Mosquito claim over Rumania on 3 August 1944

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hi,

On 3 August 1944, Lt Hans Riedel of 7./JG 77 claimed his 7th kill over a Mosquito, probably over Rumania (location unknown but his unit was based here to protect Ploesti oilfields).

I have found no Mosquito loss for this day and will be interested by any report of attack by a British crew that managed to escape.

Another possibility is that the recon aircraft was misidentified and was either an American F-5 or a Soviet Pe-2 ?

Thanks in advance

[Laurent Rizzotti]

A F-5 (42-67380) was lost this day (MACR 7350). The MACR listing has it listed with 21st Group. The only group carrying its number at the time was the 21st FG that was in Hawaii with P-38, but I would like to confirm it.

[kaki3152]

Laurent,

I've looked into this also with no success. The F-5 you're refering to flew with the 14th AF in China with the unit being the 21th PRS Squadron.
Definitively not Han Riedel's Mosquito.

[kaki3152]

Laurent,

One more thing to consider is that the Mosquito victory is also noted as having ocurred on August 1,1944. (Prien-JG-77 V. 4)
So what we're looking for is a Mosquito loss in the first part of August 1944. The RAF units were the 60 SAAF and 680 Squadrons. I have a lsiting of Mosquito losses that I downloaded off the Internet and tried tof ind a match but could not.

[stefaan]

Hi
I had a look in Eagles Victorious and some of my 60 sqn notes and could find no mention of a 60 sqn SAAF Mossie lossfor those dates.
Sorry
Stefaan

[kaki3152]

Stefaan,

Thanks for the information. There was a 60 SAAF Mosquito loss on August 26th,1944 but nothing at the begining of the month.
I have no idea what Lt. Riedel shot down,maybe a photorecon Pe-2?

Carlos

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks to both of you,

I could not find neither a RAF/SAAF/USAAF AC lost there or Allied airman lost this day, and I suspect either that the date is false (Prien seems to have changed a lot his claim dates for this area as more sources became available) or that is was a Soviet aircraft.

[muggs_ro]

I've been looking recently at 60th Sq missions over Romania and indeed there is no mission on the 1st of August 1944, there is one though on the 2nd in the same area where Riedel claimed the victory ( between Bucharest - Ploiesti ) but the pilots reported nothing unusual and returned to base safely.

I've been trying with less success to find something from the VVS side for this date, only chance now remains in the local archives of the romanian police, they usually gave a report for each day with all crashed a/c over the territory.

As Laurent stated above there is also no USAAF loss, i was also taking in count a P-38 maybe..

[researcher111]

L.Rizotti regarding your Q

Indeed there was a case researched by me on that day. Two VVS Mosquitos were dispatched on Aug 3rd ahead of Operation Frantic IV of the 52nd and 82nd FG's from Poltawa which was planned for Aug 4,44 to gather recon over Ploesti, Arad and Bucharest. The Mosquitos may have taken off from Mirgorod , Pyriatin , Poltawa,Kharkov or any other VVS base in S.Ukraine. Both Mosquitos managed to take an evasive action when intercepted and one was damaged rather than shot down. The rest is unknown.

PS : Several years ago I discussed this case with my Russian contacts to determine which VVS Sqd operated Mosquitos in S.Ukraine, presumably they were temp.attached to Frantic task force from a Belarus base. SAAF 60 Rcn Sqd was not involved

[Alex Smart]

Hello,
From what I have read over the years and concluded.
The Mosquito aircraft in Russia over the "Poltava" time were RAF and 8th AAF 7th Photo Group a/c. Flown from the UK and Italy.
Alex