Questions about Manfred Meurer death

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hi,

I would like to know more about the death of German ace Manfred Meurer.

According to Balss's Natchjagd losses book, his He 119 crashed at 2300 hrs 20 miles east of Magdeburg after colliding with his last victim, a Lancaster according to Balss. Other sources identify the collided bomber as a Halifax.

My questions:

1) is a more precise crashplace known ? Both Meurer and his radar operator, Ofw Scheibe, are in the Volksbund database but without a death location.

2) is the identity of the rammed bomber known ?

[DR40eghs]

Dear Laurent,

the NVM gives (exact wording !): "20 km ostw. Magdeburg", exactly as written in Michael's book.
(i.e. "20 kilometers east of Magdeburg").

Looking at the map, this is the area around Möckern, Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany.

Regards,
Uwe

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks, Uwe,

I was hoping the NVM will be more precise. In my experience "20 km west of XXX" as a crashplace can be translated by "somewhere between 15 and 25 km between SW and NW of XXX".

[Dennis Peschier]

From “Nachtjagd war diaries” by Theo Boiten page 344. 978-0-9554735-6-2
“Hit by debris from their second Lancaster victim” “Both aircraft crashed, the two wrecks coming to lie within 600 meters of each other”
No further identification of the bomber unfortunately.
Hope this helps,
Dennis

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks Dennis,

I was hoping Mr Boiten had more details on this case...

[Theo Boiten]

Hi all,

This is what the I. Jagdkorps KTB has to say about Meurer's death:

In the I. Jagdkorps War Diaries, it is stated that ‘Hptm. Meurer’s airplane, an He219, collided in mid air with a British bomber, tearing off the rear fuselage of the He219. Both aircraft crashed together, the two wrecks coming to lie within 600 metres of each other’.

I would be most interested to know more about the identity of Meurer's final victim too!

Cheers, Theo