Information concerning loss of Uffz. Fritz Fritzlehner - killed 17.08.43

[rickback4444]

Hi,

Can anyone provide information on the loss of Uffz. Fritz Fritzlehner who was a pilot with JG26 and was killed over Antwerp on the 17th August 1943?

Information with his sterbebild mentions Operation Double Strike?

Thanks

Rick

[Rottler]

Hello Rick,

GQM loss return 23 Aug 1943 item 87:
17.8. 12./JG 26 Feindflug Ort: bei Hasselt, Ursache: Absturz nach Luftkampf, Aufschlagbrand
Uffz Fritz Fritzlehner † Bf 109 G-6 WNr. 16494 blaue 16 100%.

Regards
Leo

[Laurent Rizzotti]

According to the book "JG 26 War Diary" by Don Caldwell, Fritzlehner was shot down and killed by bomber return fire at 1210 hrs during the first series of attacks launched by III./JG 26 on the first group of 146 B-17s. III./JG 26 claimed to have damaged 4 B-17s seriously enough to make them drop out of formation but apart from Fritzlehner another pilot, Oblt Hans-Georg Dippel, was shot down and bailed out, and a third one, not named, was wounded and belly-landed near Asperen.

[Rottler]

On 17 Aug 1943 146 B-17s of the 3rd BD were dispatched to attack Regensburg around noon. In the afternoon 230 B-17s of the 1st BD were dispatched to attack Schweinfurt.
Oblt Dippel’s Bf 109 was shot down near Gerolstein in the afternoon. This loss is not related to the first series of attacks on the group of 146 B-17s.
Source: JFV Vol. 10/III (page 113 with footnote 339 to Caldwell’s error).

Regards
Leo