Lt Blyth Ritchie - Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

keith A · #1 24th March 2007, 18:34

This pilot made several claims on 8th and 14th May 1944 while flying the Hellcat Mk1.

On 8th May he made the only claim for a Fw190A credited to an FAA pilot, and on the 14th he made a number of claims for He115s during another sweep in Norwegian waters.

I can't find a loss for a Fw190 of JG5 on 8th May (Bf109s yes, Fw190 no). Were any Fw190 in this combat?

For the claims on 14th May I find sources differ. He is credited with 1 in the air, and another shared with LCdr Orr, and 2 damaged on the water but some sources indicate only the shared claim, and perhaps the damaged claims are shared destroyed.

Any thoughts will be appreciated.

Skyraider3D · #2 29th April 2007, 01:21

Funny that... I am currently reading Royal Navy Aces of WW2 by Andrew Thomas (great book by the way!) and came to the same conclusion. I can't find a Fw 190 loss for that day either on http://www.luftwaffe.no/SIG/Losses/Losses.html
Of course it's possible that list is incomplete. Does anybody have an answer?

According to this book Ritchie was flying JV132/E-F that day as well as on 14 May, when he was credited with 1.5 He 115s destroyed, the shared one together with Lt Cdr Stan Orr. They were engaging five He 115s. Two were shot from the sky and the rest were strafed until sunk after having made emergency landings on the sea.