Bf 109 massacre of 24 March 1945 (359th FG)

[John Manrho]

I have the following losses;

1) Bf 109K-4, 332632, 2./JG 27, Uffz. Walter Neumann, born 28.9.1921, reported missing. Can't find him in the VDK-Datenbank and he is listed in the DRK-Bildlisten, therefore still MIA in 1950's and probably still is.

2) Bf 109K-4, 333909, 1./JG 27, Uffz. Erich Flickinger, born 23.2.1925,
KIA. Buried Ehrenfriedhof Geseke Block 8, Reihe 2, Grab 27.

3) Bf 109K-4, 332576, 1./JG 27, Uffz. Josef Bursch, born 21.8.1923,
KIA. Buried Ehrenfriedhof Geseke Block 8, Reihe 2, Grab 24. (VDK says birthyear is 1922)

4) Bf 109K-4, 331379, 2./JG 27, Uffz. Günter Hurler, born 27.12.1922,
KIA. Buried Ehrenfriedhof Geseke Block 8, Reihe 2, Grab 25. (VDK says first name is Gustav)

Unfortunately the loss report (NVM) does not list the Kennzeichen. The white number indicates an 1st Staffel a/c.

Hope this helps.

John.

[John Manrho]

And before anybody shouts....who is in Grave 26.....???:

Stabsintendant Erich Kruse, born 30.3.1912. Stabsintendant of I./JG 27 and killed in strafing on 24.3.1945.

cheers,

John.

[odybvig]

According to Werner Girbig's book: Start im Morgengrau:
Over Störmede, at the time home base of I./JG 27, it was a battle with big number of Mustangs. Four Bf 109 from I./JG 27 and eight from III./JG 27 was lost (or as he write; Pilot lost). All Bf 109 K-4
No reference given

And, still cant find them im Gen.Qu.Abt 6 lists that I have
Anyone with the Namentliche Verlustmeldungen (NVM) for III./JG 27?

Best
Olve Dybvig

[Richard Goyat]

I second John Manrho in that it may have been I./JG 27, but III./JG 27 can’t be ruled out without further examination.

According to Werner Girbig in “Start im Morgengrauen”, I./JG 27 lost 7 pilots (4 KIA and 3 WIA), while III./JG 27 lost 9 pilots (8 KIA and 1 WIA), all in the Osnabrück, Teutoburger Wald and Störmede area. With 13 pilots lost (not taking into account the three wounded on the ground), I. and III./JG 27 may well have lost something like 20 aircraft. Since the 359th FG claimed “only” 13 aircraft destroyed, it is clear that another US fighter unit engaged JG 27 that day.

This fighter unit was without doubt the 357th Fighter Group, which claimed 16 Me 109s destroyed SW, W and N of Gütersloh, that is some 30 km North from Störmede.

To determine which fighter group engaged which JG 27 Gruppe, times of combat must be taken into account. The 357th FG engaged first, from 12:10 to 13:00, then the 359th clashed over Störmede/Eikeloh from 13:00 to 13:20.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the Prien’s books with me, but they may contain more precise data about the losses of both German units, as well as information about the time of combat.

Now, RT, JG 300 was definitely not involved in this combat. It lost at least six Bf 109s and many more Fw 190s, but later in the day in the Göttingen area. This is another story, told in a recent book (for the time being available in French only).

Richard Goyat

[Skyraider3D]

Many thanks for the help! Very interesting!

I suppose if III/JG 27 was involved too, then the aircraft in the guncam still could be one of 9/JG 27 as well?

Also, being K-4 models (with retractable tail wheel) it means the aircraft were having their gear down. This seems a bit odd for the altitude at which the guncam shot seems to have been taken.


In any case I'm impressed how far we've come in a matter of hours!

Again, thanks very much for your help.

Originally Posted by odybvig

it was a battle with big number of Mustangs

According to the 359th FG records, twenty 369th FS Mustangs were involved (as 24 took off and 4 aborted).

[Skyraider3D]

I've tried finding Störmede airfield... or what's left of it after 60+ years. It should be somewhere south of the town (the map is 7x7 km).



The area on the right looks interesting... that's where the rail line is too (Störmede airfield had a rail connection).

Related links:
http://www.terraserver.com/imagery/i...0&t=pan&OL=Off
http://www.multimap.com/map/browse.c...=9&scale=50000
http://www.geseke.de/stadtinfos/gesc...p_auto_350.php

[RT]

JG300 Losses just given, because one ask for,the book you speak about is publicised/ in english/ at Schmidt's site is it avalaible by now ? is the english edition more complete than the french one??

you speak about 3 wounded, I hv Kaspar +König, the third one is Massopust ???seems to hv been wounded while flying /3.JG27/

John, just a confirmation, stabsintendent not flying pers. ???

III.JG27, no detail of the place just "LFK", all K-4, 8 total loss /at least 3 of 11.jg27/+ 1, % unkown, 8 T + 1 wounded.

RT
Remi Tracanelli

[Skyraider3D]

Just as a side note, I just noticed that in Tony Wood's Luftwaffe claims list, FhjFw Walter Arnold of 9/JG 27 claims a Mustang destroyed. Unfortunately the time isn't known. Could he have claimed the one 359th FG Mustang that got merely damaged or was one of the 357th FG Mustangs lost in the earlier battle? I didn't find an MACR for the 357th for that date.

[Nick Beale]

Lw.Kdo. West's evening report supplement for 24 March says:

III./JG 27: 18 Bf 109 from 1210-1230 fighter sweep in Bocholt area. Air combat with 20 Mustangs. Successes: 2 Mustangs definitely, and 1 probably shot down. Casualties: 7 killed, 2 missing, 2 wounded; 11 aircraft lost, 2 missing, 4 damaged.

(Source: translation in National Archives AIR20/7891)

[Skyraider3D]

Thanks Nick!
This must have been from the clash with the 357th FG as the 359th didn't enter the scene until 1 PM.