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Old 11th December 2012, 08:05
Nick Hector Nick Hector is offline
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JG 54 Victories against the US 8th Air Force

As a return favour to Nokose and all of our Russian friends who have so generously contributed to the "JG 52 Victories" thread, I thought I would compile some info on III/JG 54's 8th Air Force victims and share it on the board. The purpose is for any Russian historian who is compiling individual victory lists of JG 54 pilots (and their corresponding victims) to be able to complete their records. I hope to be able to help them as much as they have helped me. Enjoy!

17.4.43.
Reinhard Seiler shot down B-17F-10-BO Flying Fortress 41-24459/LL-B "Hellzapoppin" of 401st BS, 91st BG. 1/Lt. John W Wilson and four others KIA, remaining five crewmen all KIA. The loss is also attributed to the well-known Heinz Knoke and it seems they might have doubled up on their claims for this one.
Friedrich Erlenkaemper shot down B-17F-40-BO Flying Fortress 42-5172/LL-Z "Thunderbird" of 401st BS, 91st BG. Lt. Harold H Beasley and one other KIA, remaining 8 crewmen all POW. Joe Baugher website says he also actually claimed 41-24459/LL-B "Hellzapoppin" of 401st BS, 91st BG.
Hans-Ekkehard Bob shot down B-17F-30-BO Flying Fortress 42-5070/LL-A "Invasion II" of 401st BS, 91st BG. Capt. Oscar D O'Neill Jr and crew all POW.

14.5.43
Rudolf Klemm shot down B-24D-5-CO Liberator 41-23819/A "Rugged Buggy" of 68th BS, 44th BG. 1/Lt. Malcolm C Howell and one other KIA, remaining 8 crewmen all POW

15.5.43
As described in Losses of the 8th & 9th Air Forces vol. 1, B-17F-30-DL 42-3173/DS-R "Spare Ball" of 511th BS, 351st BG, was attacked by 5 Bf109s who kept attacking it in turns until it crashed into the sea. Lt. Joseph A Meli Jnr and crew were all KIA. To me it seems Oblt. Froehlich, Rudolf Patzak, Karl Weber, Horst Sack and (possibly) Friedrich Rupp were likely the "five Bf109s" that finished it off. Franck Ruffino's Heinz Knoke website credits the loss to aerial bombing by Helmut Lennartz.

19.5.43
Rudolf Patzak shot down B-17F-40-BO 42-5155/XK-T of 365th BS, 305th BG. 1/Lt. William F Higgins and 6 others POW, remaining 3 crewmen all KIA. At least one source says there was an evader.

21.5.43
Hans Hermann apparently claimed a Liberator but this is likely a misidentification or overclaim as it seems no B-24s were lost on this date.

13.6.43
Siegfried Schnell shot down B-17F-65-BO Flying Fortress 42-29715/GL- "Klo Kay" of 332nd BS, 94th BG. Capt. Bolling H Rawlinson POW, rest of crew all KIA.
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Old 12th December 2012, 13:31
Laurent Rizzotti Laurent Rizzotti is offline
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Re: JG 54 Victories against the US 8th Air Force

Hi, Nick, can you please give your sources.

Here are two more JG 54 claims linked to Allied losses in the West:

07.11.44 Oblt. Hans Dortenmann: 23 12./JG 54 P-47  JQ-1: 1.800 m. [Münster/Handorf] 15.30 Film C. 2031/II Anerk: Nr. –
07.11.44 Fw. Hans Hegener (1?) 12./JG 54 P-51  HQ-1: 800 m. [Ringel/W. Lengerich] 15.38 Film C. 2031/II Anerk: Nr. -
Tempest V EJ632 of 274 Sqn RAF shot down (Flt Sgt R C Cole captured)
Tempest V EJ686 of 274 Sqn RAF returned to base badly damaged and not repaired (Flt Lt J A Malloy)
Source: 2nd TAF book by Shores and co
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Old 12th December 2012, 22:00
alessandro bray alessandro bray is offline
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Re: JG 54 Victories against the US 8th Air Force

Hi,

another contribution

29.07.43 Fw. Hans Wülfers 8./JG 54 claimed 2 P-47 in the Haarlem-Ijmuiden area at 11.00 and 11.03

56 FG lost in the very same area and time 1lt Robert Steele POW in P-47D-1 42-7887 and another P-47 was reported category B dam in combat with Bf109.

Alessandro
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Old 13th December 2012, 10:36
Nick Hector Nick Hector is offline
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Re: JG 54 Victories against the US 8th Air Force

Sources are mostly the 8th & 9th losses volumes and Joe Baugher's website combined with Tony Wood's claims list.

13.6.43 (Continued)
Hans Herrmann and Albert Erte both appear to have claimed B-17F-5-BO Flying Fortress 42-3107/AW- "Miss Carriage" of 337th BS, 96th BG. 2/Lt. Robert M Webster and one other POW, remaining 8 crewmen all KIA

25.6.43
Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart shot down B-17F-90-BO Flying Fortress 42-30165/FR-E of 524th BS, 379th BG. Pilot named Hartman 2 KIA and 8 POW

28.7.43
Rudolf Patzak shot down B-17F-50-DL 42-3345 "Paper Doll" of 338th BS, 96th BG. Crew all POW

29.7.43
Hans Wulfers shot down P-47D-1-RE 42-7887/LM-J of 62nd FS, 56th FG. Lt. Robert J Steele POW (came down Zandvoort) and appears to have damaged another which made it back to base.

30.7.43
Siegfried Schnell shot down P-47C-2-RE 41-6248/WD- of 335th FS, 4th FG. Lt. Frederick D Merritt KIA. This one may also have been claimed by Rolf Hermichen.

30.8.43
Siegfried Schnell claimed a P-47. Seems to be overclaiming. No P-47 missions flown this date, nor RAF sorties at this time

9.10.43
Rudolf Klemm likely shot down B-17F-70-BO Flying Fortress 42-29778/LG-M of 322nd BS, 91st BG. 2/Lt. Alexander W Stewart and 5 others KIA, remaining 4 crewmen all POW.
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Old 14th December 2012, 04:05
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Re: JG 54 Victories against the US 8th Air Force

Oscar O'Neill and his crew Invasion II were well documented in Tex McCrary's excellent book "First of the Many", Simon Schuster NY 1944. IIRC they went down over Huls on their 22nd mission. They were in the running with "Hells Angels", "Memphis Belle" and "Knockout Dropper" to be first to make 25 missions.
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Old 14th December 2012, 04:06
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Re: JG 54 Victories against the US 8th Air Force

It would be intersting to know how many of the JG 54 pilots survived the war in the West.
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Old 14th December 2012, 10:15
Nick Hector Nick Hector is offline
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Re: JG 54 Victories against the US 8th Air Force

Drgondog,

Thanks for the info on mission tallies, I did not know that. It really goes to show how much interesting trivia you can learn on this wonderful forum.

Nick
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Old 14th December 2012, 15:46
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Re: JG 54 Victories against the US 8th Air Force

Nick - I highly recommend McCrary's book. Exceptional personal interest insight to the crews of the Eighth from the beginning through Jan 1944.

Regards,
Bill Marshall
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