Fighter or Flak

[Klaus Schiffler]

On 29 April 1944 RAF Sqd. 132 was flying a Ranger patrol of six
Spitfire IXs led by Sqd. Ldr. Geoffrey Page over Holland. They
encountered a Bf 110G-4 night fighter flown by Hptm. Hans-Joachim
Jabs over Deelen. Upon return to base there were two Spitfires missing.
Both of these Spitfires are listed in RAF Fighter Command Losses Vol. 3 by
Norman Franks as having been shot down by flak, with the additional
note that Jabs claimed two Spitfires.

The questions I have are: Did the returning Spitfire pilots attribute
the two losses as to having been shot down by flak? Did any of these
pilots actually witness the loss of either Spitfire? Did they see any
flak bursts? Were any claims submitted by the German flak at this
airfield? Did they even open fire? Did Jabs state that flak guns
were also firing at the Spitfires?

I believe that John Coulton, the surviving pilot, stated that he had
been shot down by Jabs and the two pilots met at Deelen airfield and
corresponded with each other after the war. Geoffrey Page wrote the
book, Tale of a Guinea Pig, in 1981 but he fails to mention this
combat. Did the pride of Page prevent him from mentioning this combat
where six Spitfires against one Bf 110G lost two of their number.
Page also claimed Jabs' fighter. Was the Bf 110G destroyed or just
damaged and to what degree? Was it destroyed after it had landed?
Did the Bf 110 land wheels up or down?