Need pilots full names

[Nokose]

Looking for the full names of the following.

Oblt. T. Ritter 3(F)/22 shot down on Do17P WNr. 3535 on the 06Mar42

Oblt. E. Fach of 6/KG3 (a Train buster)

[Larry deZeng]

Ernst Fach (DOB: 06.07.12 in Remscheid).

Do not have a T. Ritter.

L.

[Nokose]

Thanks Larry. Did he survive the war? I read that he was shot down in March42 behind Russia lines and walked several days with his crew through deep snow back to German lines.

Ritter and his crew didn't make it in their crash.

[Larry deZeng]

Survived March 1942 only to be killed 14 months later.


FACH, Ernst. (DOB: 06.07.12 in Remscheid). (R, DKG). 09.39 in KG 3. 22.05.42 Oblt., awarded DKG, 6./KG 3. 01.12.42 promo to Hptm.(Tr.O.). 02.43 in II./KG 3. 03.09.43 Hptm., awarded Ritterkreuz, Staka 9.(Eis.)/KG 3. 05.43 Hptm., Staka 9.(Eis.)/KG 3 (to 15.05.43). 15.05.43 KIA – in Ju 88 C-6 shot down by AA fire and crashed near Poltava. Credited with 297 combat missions, 3 air victories, 19 tanks, 216 locomotives, 2 munitions trains and 8 bridges.

HTH,

HLdeZ/DGS

P.S. In checking my notes for 3.(F)/Aufkl.Gr. 22, I can find no loss for 6 March 1942. It was flying missions in the Kholm-Toropets-Ostashkov area at that time but there seem to be no Gen.Qu.(6.Abt.) losses reported for it between 4 February and 13 April 1942, at least that I saw in the microfilmed records. That doesn't mean it didn't happen, but you might want to double-check your information nevertheless.

[Nokose]

Translated from D. Khazanov's "The Unknown Battle in the Moscow Sky 1941-1944"

Early in the morning of the following day St. Lt Arkadiy Fedorovich Kovachevich (subsequently Deputy Chief of the VVA in Monino, Hero of the Soviet Union) from the 27 IAP has intercepted and has shot down a German "Dornier" scout. In Arkadiy Fedorovich's recollections, the cold nights compelled the mechanics several times to warm thoroughly the motors of the fighters. As he approached his MiG at the Klin airfield and has just seen literally overhead in the pre-dawn sky the contrail flying at 5000 m the reconnaissance aircraft, with the gaining of altitude he departed to the west. Delay could prevent an effective interception-without any command the pilot has leaped into the cockpit, having literally thrown from there the engine mechanic, and the fighter was ready for takeoff.
With the climb and closure with the enemy the squadron commander attempted to remain in the dark part of the horizon, preparing the first surprise attack. He succeeded at a height of 8000 m for the gunners, probably, perished in the cockpit, since he received no return fire. After the second attack on the reconnaissance aircraft it was finished, it flared up and fell south of Sychevka. To the crash was sent the mechanics who brought back maps and a "Walter", which Kovachevich kept as war trophy.
On that night the Do 17P aircraft W.Nr. 3535 from Staffel 3(F)/22 has flown from the Dno airfield for conducting reconnaissance along the Leningrad-Moscow railway. It reached Kirishi station, it then crossed the front line, and it had to turn to the west and with the dawn return home after reaching Bologoye. For a unknown reason the crew continued to observe along the important pathway, passing Kalinin and Klin proved to be south of the airfield, it was afterwards it was intercepted and shot down. The navigator ObLt. T. Ritter - the very same aircraft commander- perished together with his other two crew members; no one attempted to leave the machine with a parachute.

[Larry deZeng]

(1) It was based at Dno, so that checks.
(2) It had 3 Do 17P on 1 March 1942, but turned them over to other units during April 1942.
(3) I can find no record of any Do 17P losses, crashes or accidents by 3.(F)/22 from the beginning of the attack on 22 June 1941 to April 1942 when it turned in its 3 Dorniers.

Hopefully, some of the other members here have something on this?

L.

[Nokose]

Larry, thanks again. Would a three man crew be normal for Do17P and a night recon be normal? I'm wondering if it wasn't a Abwehr mission. There was a section about two aircraft being shot down and the crews captured (all 20!).

[Andy Mitchell]

Going back to Ernst Fach, see my post on this thread http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=19006

[Larry deZeng]

Originally Posted by Nokose

Larry, thanks again. Would a three man crew be normal for Do17P and a night recon be normal? I'm wondering if it wasn't a Abwehr mission. There was a section about two aircraft being shot down and the crews captured (all 20!).

Luftwaffe aircraft from Frontverbände that were assigned to transport Abwehr agents and were then lost on the mission were still reported in the Gen.Qu. Verlustmeldungen under that unit. At least I am not aware of any cases where they were not. Otherwise, 3./Versuchsstelle für Höhenflüge flew the clandestine missions to insert the Abwehr agents behind enemy lines. This Staffel may not have always reported its losses in the Gen.Qu. Verlustmeldungen. Although equipped mainly with Fw 200s, it may have had some Do 17s also.

By "all 20!" do you mean the two aircraft had a total of 20 people aboard, or do you mean the crew members captured were all 20-years-old?

L.

[Nokose]

On looking at it closer it seems that the West Front intelligence branch had interrogated 20 crewmen for the month. The two crews shot down numbered 6 members claiming to be from I/NJG4 but one that was captured two days later that was with them claimed to be Unteroffizer F. Stokmeier of the Luftwaffe propaganda company.