100 Group Fortress III shot down by nightfighters?

[keith A]

Were any of 100 Groups Flying Fortress MkIII shot down by German nightfighters? I came across the Airfix site showing model of one from 214 Squadron and wondered if any claims were made for these aircraft.

regards

Keith

[Theo Boiten]

Hi Keith,

Eight 214 Squadron Fortresses were actually shot down and an est. four damaged by German night fighters during WWII.

Cheers, Theo

[hanshauprich]

Hello,
as one example: Major Martin Becker's (NJG 6) Bordfunker Ltn. Karl Johannsen shoot down with his 13mm MG 131 an B-17 on 15. March 1945 near Crailsheim.
He was able to shoot two more 4-engines wit hhis MG 131 during that nigt.
At all the crew shoot down 10 heavies during that night.
h.

[keith A]

Many thanks chaps. I assume Johannsens claims are credited to Becker? According to Kacha there were 9 claims, the remaining eight being Lancasters. Previous posts on this forum (it seems very little has not been analysed on this forum indicate overclaiming but that's not unusua.)

My ignorance of both Fortress MkIII operations and nightfighter gunners shows I had thought B-17 credits were day claims only or misidentifications.

best regards

Keith

[Nick Beale]

My ignorance of both Fortress MkIII operations and nightfighter gunners shows

If you want to follow up, there are at least three books on No. 100 Group:

"Confounding the Reich" by Martin Bowman
"Confound and Destroy" by Martin Streetly
"The Aircraft of 100 Group", also by Streetly.

Streetly's two books you'd probably have to track down second hand, they date back to the eighties.

[RodM]

Hi Keith,

214 Squadron lost seven Fortress IIs to enemy action during 1945, and three more received damage inflicted by night fighters. One Fortress II received damage from what was assessed as Light Flak (but this could have been night fighter damage).

Of the seven destroyed, four can be conclusively linked to air combat claims by specific Nachtjagd crews, and the remaining three appear also to have been claimed by night fighters, although identifies of the victorious crews are not known.

Of the three damaged by night fighters, one can be conclusively linked to an air combat claim by specific Nachtjagd crew.

Cheers

Rod

[JägerMarty]

Any documented cases of Schrage Musik attacks during the day I wonder?