German FW 190 shot down, 10 Dec 1942

[bohlerdon]

Can anyone help me with this question. Here is what I think are facts. On 10 december 1942, a German pilot named Alfred Kretschmer, Jageschwader 2 “Richtofen” squadron, took off from Bordeau in his FW 190 (and I assume others of his squadron) to fly to North Africa in support of Rommel’s “Afrikakorps”. Kretschmer was shot down during this flight at Sauclieres, although it could have been Millau or Montpellier which are close by but bigger towns. I do not know if it was in the initial or latter stages of the flight. There is no RAF record of a shoot down in this area on this date. If it is a valid shoot down and not RAF, then it had to be an American pilot who did the shooting. Is there a master data base that could be searched? I am looking for the vectors of the American pilot who would have claimed the shoot down victory.

[bohlerdon]

I should have pointed out that Sauclieres, Millau and Montpellier are all in southern France.

[John Beaman]

Fw 190A-4, 140721, Kretzschmar, Ofw. Alfred, II./6./JG 2, TN+ZU, 10-Dec-42, Killed in crash during transit flight from Bordeaux to Marseilles., WNr. 721 per loss., Lfl.3/FRGen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #7)-Vol.12; Prien, et al, Die Jagdfliegerverbände, VIII.1, p.53; Ring, JG 2 loss list, p.9; Arthy/Jessen, Fw 190 in NA, p.153, 15km südwestlich Millau, 100%H

[bohlerdon]

Thank you for this reply. Is there any indication in your documentation as to the cause of the crash? Was it a shoot down? The AF Historical Research Agency data base on aerial victories shows 3 shoot downs on 10 December 1942: 2 in the Pacific and 1 in the Med Theatre of Operations. Perhaps this latter one is connected.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

As of 10 December 1942 there was no US fighter flying in this area. The only remote possibility could be a pilot flying from England to Gibraltar on its way to North Africa that would be completely lost.

The US claim in the MTO on 10 December 1942 was claimed by 1st Lt Robert J Overcash of 64th FS for a Bf 109 in Marble Arch airfield area, Libya.

Your Fw 190 was very probably lost in an accident. The majority of the aircraft lost during WWII were destroyed without enemy action.

[John Beaman]

Anything is possible, but the Q.M. record, above, states during a transit flight when the unit was deploying to Tunisia. They usually say air battle when that is the cause.