Richard T Eger
04-12-2002, 03:56 PM
From 12 O'Clock High!:
Gordon
Bf 110s vs B-17s over Austria, 22.02.44
Wed Apr 3 05:33:07 2002
205.188.198.44
I am trying to find out more about the following event:
A Bf 110 Staffel came to Wels, Austria for a short time in early 1944, fresh from the Kanalfront. This group was battle hardened, with each of the aircraft marked with victories and led by an impossibly young blond Major with over two dozen victories. Their machines carried rocket tubes and some had additional cannon. The pilots were mainly concerned with offloading large amounts of Cognac and for the duration of their visit, they stayed drunk - not just at night but practically around the clock. With the losses suffered by day 110s, this shouldn't be a surprise..
The Americans were beginning to mount serious raids against the Hermann Goering Steel Works in nearby Linz, and the 110s were deployed to Wels to face them.
An Alarmstart sounded on 22 Feb 44, signaling another raid on the nearby factory, and the 110 crews ran to man their planes. In quick order, all had taken off and the people on the base listened to radios as the Zestroyers approached the B-17s just as they passed over the airfield. Everyone watched the glittering aircraft high overhead and first one and then more of the large bombers began to burn and dive. The rocket attacks were clearly visible from the ground. Several radio calls of "Horrido!" brought cheers and in all, 6 B-17s were downed over Wels and the local area, all witnessed by the soldiers on the airfield.
Parachutes drifted down for quite some time after the bombers crashed into the forest and some of the "guests" landed right on the Wels flight school itself (Abschule 115). Kommandant Kittelburger invited several of the unfortunates to his office for Cognac before he and others
went into the forest to view the wreckage. A "Fortress II" (B-17G) was found strewn across a meadow; maps and other items were recovered as there had been no fire. The police eventually came and escorted the prisoners away.
I told you all of that because I am trying to determine which B-17 Groups/Squadrons were involved, as well as which Bf 110 unit faced them that day. If anyone has the answers to these questions, I would be most grateful. Also, I would like to know if the Goering Steel Works was indeed the target; how many B-17s DNR; if they made any claims against the Bf 110s; name of the Staffelkapitan as well. Many thanks for reading this, and please help if you can.
v/r
Gordon
Gordon
Bf 110s vs B-17s over Austria, 22.02.44
Wed Apr 3 05:33:07 2002
205.188.198.44
I am trying to find out more about the following event:
A Bf 110 Staffel came to Wels, Austria for a short time in early 1944, fresh from the Kanalfront. This group was battle hardened, with each of the aircraft marked with victories and led by an impossibly young blond Major with over two dozen victories. Their machines carried rocket tubes and some had additional cannon. The pilots were mainly concerned with offloading large amounts of Cognac and for the duration of their visit, they stayed drunk - not just at night but practically around the clock. With the losses suffered by day 110s, this shouldn't be a surprise..
The Americans were beginning to mount serious raids against the Hermann Goering Steel Works in nearby Linz, and the 110s were deployed to Wels to face them.
An Alarmstart sounded on 22 Feb 44, signaling another raid on the nearby factory, and the 110 crews ran to man their planes. In quick order, all had taken off and the people on the base listened to radios as the Zestroyers approached the B-17s just as they passed over the airfield. Everyone watched the glittering aircraft high overhead and first one and then more of the large bombers began to burn and dive. The rocket attacks were clearly visible from the ground. Several radio calls of "Horrido!" brought cheers and in all, 6 B-17s were downed over Wels and the local area, all witnessed by the soldiers on the airfield.
Parachutes drifted down for quite some time after the bombers crashed into the forest and some of the "guests" landed right on the Wels flight school itself (Abschule 115). Kommandant Kittelburger invited several of the unfortunates to his office for Cognac before he and others
went into the forest to view the wreckage. A "Fortress II" (B-17G) was found strewn across a meadow; maps and other items were recovered as there had been no fire. The police eventually came and escorted the prisoners away.
I told you all of that because I am trying to determine which B-17 Groups/Squadrons were involved, as well as which Bf 110 unit faced them that day. If anyone has the answers to these questions, I would be most grateful. Also, I would like to know if the Goering Steel Works was indeed the target; how many B-17s DNR; if they made any claims against the Bf 110s; name of the Staffelkapitan as well. Many thanks for reading this, and please help if you can.
v/r
Gordon