Luftwaffe losses March 22/23 1944

[danmac]

I have found the second probable claim made by my uncle, a rear gunner with 429 Squadron, RCAF. It came on the night of March 22/23 during a raid on Frankfurt. Does anyone know of a German night fighter loss on that operation?

According to the 429 Squadron combat report, an unidentified twin-engine aircraft was encountered on the return journey at 21:58 hours. The Halifax bomber was flying at 23,000 feet when it was attacked. The position was given as 49.48N 08.30E. I suspect that might be close to a built up area because the combat report said "the encounter took place just outside a concentrated searchlight belt."

Thanks for any help
Dan McCaffery

[hucks216]

Volume 1 of Nachtjagd War Diaries mentions that 8 nightfighters were lost on that night but it doesn't mention who the NJG crews were.

[danmac]

Thanks

Do the war diaries mention how many nightfighters were lost on the night of Feb. 15/16 during a raid on Berlin? My uncle claimed the first of his two probables on that operation.

Dan McCaffery

[hucks216]

It mentions that 11 nightfighters were lost for the return of 39 claims, 35 of which were officially confirmed (42 bombers were actually lost on this raid).

[rlapes]

Hi Dan
I'm interested to know more about your uncle's claim on 22-23 March 1944 as I am researching the raid on Frankfurt 22-23 March 1944 (my uncle was killed just as they approached the target).

49.48N 08.30E is just west of Mannheim and the claim time of 21:58 would put this aircraft at the front of the bomber stream.
There are no other reports from other crews of combats in this area at this time.

Do you have any more details that you can post?

What was his name, what crew did he fly with, what a/c did he claim etc?

Does anyone have the locations of the 8 nightfighters that were lost on that night?

regards
Robert

[danmac]

Hi Robert

I have been told eight night fighters were lost on the Frankfurt raid. Here is a list I have for five of them, which comes from the Michael Blass work "Deutsche Nachjagd - Personalverluste in Ausbildung und Eisatz. " I don't know about the other three. Perhaps they did not involve casualties, or perhaps the number eight is incorrect. Also, I understand Luftwaffe records for 1944 are incomplete.
Here are the entries for the 22/23 Mar 1944:-

1.NJG 2
Flugplatz Langendiebach

Ju 88C-6 WerkNr 751085
Ofw Josef Bärnhaler - injured
Uffz Franz Straßl - injured
Uffz Heinrich Kraska - unhurt
Attacked by nightfighter/intruder on landing.

10./NJG 3
Flugplatz Langendiebach

Bf 110G-4 Werknr 730032 D5+CV
Uffz Heinz Koppe - injured
Uffz Wolfgang Engel - injured
Uffz Walter Ellarius - injured
Attacked by nightfighter/intruder on landing.

7./NJG 4
Osterrad near Krefeld (close to the Dutch border)
Do 217N-1 Werknr 1461

Stfw Kurt Neugebauer - killed
Uffz Herbert Haueis - injured, parachuted from the plane.
Uffz Hans Ausel - killed

13./NJG 5
Wesendorf (to the east of Lower Saxony)

Bf 110G-4 Werk Nr 5476

Uffz Horst Mischke - killed
Uffz Herbert Brinker - Killed
Gefr Hans Scheiper - killed

Aircraft crashed without enemy involvement

13./NJG 5

Windischlaibach near Bayreuth (Northern Bavaria)

Bf 110G-4 WerkNr 5311
Gefr Bernhard Rustemeier - injured - other crew members uninjured.
Combatr with enemy aircraft

As for my uncle, his name was Fl/Sgt. Dan McCaffery of 429 Squadron RCAF.

Here is the combat report for the Frankfurt raid.


From: No. 429 Squadron, RCAF
To: Headquaters, No. 6 (RCAF) Group
Date: 23-3-44
Ref: 429/LVP/1/Gunnery


