Fw 190F-9 III/SG-4 22.03.1945

[Fenix78]

Hello all

I have into that:

Jäkel, Gerhard Fw III/SG-4 Fw 190F-9 Werk # 420140 (90% dam 3/22/45)

Wound Badge, Assault Operational Clasp WIA 22 March, 1945; hit by flak forcing a belly landing near Auschwitz.

Does anybody have any more details for this plane for this accident ??

Regards
Janusz

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Nothing more but a remark: the concentration camp of Auschwitz was liberated in end January 1945 by the Soviet, and on 22 March 1945 was still in Soviet hand. So either it is another Auschwitz or the Fw 190 was hit by AA fire in Auschwitz area (possible as the frontline was not so far) and the pilot managed to return to friendly territory and force-land there.

[Fenix78]

Front line in the end of march 1945 was in aproximatelly 40km on the west fo Auschwitz. I suppouse that plane was hit by artilerry over Soviet territory and he did not manage to return to German side. In Poland not exist any other place with the name Auschwitz (pol. Oświęcim).

[Jochen Prien]

The pilot quite obviously made it back to German-held territory as the damage was assessed as 90 %, whereas if the a/c had come down over enemy territory it would have been a 100 % loss. The damage assessment means that the the unit could lay their hand on the wreck, meaning in turn that it crash landed behind the German lines.


KR

Jochen Prien

[Fenix78]

Jochen

If you have right something is wrong with this plane.
Pilot cant returned to the German line because if he landed in Auschwitz area it was 40km behind front line. If the plane landed on the German front line as you suggested wrong should be place where plane landed. 22.03.1945 it cant be Auschwitz area. German soldiers retreat from Auschwitz 27.01.1945.
Perhaps plane landed on the Soviet side but pilot survive and happily returned to German side. Maybe from his describing is writing that the plane was damages on the level 90 %.

[Fenix78]

Originally Posted by Fenix78

Jochen

If you have right something is wrong with this plane.
Pilot cant returned to the German line because if he landed in Auschwitz area it was 40km behind front line. If the plane landed on the German front line as you suggested wrong should be place where plane landed. 22.03.1945 it cant be Auschwitz area. German soldiers retreat from Auschwitz 27.01.1945.
Perhaps plane landed on the Soviet side but pilot survive and happily returned to German side. Maybe from his describing is writing that the plane was damages on the level 90 %.

02.04.
My opinion. Probably plane was hit by flak over Auschwitz and landed on the German side - Probably from this reason we know percent damages of the plane. Jochen - You had right

[Brian Bines]

Looking at GQM dated 1-1-45 it shows the following losses for III/SG4 on 22-3-45

Bei Leobschutz (now Glubczyce) Fw 190 15% Fw Maier wounded
(Raum Leobschutz) Fw 190 100% Uffz v.Prezsinsky missing
Lubon Fw 190 crash landed with flak damage 40%
Bei Auschwitz Fw Jakel wounded following flak damage Fw 190 90% crash landing
in addition I/SG4 lost a Fw 190 100% to enemy fighter at Leobschutz pilot not wounded.
It would appear that Auschwitz was the location that Jakel was wounded rather than the place he crash landed . If he came down in Soviet territory would not GQM have reported him as missing rather than wounded.