274 Squadron 24 December 1944

[Nokose]

On the 24 December 1944 the 274 Squadron shot down some Fw 190. Can anyone advise who were the pilots, location and times of the claims.

[SteveR]

I believe there was only 1 claim by 274 Squadron on 24 December 1944:

S/L Evan Mackie, 1245 hours, location given as Eindhoven in the Combat Report and as E.5205 in the ORB.

Sources: 274 Sq. Form 540 for Dec 44 (AIR 27/1591/23), 274 Sq. Form 541 for Dec 44 (AIR 27/1591/24) and Mackie Combat Report (AIR 50/107/11).

There was a thread about this combat here on ToCH back in 2010:

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...ighlight=Kosse

[Nokose]

SteveR, Thank You. From what I have read it, probably wasn’t Kosse. The Typhoons were jumped by IV/JG 54 and looking to determine which Typhoon Squadron thatthey hit.

[SteveR]

In the linked thread John Manrho and xraymmx may it clear that Mackie's victim was Lt. Rieckhoff of 1./JG 6.

I've read somewhere (probably here on ToCH, though I can't remember at the moment) that Kosse was downed by Lt.Col. Riddle of the 479th FG (his kill was shared with 2Lt. Hoffman; the 479th was on P-51s by that time).

Do you have a location for IV./JG 54's combat? JFV 13/V lists 2 claims by Lt. Resch over P-47s at 1245 and 1248 hours but no location.

3 Squadron RAF (Tempests) claimed a Bf 109 4 miles NE of Malmédy at 1230 hours (Thiele) and a Fw 190 (long nose) south of Stavelot at 1230 hours (Dryland).

[Nokose]

In Christopher Shores and Clive Williams book ACES HIGH, it listed in the notes it was probably a Fw 190 from IV|JG 54. I have checked Prien’s JFV 13/V for their losses that day. All of the ones with known pilots lost were not in the Eindhoven area. There was one loss to air combat that listed unknown pilot, location and only list IV/JG 54 Fw 190 A. In “To Win The Winter Sky” it describes this battle but lists Lt Paul Brandt as IV/JG 54 pilot. I have checked his crash location, which was not in that area. The other two known pilots were not in that area either. So the hunt continues.

[SteveR]

Some possibilities:

193 Squadron RAF (Typhoons) fought what they said were "50+ 109s and 190s" east of enschede. No time given; Shores puts it at approximately 1120 hours.

197 Squadron RAF (Typhoons) was "attacked out of the sun by 12 x M.E. (sic) 190s near Gronau 10 miles east of Enschede." No time given; Shores puts it at approximately 1200 hours.

Sources: 193 Squadron ORB, 197 Squadron ORB, Shores & Thomas 2nd Tactical Air Force vol. 2.

[SteveR]

Something interesting: 197 Squadron's ORB states that they were under accurate medium flak as the combat commenced. JFV 13/V states that Lt. Kurt Bell (wounded) of 15./JG 54 made a belly landing at Düsseldorf at 1310 hours due to flak.

I realize this proves nothing but it is interesting.

[Nokose]

Yes, I noticed that Lt. Kurt Bell claimed an Auster (7) at 12:50 with no location. Fw. Norbert Seidl of 2./JG 26 claimed an Auster (2) no time at 05 Ost/QM-2/6. I know that one Auster has been given credit to I/JG 26. So Kurt Bell was had about 20 minutes from his claim and landing.