Ar 234, F1 + AS Friedrich Bruchlos, KG 76

[Horst Kube]

Hello friends, I have an original, bigger metal part of the underwing with the Balkenkreuz insignia from the over the bridge of Remagen shot down Ar 234. Now I look for photos from the pilot, Oberfeldwebel Friedrich Bruchlos and/or photos from this plane F1 + AS.

Can anyone help me, in which edition I can find photos from the plane and/or nearer informations about the pilot Friedrich Bruchlos?

Thanks in advance,
Horst

[Heuser]

Hello Horst!
You´ll find some informations in Manfred Griehl´s Arado 234 Book, including a coloured side view drawing. Further I have a page from the "Rhein-Zeitung" (a local newspaper), dated from january 10./11. 1976. It contains the story of the recovery of the F1+AS in october 1975, memories of eyewitnesses and an article about Werner Girbig. The informations about F. Bruchlos:
born 19/02/1919 in Berlin, died 09/03/1945 about 3 p.m. in Niederbreitbach (Neuwied Area).
Heuser

[Horst Kube]

Thank you very much for your help! I have a copy of Girbig's article, but not the Griehl book. This is a good idea and I will look where I can buy it.

All the best,
Horst

[Horst Kube]

Hi,
can anyone tell me more about the former Luftwaffe carreer of OFw. Bruchlos, shot down over Remagen with his Ar 234, F 1 + AS.

I only know, that it was W. Girbig, who found his remainings in the late 60'tees and that he must have been shot down by American ground fire over the bridge.

Questions: Which AA unit brought him down (name, shell sizes) and in which unit/s was he serving before? Which were the former Luftwaffe units of Friedrich Bruchlos?

This would be of most interest.

All the best,
Horst

[modenbach]

Mr. Kube:
My Grandfather, Rolland Steiner, was on the Bofor Antiaircraft gun, 40mm I believe, on top of Erpler Ley. His crew, with him on the firing position on the gun, was the first ground crew to shoot down an AR 234. We have pieces of that jet. I'm not sure if this is the same jet Bruchlos piloted since I believe there were two shot down that first day. We have a video of my grandfather telling the story of the shooting to my children. The "Stars & Stripes" did an article on the shooting and I have a scan of it if you would like it. I don't have the details of his unit's name right now.

Frank Steiner
modenbach@verizon.net

[Heuser]

Gentlemen,

the Arado of Fw. Bruchlos was most propably damaged by AAA, but finally shot down from USAAF-Fighters near Niederbreitbach, about 20 km SE from Remagen. This is verified by various local eyewitness reports from the surrounding villages, dating from 1975/76.

By the way, this is the only loss of an Arado in the vicinity of Remagen in which AAA was involved.

According to W. Dierichs KG 51-book, an Uffz. Alfred Benninger was killed on the same day (09.03.45), the location is gives with Remagen. I don't have any further information about this man, but his unit (KG 51) was equipped with Me 262...

Best regards

Heuser

[Brian Bines]

'Flugzeug' magazine issue3 of 1993 had an article on Remagen featuring the recovery of Ofw Bruchlos' aircraft (b. 17-2-19 in Berlin, married to Margarete Bruchlos)

[modenbach]

Gentlemen: I quote the article from the Battalion newspaper my grandfather saved from his army days.

The Shield 634th AAA AW Battalion
Volume No. 1 Forchheim, Germany July 7, 1945

“At the Remagen Bridgehead With Baker 2”

"The 634th AAA AW Bn claims the first ARADO 234 to be shot down by antiaircraft fire and perhaps the first one shot down by any means. The plane was shot down by Number 2 Gun of the First Platoon of Battery B on the 9th of March 1945 at Erpel, Germany. The 634th, the first ack-ack battalion across the Rhine, had been fighting Hun planes all that day. Suddenly, out of the clouds, dove a German twin-jet plane trying to make a run on the Remagen Bridge. It was immediately spotted by Sergeant Edward Szewczek, who ordered rapid fire. The men on the gun opened up at once and the experience gained from previous encounters with jet-propelled aircraft on the Ruhr took effect instantly. The initial speed estimates of 450 miles per hour resulted in a good lead on the plane on the very first round. The sixth shot from the Bofor scored a direct hit on the fast moving aircraft. It burst into flames and was seen crashing several miles away in territory then held by the Germans.
After the firing had ceased, a discussion developed among the men as to the make of the plane just destroyed. All agreed that it was a German jet job. These men are all proud of their ability to spot and identify any plane that flys. But for once they could come to no agreement. There were two camps. One group said that the plane was probably a Messerschmitt 262 with new modifications in silhouette. The others were convinced that the plane was something entirely new.
Several days after this engagement, Battery B changed its position and moved into territory which had been held by the Boche. Immediately areconnaissance [sp] party led by Lt. Martens was sent out to the place where the plane was reported to have crashed. They found the remains of the plane and the pilot within 100 yards of the co-ordinates they had originally estimated. Investigation of the plane by Captain Richard L. Horton, the battalion intelligence officer, revealed that the plane was a new secret German jet-propelled aircraft which they had designated as the ARADO 234."

My grandfather said some of the story was inaccurate. The third shell was the round that brought it down. The Bofor was set for manual fire because the gun shook too much to readjust the gun for firing on auto. The Ar 234 was hit near the tail and it shot up into the clouds and came straight down to crash, making a hole big enough to drive a tank into. My grandfather loaded the rounds and stepped on the trigger as position #7 man on the gun. Other men on the gun were; Sgt. Szewczek, Cpl. Grabowski, Cpl. Sorensen T/5, Messrs. Pfc's Scannon, Lemirez, Bochosian, Richardson, Hearn and Lemerond, Pvt's Merkley, Chavez, and Steiner.

[pmotch]

I know this is an old thread...
But,
Does anyone know which model of AR234 it was?

Ron Cole (Aviation Artist) has a print (with fragment) of this aircraft, but it shows a C-3 model or V-8.. but just can't believe that version was actually used in combat.

Thanks
Motch

[pmotch]

Horst K...
Did you ever get any pics or more info on the AR?

Motch