Erich Gerlitz I./JG5 KIA 1944/03/16

[Henry Jones]

Dear all,

in the last days I got several eyewitness reports about the crash of Major Erich Gerlitz, Kdr. I./JG 5 near Gussenstadt (near Ulm) on 1944/03/16. The reports mentioned also the crash of USAF pilot Ernest R. Skilton on the same day on the same Location. About the US loss and Skilton I got already several documents (IDPF, MACR...). But about the loss of Gerlitz I only have very small information.

Did someone have more information about the loss of Gerlitz? Still exists a Namentliche Verlustmeldung (NVM) or other documents?

Thank you in advance
Alex

[Matti Salonen]

1944-03-16, Stab I/JG 5, Bf 109 G-6, 162471, << schw, Eibach bei Waldhausen
Flugzeugführer Major Gerlitz, Erich, +
Abgeschoßen von Thunderbolt. Bruch 100 %. Major Gerlitz mit Fallschirm abgesprungen, aber der Schirm öffnete nicht.

Matti

[Kaczmarek]

Hi Alex,

I have Waldhausen near Geislingen, 100 metres north of the railyard by the track.

Rgds, René

[ghostwriter]

hello,

KIA 16 March, 1944 in aerial combat with a P-47 when he was Kdr of I/JG-5. He managed to bail out, but was too low for his chute to deploy.

source: http://www.aircrewremembered.com/Kra...ase/?q=Gerlitz


regards
ghost

[Nick Hector]

Erich Gerlitz's victims and overclaims:


1st claim
16.10.39/1605
Potez 637
Heltersberg
No. 42 of GR II/52. Lt. Jean-Marie Pinczon du Sel (pilot) and Cne. Henri Marie Gabriel Belbeze KIA, Sgt-Chef Andre Vergne WIA
2nd claim
13.6.40/1325
Bloch MB151
Provins
No details known. Overclaim?
3rd claim
13.6.40/1820
Blenheim
Coulommiers/Sezanne
P6925/UX-Z of 82 sqn. P/O R E Williams, Sgt. D Carbutt and Sgt. A S Beeby all believed to be unhurt

4th claim
21.7.40/1515
Hurricane I
S of the Needles, Isle of Wight (Convoy "Peewit")
N3971 of 43 sqn "Fighting Cocks", S/L John Vincent Clarence "Tubby" Badger damaged (aileron jammed by a cannon shell)
5th claim
25.6.41/1025
TacR Hurricane, Z4263 of 6 sqn.
Sidi Barrani
P/O Beresford Arnold Grosvenor KIA
6th claim
26.8.41/0715
Tomahawk
Libya
2 sqn SAAF. AK375 of Maj. St.E "Saint" Truter, KIA and AK372 of Lt. Stephenson, WIA but made it home aircaft declared Cat. E (Maack and Kothmann also claimed)
7th claim
12.10.41/0930
80km SSE of Sollum
Tomahawk
AM396 of 112 sqn. Sgt. Rudolf Maurice Leu RAAF WIA

8th claim
19.10.41/0935
Hurricane II, Z2898 of 1 sqn SAAF
100km SE of Sidi Barrani
Lt. Peter Maxwell Hedley, baled out but parachute got caught on plane's tail - KIA
9th claim
10.12.41/1400
Boston III, Z2182 of 24 sqn SAAF
15km E of Bir Hacheim
Capt F W Goch and crew all KIA except one man appears to have baled out unhurt
10th claim
13.12.41/1400
Tomahawk
E of Tmimi
AK516 of 4 sqn SAAF. Lt. F C Lorentz baled out (safely?)
11th claim
19.12.41/1240
Maryland II
SSE of Benina
1630 of 12 sqn SAAF. Lt R E Stanford POW, his crew were all KIA
12th claim
26.21.41/1140
Reconnaissance Hurricane
E of El Agheila
208 sqn (attached to 33 sqn), F/O Patterson
13th claim
1.1.42/1520
Hurricane
NE of Agedabia
229 sqn, Sgt. Case WIA, returned 3.1.42
14th claim
14.1.42/1533
3km W of Bir el Ginn @ 2000m
Hurricane, 94 sqn, either Sgt. Phillips (first victim in this combat) or Sgt. Dallas Alexander Forder (KIA) Reuter claimed 4 more, so definitely overclaiming between the two of them)
15th claim
27.2.42/0750
Wellington
E of Gambut
Z8423/V of 148 sqn, shot down in flames. P/O D Wisdom and crew all POW

16th claim
27.2.42/0755
Hurricane
W of Gambut
Z5381 of 274 sqn. Sgt. Worthington baled out. Sgt. Harrington also hit, but unclaimed

17th claim
31.5.42/1908
Kittyhawk
El Adem @ 1000m
Opponent not known

18th claim
17.7.42/1033
Spitfire V
NE of El Alamein
AB373/ZX-F of 145 sqn. P/O Weber, baled out WIA (broke his arm)

19th claim
22.2.44/1258
B-17 Flying Fortress
near Muehldorf @ 6100m
Opponent not known

[Teresa Maria]

Apparently, he died because he bailed out too low. This is what DeZeng and Stankey say about him:



GERLITZ, Erich. (DOB: 12.02.12 in Linz?/Austria). 1930-31 attended the Jahresfliegerkurs of the
Austrian Bundesheer. 1935 graduated from the Militärakademie Wiener Neustadt and promo to
Flieger-Lt. 03.38 Lt., Staka Jagdstaffel 5 of Jagdgeschwader II of the Austrian Air Force. 15.03.38
Hptm., appt Staka 3./JG 135. 01.11.38 appt Staka 3./JG 233. 01.05.39 appt Staka 3./JG 51 (to
14.03.40). 16.10.39 Hptm., 3./JG 51. c.14.03.40 appt Staka 7./JG 2. 03.05.40 Hptm., in 8./JG 2.
13.06.40 Hptm., 1./JG 1 13.10.40 appt Staka Erg.St./JG 27 (to 11.04.41). 17.04.41 Hptm., appt
Staka 2./JG 27 (to 25.12.41?). 25.06.41 Hptm., 2./JG 27. 10.41 appt Staka 7./JG 27 (to 25.12.41).
25.12.41 Hptm., appt Kdr. II./JG 27 (to 20.05.42). 14.01.42 Hptm., II./JG 27. 20.05.42 Maj., Kdr.
III./JG 53 (to 31.10.42). c.21.05.42 Hptm., appt Kdr. III./JG 53 (to 10.42). 25.01.43 Maj., awarded
the Ehrenpokal. 17.03.43 Maj., with Höheren Kdo. der Jagd- und Zerstörerschulen, ordered
temporary duty to Dt.Lw.-Mission in Rumänien. 25.01.43 Maj., awarded Ehrenpokal. 05.43 Maj.,
appt Kdt. JFS Galatz/Dt.Lw.-Mission in Rumänien (to 1944). 25.01.44 Maj., appt Kdr. I./JG 5 (to
16.03.44 KIA). 22.02.44 Maj., Stab I./JG 5. 16.03.44 Maj., Kdr. I./JG 5 KIA - Bf 109 G-6
(BF+BU) shot down by a P-47 East of Ulm/Wurt., bailed out but too low to survive the fall. Credited
with 15 air victories.

[Henry Jones]

Thank you so much for your help.
Now I can do further researches!