Luftwaffe claims in MTO, 1945

[micky]

Hello friends, an old witness told me about an air combat over appennines in the first months of 1945. He saw a p-38 shot down by a german planes. I have searched in the area and i have found that a P-38 was found crashed in a stream river in this date, in the hills south of Reggio Emilia (Vezzano).
Anyone can check for me the 1945 MTO luftwaffe claims? i'm trying to identify the pilot, thanks in advance

[Nick Beale]

There weren't any Luftwaffe fighter units in Italy after early September 1944, only NAG 11 with Bf 109s and a few Fw 190s but I don't know of any claims by them in 1945.

The Italian I. and II. Gruppi Caccia of the ANR did make some P-39 (or F-6) claims in 1945 but these were mistaken. On 22 June 1944, Serg. Petrignani of I. Gr.C. shot down the P-38 of Lt. Tolmie of 97th FS between Bologna and Ferrara.

I think you might be better off looking at early 1944, when aerial combat over Italy was much more frequent than in the period after Rome fell in June of that year.

[micky]

Thank you Nick, as ever the old witness statement must be taken carefully...
I must watch in 1944 claims! Thanks again

Mick

[Kutscha]

Were not the Italians flying 109s? Just because the old man said German planes does not mean they were flown by Germans.

[Nick Beale]

Yes, the ANR were flying Bf 109s in 1945, some with all-German markings even (see the recent F. D'Amico & G.Valentiini book from Classic Pulications on ANR Camouflage and Markings).

The problem was not the nationality of the fighters, more about who if anyone shot down a P-38 in 1945 over Italy and (IIRC) no one actually did, they just claimed they had.