Maj. W. Hoffman NJG5 meets Lancaster pilot he shot down in hospital 1945.

[Kirmington]

F/O. Kevin Muncer and crew of 166 Squadron were shot down at approximately 2145 hrs. near Grosshabersdorf on the Nürnburg raid of 16/17.03.45. F/O. Muncer baled out, badly wounded and was treated at the German Military Hospital No. 438 at Bruckburg. A little while after he was admitted, he was introduced to another patient, a Luftwaffe Officer (who Muncer recalled was a pilot but he may have been another crew member, possibly a wireless operator) whose JU88 had been shot down the same night by a Mosquito intruder. The man had come down in the same area as Muncer so it was suggested that his aircraft had shot down Muncer's before being hit by the Mosquito. The German airman was suffering from burns to the face and neck and was still at the hospital when the Americans arrived in April 45.
Now, a search of the internet reveals that Hoffman and crew were shot down by a Mosquito that night, but he was not seriously injured (one source says bruising). From my (amateur) reading of the relevant entry in the Nachtjagd Combat Archive, there were 3 other crew members, Köhler, Fryba, Modl.
Can anyone throw any more light on the subject?

[Chris Goss]

Ju 88G-6, 620046, C9+BB of Stab I./NJG 5 was shot down by an intruder near Bamberg and the only one wounded was Fw Ferdinand Modl

[Kirmington]

Thank you Chris, do you have any idea of Modl's position in the plane or ay more details of his injuries?

[Chris Goss]

Bordmechaniker I believe and no idea of his injuries.

[RodM]

There are several possibilities...

Maj. Max Eckhoff died in the crash of II./NJG2 Ju99G6 621089 near Buch, by Schwäb-Gmünd, after air combat. However, this crash occurred some distance SW of where Muncer's Lancaster crashed.

Lt. Hans Rasper and Lt. Herbert Ludwig both piloted II./NJG101 Ju88G6s that were shot down by return fire over/near Nürnberg.

Rasper's Ju88 came down in Altenberg at 21:45h, and Ludwig's Ju88 came down at Fischbach at 21:41h.

Both crews survived, although all of Ludwig's crew suffered injuries.

Muncer's Lancaster (PA234) crashed at map grid ref wT215912 (49 22 50 N, 10 47 27 E), or 1 kilometre NW of Bürglein.

Rasper and Ludwig's Ju88s crashed around 25 kilometres further east of Lancaster PA234, while Eckhoff's Ju88 crashed 90 kilometres south-west.

Rasper was shot down while attacking a Lancaster over Nürnberg. He claimed the Lancaster as destroyed.

Ludwig claimed a Lancaster shot down 10-20 kilometres west of Nürnberg at 21:35h and was then shot down while attacking a second Lancaster of Nürnberg, which he also claimed destroyed.

[RodM]

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

In looking at the Ludwig crew, all suffered injuries:

Lt. Herbert Ludwig (Pilot) - suffered scratches and bruises and slight burns to his eyelids, hair, and the back of his head.

Ofw. Rottmann (Bordfunker) - broke an ankle while landing by parachute.

Fw. Toni Dietrich (Bordfunker) - suffered heavy burn to his head.

Uffz. Erich Gränitz (Bordmechaniker) - possible burns, admitted to hospital on 23 March 1945 with breathing difficulties.

Ludwig, Dietrich, and Gränitz resumed operational flying on 5th April. Ludwig and Gränitz died during a night ground attack mission on the night of 23-24 April 1945 (Dietrich didn't fly that night).

Rasper's crew consisted of Lt. Rasper (pilot), Ofw. Eisbold (Bordfunker), and Fw. Bauer (role unknown). I don't know if any of the crew were injured, Rasper wasn't. Lt. Rasper was shot down on the night of 26-27 April 1945 during a ground attack mission. He became a PoW. His Bordfunker, Uffz. Rothenbücher died. I don't have any information about the rest of the crew.

[RodM]

In looking at Maj. Hoffmann's crew, Bordmechaniker Fw. Ferdinand Modl was admitted to Bamberg hospital on 17 March 1945. Bamberg is situated around 60 kilometres north of where Muncer came down.

EDIT: - In a post-war account (written September 1945), Modl wrote that he was the Bordmechaniker (Flight Engineer) in the crew on the flight, but his documents (which sold at auction) indicate he trained as a Bordschütze (Air Gunner).