: 6.000 m. 13.35-50 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr.96

III./ZG 26, Hptm. Kogler, based at Wunstorf, claimed 2 B-17, lost 8 airplanes, 4 pilots KiA, 3 - WiA.
22.02.44 Oblt. Paul Bley 9./ZG 26 B-17  - 13.40 Film C. 2031/I Abgelehnt
22.02.44 Uffz. Siegfried Teske 8./ZG 26 B-17  - 13.50 Film C. 2031/I Noch aussteht

[drgondog]

Oberhansly definitely NOT with 354FS.. and the 355FG (of which 35FS a part of) destroyed only 2 Fw 190's near Munster. Oberhansly's were 190's and 109 near Gilze Rijn (1) Walcheren Is (2x.5), and Cologne (1 -109), respectively

The 56FG was the only P-47 unit to claim twin engine fighters and those were 'theoretically' Me 110's - 2 by G.F. Hall, 63FS/56FG near Paderborn..

So, likely it was a Fort not a 47 or the id of the Me 110 was in error

Regards,

Bill

[Evgeny Velichko]

THX all!

About that "Me 110", reported as claim of P-47...

It might be from here:

22. February 1944, U.S. XV Bomber Command : REGENSBURG-PRUFENING, REGENSBURG,OBERTRAUBLING. 20 Bombers & 3 Fighters Lost

JaFü Ostmark/Lfl. Reich:
22.02.44 Oblt. Meier 6./ZG 1 B-24  südl. Pilsen: 6.500 m. [Bohemia] 12.12 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr.52
22.02.44 Uffz. Herkner 4./ZG 1 B-14  S.E. Pilsen: 7.000 m. [Bohemia] 12.48 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr.22
22.02.44 Ofw. Uhlig 4./ZG 1 B-24  S.E. Pilsen: 7.000 m. [Bohemia] 12.50 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr.23
22.02.44 Uffz. Peter Schotz 6./ZG 1 B-24  S.W. Pilsen: 6.000 m. [Bohemia] 12.50 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr.51
22.02.44 Oblt. Meier 6./ZG 1 B-24  S. Pilsen: 6.500 m. [Bohemia] 12.52 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr.51
22.02.44 Hptm. Egon Albrecht Stab II./ZG 1 B-24  südl. Pilsen: 6.100 m. [Bohemia] 12.50 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr.28
22.02.44 Hptm. Wengner 5./ZG 1 B-24  N.E. Regensburg: 6.500 m. [Bayern] 13.05 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr.43
22.02.44 Uffz. Rinker Stab II./ZG 1 B-24  Raum Pilsen: 5.000 m. [Bohemia] 13.40 Film C. 2025/I Anerk: Nr.29

Losses:

Bf 110 G-2, Ofw. Franz Meissl (experten with 11 abschusse), WiA. 6./ZG 1. Shot down on combat mission. East of Lichtenstein.

Bf 110 G-2, Uffz. Heinz Schlenkert, KiA. 6./ZG 1. Shot down on combat mission. Lichtenstein.

[RT]

Concerning 22.feb, you listed 53 lost+ 53 damaged, figures seems a bit high, I hv for the JG, 59 planes lost or damaged, pilots 19 dead 9 wounded, 1 missing, hv you the losses for the ZG to complete ???

REMI

[Tom Semenza]

Eugen,

In your posting you mention that Ofw. Franz Meissl was an Experte with 11 Abschüsse. I have found only 2 possible claims for him in Tony Wood's lists, a Spitfire on 17.04.43 with 9./ZG 26 and another Spitfire on 8.10.43 with 6./ZG 1. Do you have information on his other claims or any further biographical details?

Thanks,

Tom