NARA Luftwaffe downed enemy (Allied) aircraft reports

[Richard T Eger]

From 12 O'Clock High!:

Cindy Riney
German Fighter Claims
Mon May 7 23:49:50 2001


Hi everyone,

My Dad's B-24 was shot down by the "Wilde Sau" unit on June 16, 1944 (Mission to bomb Apollo Oil Refinery in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia). Is there any way to determine exactly "who" shot the plane down? I understand there was an extensive system in place for such a thing. Are there documents available? Gun camera footage? (please say yes!) According to my Dad and the Missing Air Craft Report, they were attacked by lots of 109s. Who gets the credit? The plane was crippled and fell out of formation by a pass made by 110s or 210s or something like that. Then, the 109s from the Wilde Sau group finished it off.

I know that the German downed aircraft report was #ME 1447. I have written to the US National archives but they say they don't know where it is.

Thanks for any and all help.

Cindy Riney

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Greg Kopchuk
Claims
Tue May 8 03:12:55 2001


I have two B-24's claimed by Hptm Heinrich Wurzer from 1/302 at 0957 hrs and 1002 hrs claimed near Komarom.

I have no further details. This information is from the book Jagdgeschwader 301/302 Wilde Sau by Willi Reschke. This book is entirely in German. I can't read german, I bought it for the victory and loss lists.

[Richard T Eger]

From TOCH!:

Larry deZeng
Re: German Fighter Claims
Tue May 8 15:06:10 2001


Hi Cindy,

Don't let the folks at NARA Textual Reference/Modern Military put you off. That Luftwaffe "downed enemy aircraft report" of yours is a valid citation and can be found in NARA Record Group 242/T-1033 repeat T-1033, Records of the German Air Force Commands (Luftgaukommandos). There are approximately 400 boxes in T-1033 today. When I last worked with it some 10 or 12 years ago there were around 220 boxes and reports ME-1 through ME-2963 were filed in 23 of them. Since then, T-1033 was completely re-boxed, which had the effect of increasing the number of boxes (for some unknown reason). The reports are all filed in numerical order so I can't imagine why the archivists are having a problem finding it.

Hope this helps and good luck!
(Larry)