Night fighter shot down by Airgunner JU52

[Ben McKinnon]

This report was written by 2 transportfliegergeschwader 4
On the night of 29/August/1944 the crew of JU 52 G6+KR, oberleutnant Dorge and Feldwebel Frosch had a difficult air battle with a persistent night fighter. In the end the enemy plane a mosquito was shot down by Gefrieter Von Lorenz Airgunner.
Apparently was flying from Heraklion to Athens, strange thing was they thought it was an American ??, and. was reported as such to German newspapers. I have looked into this but cannot find an aircraft brought down on this night, can anyone help solve this mystery ???. Lorenz was promoted to Unteroffizier for this and was killed end of January 1945 at Posen shot down by anti aircraft fire.

Thanks Ben

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Ben,

Checked some 416th and 417th Night Fighter Squadron sites, and got no joy either with the loss of a machine (Beaufighter) or airmen on the night of 29th to 30th August 1944.

Was it a daylight claim? If so, we must only consider the 29th August 1944.

The Historian who may have the clue and answer for you is NICK BEALE.

If we are dealing with a daylight claim, it may be probable that the machine was from a RAF Squadron.

Have tried to find some registered losses at CGWC between the dates, but gave up at page 7 or 8....there are some 17 pages to look at, checking Squadrons, etc...perhaps a good stard?

Cheerio
Adriano

[Ben McKinnon]

Thanks for the information. Yes it was definitely a night Attack apparently German Air Sea Rescue pulled an American SGT out of the water where he had been for almost forty hours and he confirmed the report that he had been shot down whilst attacking a ju52.


It is a mystery but was investigated and confirmed by the squadron as a kill.
Just don't know if it was a mosquito for sure with an American SGT on board ?

Perhaps a Canadian SGT ? Not sure but shall try the war graves.

Hi Adriano checked Beaufighter losses for 30 August 603 SQN.

Turns out that a Beaufighter NV213/5 was lost on a night intruder mission north of Crete crew comprised of a Canadian pilot F/O Soderland and Navigator FLT SGT Nichol both taken POW.

So I reckon this was the one, based on the area of operations and the fact that there was a Canadian pilot flying the aircraft seems to fit the bill, what do you think ?

Ben

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Adriano Baumgartner

Ben,

The Historian who may have the clue and answer for you is NICK BEALE.

Cheerio
Adriano

I don't think I would have anything on this, unfortunately.

[Orwell1984]

Originally Posted by Ben McKinnon

Turns out that a Beaufighter NV213/5 was lost on a night intruder mission north of Crete crew comprised of a Canadian pilot F/O Soderland and Navigator FLT SGT Nichol both taken POW.

So I reckon this was the one, based on the area of operations and the fact that there was a Canadian pilot flying the aircraft seems to fit the bill, what do you think ?

Ben

Two small fixes to the above. The Beaufighter was NV213/S. And it's Soderlund, not land.
see here:
http://aviationarchaeology.gr/wp-con...1941-19464.pdf

But your identification of the aircraft seems spot on.
Interview with Harold Soderlund in 2016 when he was 94
https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/...urvived-276007

On the night of August 30, 1944, Soderlund was on patrol over the Aegean Sea north of Crete.
"All of a sudden I saw the silhouette of a Junkers 52 (an easily recognized, three-engined German plane, used to transport troops and/or supplies)."
"I pressed the cannon-firing buttons but I don't think I hit him," Soderlund said.
"The next thing that happened was that I nearly collided with a second Junkers 52…I turned to get behind him (to attack) and then bullets battered into my aircraft and it disabled my port engine."
Soderlund's Beaufighter began to descend for a crash-landing on the surface of the Aegean Sea.
"I felt a bump at the back of the aircraft, that was the tail wheel touching the water, and in a few seconds the plane slid under the water…(before that) I hit my head on the windscreen but I didn't get knocked out, I grabbed the escape hatch lever overhead and climbed out onto the wing and into the water, and we inflated our Mae Wests (a nickname for inflatable life preservers)."
"So there we were (Soderlund and his navigator Ian Nichol, who was uninjured), both in the water, but the sea was calm and warm."
"The plane was supposed to be equipped with a two-man dinghy, but in the moonlight I saw a square package floating, which was a one-man dinghy, I pulled it open and we climbed onto that…Ian sat on the back and I sat on the front, my legs dangling in the water."
"We saw a Swedish hospital ship about a mile away and we tried to signal it with a little light we had, but they didn't see us."
"We realized it was gone, and we accepted the situation we were in."
The two men spent two days in that helpless state before being picked up by a German patrol boat.
"We were now prisoners of war."

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Am really happy to know that the mistery and identification of the Beaufighter (I really thought it was one) was found!

Thanks to all for solving the puzzle....

The 603 Squadron ORB would be of help too, I guess....

A.

[Orwell1984]

Longer presentation on Soderlund's life with a bit more detail about the night he was shot down:
http://www.clubrunner.ca/Data/6290%5...lund_Story.pdf

[Ben McKinnon]

Thank you so much for your help with the answers to my questions, what a great story and a great journey this man had, no wonder he never forgot any of the details.

Regards
Ben