10 August 1944 and 78th FG USAAF

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello all,

Some gun camera footage of 83rd FS of the 78th FG USAAF shows several strafings of German aircraft on 10 August 1944. As a poor old nightfighter buff, mainly researching Venlo airfield in WW-2, I would appreciate to know more details where 83rd FG went to on that day.

Has somebody access to a narrative somewhere ? Many thanks in advance!

Marcel Hogenhuis / Venlo

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

78th Fighter Group - 10 August 1944.

On August 10 (1944)*, Captain Charles Peal was leading his flight along a railway line near Saarbrucken searching for trains when he spotted twenty to thirty He111s and Ju52s hidden under camouflage nets in the woods beside a large grass field at Chateau Salines. Eleven 83rd Squadron pilots left fourteen of these bombers and transports blazing from their gunnery runs.

* Quotes date as 19 August, which is incorrect.

See:
Eagles of Duxford:The 78th Fighter Group in World War II.
Fry,Garry L.
St. Paul:Phalanx Pub.,1991.
p.75.

Col.

[Nick Beale]

It looks from the attached as if TG 30 may have been the unit concerned.

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello Bruggy and Nick,

Thanks for your quick responses, most appreciated! When I saw the ULTRA snippet, Rouvers did ring a bell: there is a reasonable chance that actually Rouvres-en-Woëvre (NE of Verdun) is meant.

For this Feldflugplatz I have a damaged He219 ! On several occasions, Heinkel documents report that this particular He219 was to be sent (or sent) to Cheb/Eger, but the different dates of these reports strongly suggests, that either this move might not have been effectuated. Can't remember either that Rouvres was described in the Crashed Enemy Aircraft Reports of the Techn.Air Intel. teams...

It's a thin thread between a damaged He219 in Rouvres and 10 August 1944 and I am also worried that the location given by Bruggy is not the same as suggesed by the ULTRA message. To put it in other words: if the 83rd FS never came along Rouvres, the footage does not show strafings of Rouvres Feldflugplatz...

All the best, Marcel

[Larry deZeng]

Marcel -

This is the only airfield in France used by the Luftwaffe with the name Rouvres:

Étain (FR) (a.k.a. Étain-Rouvres) (49 13 25 N – 05 40 45 E)
General: landing ground in E France 39 km WNW of Metz; airfield located 3.25 km ENE of Étain. Lw. Code: Feldflugplatz 617. History: used as a landing ground by the French Air Force in May-Jun 40. No Luftwaffe activity seen there until the beginning of 1943. Surface and Dimensions: grass surface in good condition measuring approx. 1235 x 1415 meters (1350 x 1550 yards) with an irregular shape. No paved runway. Equipped with perimeter lighting, a beam approach system and a probable flare-path. Fuel and Ammunition: had triple refueling points at the NE and SW corners. Infrastructure: there were 2 workshop huts and the SE corner. Personnel were accommodated in the local farms and villages. The nearest rail connection was in Étain. Dispersal: no organized dispersal facilities as of Apr 44 - aircraft were parked along the perimeter or in fields off the E boundary. Defenses: none noted in Apr 44.

The only unit I can find that was actually based there in mid-summer 1944 was Sanitäts-Flugbereitschaft 4. So TGr. 30, which was based at Metz-Diedenhofen at that time, must have been using it as a dispersal field.


You say you are "a poor old nightfighter buff", Marcel. So I am guessing that those two cute kiddies in your avatar are your great-grandchildren?

L.

[Nick Beale]

I think the RAF used Rouvres in 1940 as well. I seem to remember the name from Paul Richey's "Fighter pilot."

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello Larry,

I was just thinking of a honestly meant flattering remark for your most kindly provided details about this airfield, but your last remark is really a way to spoil a good and long lasting intercontinental cooperation between a master of airwar and a curiousdisciple from the Netherlands... But I might get over it next carnaval days and a couple of beers (:-)

I dry my tears and comfort myself that I have at least an avatar which does not scare of you and other repliants of this thread haha!

Back to the subject: Google Maps still show an airfield of after war origin there, funny!

All the best and stop laughing about me,
Marcel

[Tony Kambic]

Good memory Nick. Page 31 of Fighter Pilot by Paul Richey, "Our new airfield was at Vassincourt, near Bar-le-Duc, fifty miles east of Reims. 73 Squadron went to Rouvres, near Verdun, northeast of us" ( October 9, 1939)

[shooshoobaby]

Marcel -
August 10,44
The 82d Sq. , 78th FG Ground claims - 2 Ju 88s destroyed and damaged
near Verdun.
83d Sq. Also had a few Ground claims near Conflans.
Mike

[Larry deZeng]

But I might get over it next carnaval days and a couple of beers (:-)

Enjoy!