II./JG 52 vs 15th US Air Force, 20 Mar 1945

[Don Caldwell]

This one is for the Ostfront Experten out there. I have a Flugbuch entry stating that on 20 Mar 1945 II./JG 52 (or at least the 5. Staffel) intercepted 15th AF B-17s and P-51s while up from Veszprém 1345-1425 hours. Does anyone have more information? Claims? Losses?

Horrido!

Don

[Peter Kassak]

Hi Don,

possibly JG 52 book will have some data in it.
as for the USAAF, U probably have it...but:

STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): In Austria, 760+ B-17s and B-24s, with fighter escort, hit the Korneuburg and Kagran oil refineries, the marshalling yards at Wels, Sankt Polten, Amstetten, Wiener-Neustadt, and Klagenfurt, and the tank works at Steyr. Routine supply, reconnaissance, and escort missions continue. The 885th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy), 2641st Special Group, moves from Brindisi to Rosignano, Italy with B-17s and B-24s (the squadron transports supplies to partisans and drops leaflets).

details on losses of 15.USAAF
20.03.1945 43-7068 P51B 13126 15 332FG
N. Golden Waldneukirchen, AU

20.03.1945 44-6421 B17G 13052 15 463BG 772BS S. Ark Wien, AU

20.03.1945 44-6377 B17G 13050 15 463BG 772.BS J. Lincoln Kocevje, YU mech. failure "Pretty Baby´s Boys"

20.03.1945 44-6422 B17G 13048 15 483BG 816.BS Kessler HU, Zombor

20.03.1945 43-38418 B17G 13054 15 99BG 348.BS R. Urban nr. Krizevci, YU flak "Glittering Gal"

hope it helps a bit

[Don Caldwell]

Thanks, Peter, but I have nothing identifying any of these losses with II./JG 52. Specifically, the Mustang went down owing to mechanical failure. I definitely need info from the German side. Unfortunately I don't have any of the various JG 52 books.

Don

[Bruce Lander]

Hi Don,
I don't know if you have seen this site - a loss list for JG52 and also Bodenplatte

http://www.denkmalprojekt.org/Verlus..._vl_chrono.htm

I hope it opens OK

Cheers
Bruce Lander

[Don Pearson]

Don,

Per Barbas, Lt. Duttmann claimed a P-51 10km WSW Veszprem at 1405, Uffz. Kellmayer an La-5 abt 1400 Veszprem.

No losses noted

Don

[Don Caldwell]

Bruce -- Thanks for pointing out the Denkmal site, which was new to me and has now been bookmarked. According to this source, JG 52 suffered no casualties on 20 Mar 45.

Don -- The Barbas source was one I hoped someone would open up for me. I believe Duttmann did not file his claim for lack of a witness. The only P-51 lost was the one Peter noted. The 332nd FG UH states that it was due to engine failure. A sneak attack is possible, of course, but no e/a were noted by the rest of the flight. I haven't a clue as to the La-7 identity, which (fortunately) is outside my scope. The 325th FG claimed 1-1-0 Bf 109 & 1-1-0 Fw 190 near Lake Balaton at about the right time, so the loss of a JG 52 Messerschmitt (pilot OK) can't be ruled out.

Thanks again for the help.

Don

[Peter Kassak]

Newman C. Golden, Flt. Officer, T64636, in case he was shot down
No info in 332.FG book "Black Knights"

[Don Caldwell]

Hi Peter --

Chris Bucholtz's 332nd FG UH in the Osprey "Aviation Elite Units" series has the story of Golden's last mission -- it was engine failure, after a flight with no enemy contact. (BTW, Bucholtz's 128-page book is one of the best of the Ospreys, which as we all know owe everything to the quality of what is submitted to them. It's well-balanced, with little of the political correctness that infests much modern writing WRT the Tuskegee Airmen.)

Don

[leonventer]

Hi Don,

Originally Posted by Don Caldwell

I have a Flugbuch entry stating that on 20 Mar 1945 II./JG 52 (or at least the 5. Staffel) intercepted 15th AF B-17s and P-51s while up from Veszprém 1345-1425 hours. Does anyone have more information? Claims? Losses?

I checked several publications and found some details in the following:
- Fast "JG 52, vol. IV"
- Barbas "Die Geschichte der II. Gruppe des Jagdgeschwaders 52"
- Düttmann "Wir kämpften in einsamen Höhen"

According to these sources, II./JG 52 didn't have suffer any losses or make any claims in that action. None of the books contained a description of any such encounter either.

Originally Posted by Don Pearson

Per Barbas, Lt. Duttmann claimed a P-51 10km WSW Veszprem at 1405

Interestingly, Düttmann says in his bio that during the 1980's he discovered that his Flugbuch entries for March 18th and March 20th 1945 were reversed, so his unconfirmed P-51 kill actually took place on the 18th.

According to Fast, there were two JG 52 losses due to enemy action on March 20th, both in III. Gruppe:
- 109G-14, WNr 464158, Uffz. Karlheinz Jüttner, vermißt, FF, gefallen
- 109G-14, WNr 510804, Bielau, absturz nach LK, FF, unverletzt

Hope that helps,
Leon Venter

[Don Caldwell]

Hi Leon --

Well, isn't this a fine kettle of fish! Düttmann's Flugbuch entry for 20 Mar 45 states, "Luftkampf mit 7 B-17s + 8 P-51s - Abschuß 1 P-51". His bio (which I don't have) says that this entry belongs on 18 Mar. The 15th FC flew a freie Jagd on the 18th, and attacked rail lines & airfields in Austria, Hungary, & Yugoslavia. The 325th FG lost 3 P-51s -- I haven't had a chance to research these. But the 15th AF bombers did not fly! So where does the FB entry belong, if anywhere? Would you mind checking his bio and posting all of the information he has for the mission of "18 Mar"?

The III./JG 52 losses were probably attributable to the VVS or AA. AFAIK only the Second Gruppe was at Veszprém and in place to intercept raids on Austria.

Thanks, Leon. Gosh, research is fun!

Don