Ju-188 versus intruder on 29th December 1944

[landser88]

Hello to all,
I have got one question.
During this night was a Junkers Ju-188 A3+RD from KG 200 on flight from Bergamo to Roma and back (a special duty). Over the Bolsena Sea, North of Roma was the Junkers attacked from two or three Mosquitos. After a long fight escaped the Junkers in extremely low flight over the sea narrow the Island Elba.
Which unit could be involved into this action? Any shot down being reported this night?

With regards

Miro

[Nick Beale]

What is your source for the story of the Mosquito attacks, Günther Gellermann's book?

There was a I./KG 200 operation that night from 0105-0355 (see the attached document for the Luftwaffe's report of the night's operations) but no rport of any attack or casualty.

RAF Mosquito units operating over Italy at the time were Nos. 256 and 600 Squadrons; from the USAAF there was the 416th NFS. I am not aware of any claim by these units (or any reported contact). The Operations Record Books of the two RAF Squadrons are available for download from the UK National Archives.

[landser88]

Hello Nick,
my source is of course G. Kellerman's book, where is the story without date described. But I have got the logbook from the bordfunker FW Karl Düsterberg with the exactly date.
Flight no. 366 JU-188 A3+RD Bergamo-Roma on 29.12.1944 Tageszeit 0441 Flugdauer 157 1100 Kilometer. Bemerkungen (Notize): Rom Nachtjäger Tiefflug.
In memory on this night-fight made Karl Düsterberg the nice aquarel picture, published on cover of Keleermann' book.

Thank you for oyur quick answer.

Many regards

Miro

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by landser88

Hello Nick,
my source is of course G. Kellerman's book, where is the story without date described. But I have got the logbook from the bordfunker FW Karl Düsterberg with the exactly date.
Flight no. 366 JU-188 A3+RD Bergamo-Roma on 29.12.1944 Tageszeit 0441 Flugdauer 157 1100 Kilometer. Bemerkungen (Notize): Rom Nachtjäger Tiefflug.
In memory on this night-fight made Karl Düsterberg the nice aquarel picture, published on cover of Keleermann' book.

Thank you for your quick answer.

Many regards

Miro

I have a different edition of the Gellermann book — no painting on the cover. I do have Düsterberg's name in a list of Kdo. Carmen members given by a Bordfunker, Fw. Karl Blask, to Allied interrogators in October 1945. The report says that Ltn. Thurnhuber was "probably in camp at Taranto" but does not reveal which others were prisoners. It just says Blask was one of six in Allied hands.

This A3+RD was replaced an earlier another that had been destroyed in an accident on 19 September 1944 (it hit power lines west of Bergamo).

There is a lot about »Carmen« operations in "Air War Italy 1944–45" the book I co-wrote with Ferdinando D'Amico and Gabriele Valentini (Airlife Publishing, 1996) but I'm always interested to learn more about this unit.

[landser88]

Well I know Gellermann's book too, but my primary sources are logbook and private contact to Karl Düsterberg, Georg Kellerman's book: Feindflüge in Russland und Norditalien 1943-1945. He was Kampfbeobachter in Josef Thurnhuber’s crew in the I./KG 200 Commando Carmen. He wrote a private book from his logbook as a gift only for the other crew members. The other members were Lt. Josef "Sepp" Thurnhuber (FF), FW Karl Düsterberg (Bordfunker), FW Hans Sievers (Bordmechaniker) and Uffz Andreas "Reser" Stark (Bordschütze).

The first plane piloted by the Thurnhuber's crew was the Ju-188 A3 + TB. On 17th May 1944 transfered from Finsterwalde to Bergamo, following some special duty flights. During the crew was on holiday, was the plane A3 + TB on 13th August 1944 destroyed by an accident in Bergamo, there was the whole crew of Lt Klingohr killed. After that the crew got a new plane Ju-188 A3 + RD.
This plane was destroyed on 26th April 1945 on airfield Bergamo during an air raid. The plane was being prepared to start next day to Spain.
Again personal evidence from Kellermann and Düsterberg.

The whole crew was after the war between July-August 1945 in a camp 6a in Rimini/Italy.
Unfortunatelly I do not have the book "Air War Italy 1944–45". Must be very interessting!
I am working on a story about Thurnhuber's crew. They flew complete the whole war together! Only from July till October 1944 was Düsterberg (illness) replaced by another Bordfunker.
Miro