Me210 loss Oct 14, 1943

[Tony Kambic]

Anyone have anything on Me210 shoot downs by B-17 during Oct 14, 1943 Schweinfurt raid?

I have a diary entry from a 94th BG tail gunner tracking an Me210 closing in, firing a rocket which knocked off the wing tip of the B-17, and then the tail gunner fired from 600 to 200 yards, hitting the Me210 right engine. He then witnessed the Me210 right wing folded over, one crew bailed out and then plane went down in flames. He stated other crew did not get out, makes me wonder if it was an Me110.

Tony

[G.R.Morrison]

Here are two that might fit:

Me 410A-1 WNr.420125 of 8./ZG 1 (ZG 26), coded 2N+ES, Staffelkapitän Oblt. Heinz Wilhelm & Bordfunker Uffz. Günther Herden KIA 14.Oct. 1943, parachuted following aerial combat, 7km south of Werneck, near Schweinfurt.

Me 410A-1 WNr.110040 of 8./ZG 1 (ZG 26) coded 2N+GS, Fw. August Rosin KIA 14.Oct. 1943 in aerial combat, Bordfunker (unnamed) parachuted. Friedberg/Hessen (near Frankfurt am Main per loss & Vasco’s Sting of the Luftwaffe).

However, I would take with 'three grains of salt' claims made by defensive gunners, who were notoriously 'enthusiastic' when it came to debriefing. Yes, they killed or wounded plenty of attackers over the course of the campaign, but also overclaimed by implausible margins. Regarding 14.October, bomber gunners claimed 186 Luftwaffe aircraft 'destroyed,' 27 'probably destroyed,' and 89 'damaged.' The Luftwaffe had 34 machines destroyed, 29 damaged, 16 aircrew killed, 13 wounded.

GRM

[Tony Kambic]

Thanks GRM.

I am well aware of the enthusiastic overclaiming by gunners on the bombers.

What is interesting about this is that the daughters never knew their father had a diary and just discovered it when he passed recently. He was very detailed about the attack and shoot down, even listing the amount of rounds fired. He did not list the aircraft markings which I know is also usually asked for in debriefings.

But this aircrewman's encounter was written up in Martin Caidin's 'Black Thursday' in 1960, except that the writeup states the Me210 attacked with 20 mm cannon fire and does not say a rocket was fired. The tail gunner's last name is Brown and he is with the 94th BG.

I gave away my copy of Black Thursday a long time ago and am having a friend who has the book see if there is a source in the bibliography for the encounter.

The Ballantine Book about the Schweinfurt Raid notes the rocket attacks by the Me210s.

Tony