JU-88 lost 01-0145 near Crailsheim

[Alain57]

Hello ,

On 01-01-45 F/Lt Mathews JC DFC and W/O Penrose A DFC claimed a JU-88 sout off Crailsheim at 1940 British time on board Mosquito TA-393.
Anyone an idea wich German crew was involved in this crash

Thank you already for the help
Alain57

[RodM]

Hi Alain,

the claim in question actually occurred on the night of 2-3 January 1945, and there is no clear correlation with known losses.

Ju88G-6 W.Nr. 620752 (2Z+PW) of IV./NJG6 was reputedly shot down by a night fighter and crashed near Angeltürn, 15 km. SW of Tauberbischofsheim. There is no clear night fighter claim for a loss in this area, but it could have been claimed by 85 Sqn Mosquito/X or 157 Sqn Mosquito TA393/C (the recorded locations for both of these claims were in excess of 60 km away from the actual crash site).

Ju88G-6 W.N. 620403 (2Z+FK) of I./NJG6 was reputedly shot down by a night fighter at 19.38 hrs, and crashed 20 km. NE of Bruchsal. The 85 Sqn Mosquito/X claim was at 19.25 hrs, and claimed very close to the area of this Ju88 crash, while the claim by 157 Sqn Mosquito TA393/C was at 19.40 hrs and some 90 km away from the actual crash site)

A Ju88G-1 of I./NJG4 was attacked and damaged by 85 Sqn Mosquito/N at 19.14 hrs, and made a crash-landing at Rhein-Main airfield six minutes later.

These are the only German night fighter losses to occur around the time of the 157 Sqn claim that I am aware of.

Cheers

Rod

[Alain57]

Hello Rod ,

Thank you very much for your help.

Cheers
Alain57

[gogh]

Ju88G-6 W.N. 620403 (2Z+FK) of I./NJG6
I have this as 2Z+EK
source Deutsche Nachtjagd – Personalverluste in Aubildung und Einsatz – fliegendes Personal Band 1 Michael Balss -1997- Eich, Germany: self published

[Chris Goss]

2Z+FK according to the KTB of NJG 6

[gogh]

Corrected thanks.

[RodM]

Werner Kock's "Das Kriegstagebuch des Nachtjagdgeschwaders 6" (Wittmund, 1996) does state "1 Ju 88 G6 2Z+FK nr. 620403", but this is not what is written in the actual KTB of Stab NJG6, archived with BArch/MA - this simply records: "1 Ju 88".

The source of Kock's added data appears to be the Namentlliche Verlustmeldung, which has been transcribed as "2Z+FK" in both Koch's work mentioned above and also Michael Balss' "Deutsche Nachtjagd – Personalverluste in Aubildung und Einsatz – fliegendes Personal Band 1" (Eich, 1997) (I checked, it is given as "FK" by Balss and not "EK" as stated above).

I have a poor copy of the relevant Namentlliche Verlustmeldung; it looks like "FK", but is difficult to read...

Cheers

Rod