Identity of Allied unit responsible for Hptm Hrdlicka (JG-2) death

[kaki3152]

So, what unit was responsible for shooting down Maj Franz Hrdlicka on March 25,1945? The 9th AF reported 3 Aerial victories on March 25, while the 8th AF only claimed Me-262s on this date.

[RSwank]

Here is a start:

Hrdlicka was shot down by US fighters and killed in action on 25 March 1945 near Betzenrod, present-day a suburb of Schotten, Hesse. His remains were recovered on 8 September 1951. He flew an FW-190.

According to the Air Force Chronology:
3/25/45 Eighth AF Nearly 250 B-24’s bomb oil storage depots near Brunswick, Hamburg, and Lauenburg. 5 ftr gps provide escort. Over 700 B-17’s are recalled because of bad weather. 1 gp of P-51’s bomb ammo dump. (These locations are in Northern Germany.)

3/25/45 Ninth AF 9th Bomb Div hits 4 comm centers, 3 M/Ys, and T/Os, including flak positions. Ftrs fly escort, armed rcn, and missions against several ground tgts. Ftrs spt US 79th Inf Div as it pushes 2 mi to the E of the Rhine (SE of Wesel), III and VII Corps as they begin breakout assault toward Altenkirchen and in Epgert and Willroth areas, and XII Corps as it establishes bridgeheads on the Main in Hanau and Aschaffenburg areas.

It would appear that the 9th AF was in action within 30 miles or so of Betzenrod, so it would appear very possible that 9th AF fighters were involved.
I found four 9th AF pilots with credits for March 25, 1945.

Glenn T Eagleston, 353rd FS, 354th FG.
Neil D Stanley, 391st FS, 366th FG.
Kenneth Wise, 353rd FS, 354th FG.
Robert A Perry, 162nd Tactical Recon Sq, 10th PRG. (3 credited for 25 March)

[kaki3152]

The airplanes were identified as Mustangs, thus negating the 366th FG, which flew P-47s. I would believe the 354th FG was responsible as at least 3 others FW-190Ds were shot down.

[RSwank]

Robert A Perry was credited with 3 planes on 25 March, (while he was flying a F-6 (Mustang)). It appears however, (if this newspaper story is correct), that he shot down 3 ME-109s near Bensheim.

https://www.newspapers.com/article/t...ews/133027618/

[kaki3152]

Interesting. Fw-190Ds were often mistaken as Bf-109.

[RSwank]

Yes, I have seen that before also. I wonder if he took a few shots at the 4th plane that escaped into the clouds. Maybe he actually hit it or the pilot.

[kaki3152]

Just as an interesting tidbit, here's a Translation from "Jagerblatt" April 1970 with some information on the discovery Hptm Hrdlickas plane in Sept 1951

On March 25, 1945, Eichenlaubträger Hptm Franz Hrdlicka, commander of I/JG-2, “Richthofen”, fell after 96 shots.
In September 1951 his plane and body were recovered

We received the following report about this
“As the Gendarmerie district commissioner in Büdingen reports, in the district of Betzenrod (Kr. Büdingen), on the road between Betzenrod and the Oberseener Hof, an airplane was unearthed by a used goods dealer from the Giessen district, which was about six meters in a damp place had drilled deep into the earth. The pilot's body, which was in the cockpit, was buried in the presence of Kreisartz Dr. Spohrer (Scots) safely coffined. Through the identification tags and other objects it was determined that the crashed plane was Captain Franz Hrdlicka, oak leaf carrier with 96 kills, who was shot down on March 25, 1945 during an air combat. A non-commissioned officer with him was shot down and burned to death.
In the dead man's flight combination there was a Walther pistol, 79 Reichmarks in banknotes, 1 handkerchief and the front pilot's ID card, the writing of which was still clearly legible. The parents of the crashed pilot live in Tutzing on Lake Starnberg. They maintained a grave in the cemetery in Nidda, which they assumed contained the remains of their son. The dead man's brothers, who were also informed and also live in Bavaria, identified the body