Looking for Ofw. Ludwig, 6./NJG 101

[Kurtl12]

Gentlemen,

I'm looking for information about Ofw. Ludwig (Surname) of 6./NJG 101 who shot down a Vickers Wellington at night 29./30. May, 1944 over the area lower Austria. He was based at Parndorf, east of Vienna and probably flew a Me 110 or Do 217 Nightfighter. Could anyone confirm that or provide me with further details about him? Does a picture exist?
Thanks for any help!

Best regards from Austria,

Kurtl

[Doug Stankey]

Our database does not have your guy because his rank is too low, BUT the Kracker Archive seems to have him:


Ludwig, Herbert:
Lt75/NJG-1, 6/NJG-101, IV/NJG-6Bf 110EK 1 & 2, Night Fighter Operational ClaspKIA 23/24 April, 1945; shot down by American ack-ack during a ground strafing mission. He crashed at Lauf-Letten (Boiten). One known victory an "unidentified" AC SSW of Munich on 2 October, 1943. A 2nd, a Stirling SE of Bremen on 9 October, 1943. A Wellington at Sankt-Pölten on 30 May, 1944. A 4th, a Halifax at Friedrichshafen on 1 September, 1944. Two Halifax on the night of 10-11 September, 1944; one in the Hassberge area, the other at Meissner Kaufunder Wald. A 7th, a Soviet DB-3F the night of 17-18 September, 1944. Boiten 13 victories.

I hope that this helps.

DGS

[Johannes]

I also have a pair of Welligtons at 0008hrs and 0016hrs in the morning of 4th April 1944 20km South of Budapest as his 3rd and fourth confirmations.

Johannes

[RodM]

Lt. Herbert Ludwig was indeed killed on the night of 23-24 April 1945, during a Nachtschlacht operation with 10./NJG6 (he'd transferred to NJG6 after NJG101 was disbanded).

Lt. Ludwig had previously served during 1944/1945 with 6./NJG101 and he claimed his 12th & 13th victories on the night of 16-17 March 1945, during a Bomber Command attack on Nürnberg. He had taken off from Unterschlauersbach at 20.49 hrs in Ju88 G6 9W+BO, with his crew of Ofw. Rottmann (BF), Fw. Toni Dietrich (BF), and Uffz. Erich Gränitz (BM). They were shot down over Nürnberg shortly after attacking a Lancaster (which was claimed as destroyed), and they all baled out of their Ju88 which crashed at 21.41 hrs. Both Rottmann and Dietrich were wounded.

On the night he was killed, Lt. Ludwig was flying with Uffz. Werner Breuer (BF) and Uffz. Erich Gränitz (BM), who were also both killed.

A photo of Ludwig appears on page 328 of, 'The Nachtjagd War Diaries Volume Two April 1944 - May 1945', by Boiten/Mackenzie (Red Kite, 2008).

Cheers

Rod