Combat Report


A). While on the return journey from Frankfurt on 22-3-44, Halifax "V" Serial No. LV914 of 429 Squadron encountered an unidentified twin-engine aircraft at a position of 49.48N 08.30E at 21:58 hours while flying at 170 m.p.h. I.A.S. on a course of 217 (M) at 23,000 feet altitude. Visibility was moderate with some haze and 6/10 cloud below, tops at 8,000 feet.
B). The unidentified enemy aircraft, which carried no lights, was first seen by the rear gunner starboard quarter, level. It suddenly turned into D.A. position and began closing very rapidly. The rear gunner immediately opened fire with a short burst and the enemy aircraft was lost to view and was not seen again. No combat maneouvre was taken by the Halifax owing to the close proximity of another Halifax below on the starboard quarter.
C). The encounter took place just outside a concentrated searchlight belt but the Halifax was in no way illuminated by the beams. Monica warning was received but it was thought to be due to the other Halifax. The wireless operator was working on the set at the time so could not give any "Foshpond" warning. No other signs of imminent attack were in evidence. The enemy aircraft did not open fire so type of armament is not known. No hits are claimed by the rear gunner.
D). The rear gunner fired about 150 rounds from four guns without stoppage.
E). The rear gunner, F/S McCaffery, was trained at No. 9 B. & G.S. No. 24 O.T.U. and No. 1659 Conversion Unit.

D. H. Kenny
Squadron Leader

This sounds as if it was not known whether the night fighter was hit, but my uncle claimed a probable. Why he thought it was more decisive than the combat report would indicate I do not know. I never asked him much about his ops during his lifetime. As for his two claims, he just said, "Don't ask me to describe them, they happened too fast."
Here is his first claim, on Feb. 15, 1944, over Berlin. It sounds like at least a 'damaged.'


From: No. 429 Squadron, RCAF
To: Headquarters, No. 6 (RCAF) Group
Date: 21st February 1944
Ref: 429/LVP/1/Gunnery


Combat Report



While on operations to Berlin on Feb. 15/16, 1944 Halifax V LL-178 coded AL-V flown by F/Lt R. Hunt from 429 Squadron,was attacked by an unidentified twin-engine aircraft.
While on the outward journey they encountered an unidentified enemy aircraft at position 53:23N-13:00E at 21:07 while flying at 160 mph on a course of 159 degrees at 20,000 feet. Visibility was poor with no moon and 10/10ths cloud below with tops at 15,000 feet.
The enemy aircraft carried no lights and was first seen by the bomb aimer on the starboard bow up.
F/Sgt. McCaffery, the rear gunner, then sighted it on the starboard beam, flying parallel at 100 yards range. It then fell back to the starboard quarter and the rear gunner gave the combat maneuver, corkscrew starboard and opened fire with a short burst. The aircraft was seen breaking away to the starboard quarter below and the pilot resumed course after carrying out two complete corkscrews.
There were no searchlights or flares in evidence at the time of the encounter. No Monica warning was received and there were no other signs of imminent attack. The unidentified aircraft did not open fire so the type of armament is not known.
The rear gunner claims some strikes on the aircraft. The rear gunner fired 250 rounds from four guns
without stoppages.
J. D. Pattison, DFC
Wing Commander, commanding

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes: Position of combat may have been 100 nautical miles NNW of Berlin.
Luftwaffe lost 11 night fighters on the night of Feb. 15/16, 44

[rlapes]

Thanks Dan

The first turning point after the target was at 49:48N 8:30E (Crumstadt), it is 37km from the target Frankfurt and at the reported 170mph is 8 minutes flying time. This puts their time over the target as 21:50 which puts them in the first wave. H hour was 21:45 when the first PFF markings started to go down and the first wave bombed at 21:50. I have a comment from at least one returning crew that the turning points on the approach to and from the target were congested. The proximity of the other Halifax confirms this. Most of the bombs were dropped between 21:45 and 22:05, thats about 40 a/c per minute.

LV914 was lost two days later on a raid to Berlin, all but the pilot (F/O R.F.Conroy) survived which crash-land near Merbitz, near Halle, Germany. So I presume your uncle did not fly that op.

I also have a note that another 429 sqdn Halifax Anderson/Fernandez that was "attacked by enemy aircraft, there was no claims or damage" (See: http://6grouprcaf.com/March44/March22~2344.html)

It would be interesting to see if any of the other 3 night fighters that were lost on the Frankfurt raid can be identified too.

regards
Robert

[danmac]

Hi Robert

I don't have a list of my uncle's ops but I never remember him talking about a crash. On one raid a piece of shrapnel passed through the bottom of his turrent and passed right between his legs, just missing him. "I nearly got my backside shot off, or worse," he said.
I went over his log with him many years ago, writing down all the ops and then checking with the Bomber Command War Diaries. It turned out more than 500 bombers were lost during raids in which he participated. He was on a number of very nasty ones, including the infamous Nurnberg op and several to Berlin. I hope to borrow his log book from a cousin, if it still survives, so I can copy out the ops again.