Beaufighter 415th NFS shot down by B-17??

[Brian]

Hi guys

Another friendly fire incident - or not. I have a note that a B-17 shot down a Beaufighter of 415th NFS on 1 January 1945, but I can't seem to verify this.

Any details?

Cheers
Brian

[Alex Smart]

hello Brian,

Best wishes for 2010.

For Beaufighter January 45.
Accident
2/1/45 ND207 417 NFS Robert C. Anderson 3m SW of LeVallon France, Y-18
OR
A Victory claim
1/1/45
415 NFS 1Lt. Edward A. Schlueter and 2Lt Donald J. Meiers. details ?

B17 42-5376 305th BG 422nd BS collided in midair with 96 Sqdn RAF Beaufighter V8715 Aug 31, 1943
near Norwich. Beaufighter crashed at Foulsham, England. 9 killed in the B17 as well as the Beaufighter crew of two.

All the best
Alex

[Brian]

Thanks for that, Alex

However, I have just learned that a Beaufighter of 415 NFS was shot down by a B-17 on 1/1/45, in which Capt V.O. Jones and Lt Sussmen were both killed.

Serial number?

Cheers
Brian

[Leendert]

Brian,

No serial (yet), but on website cufon.org you can read parts of the diary of 415th NFS and it indeed says that the controller was told by crew that their a/c was fired upon by a B-17. Beau lost an engine and received damages on tail surfaces, and Sussman couldn't bail out because of wounds.
A/c could not reach emergency field anymore.

2Lt Lt Mervin H. Sussman (O-1692661) buried at Epinal, France with KIA 31-12-44, 415th NFS.
Capt. Varillus O. Jones (O-793117) also at Epinal, KIA 31-12-1944, with unit 12th Air Support Command.

Regards,

Leendert

[Leendert]

Brian,

Also check out this thread on armyairforces.com: http://forum.armyairforces.com/tm.as...mpage=2#149971

It contains an official document with more details about circumstances and lococation.
Incident took place in the evening hours of 31-12-44 (around 19.15).

Regards,

Leendert

[kjwrad]

Wow!!!! Thanks for the info guys! I am a relative of Varillus O. Jones and have been trying to get more info. I am thankful I found this thread!

[kjwrad]

Any chance of a tail number for the Bristol Beaufighter yet?

[Leendert]

A Beaufighter of 415 NFS is on a Loss List as MIA with date 1 Jan 45, serial (M?)M921.
Not sure about the first "M", although it fits the RAF serial range for this type.
Apparently this Beaufighter was first in use with the RAF in Italy.

Regards,
Leendert

[Alex Smart]

MM921 SOC 04/30/1945.

Claims for the Schlueter and Meiers team were -
12/29/1944
2× Ju88's and a He111.
01/01/1945
1 claim type (I do not know).

Alex