Mossie vs Ju88

[Erich]

this time a 406th sqd report from September 43. Look how busy the German airfield was this night.....from the data of friend and researcher Mark Huxtable

[Gnomey]

Interesting stuff Erich! Really interesting reading. That airfield saw a lot of action that night.

[evangilder]

Heck of a night!

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Damn I wish I access to documents like that. Really puts a new light on things. Its not the stuff that you find in books or what not.

[Erich]

here is another one from my good friend M. Huxt. this for 5 of march 1945 on the Chemnitz raid. although a Ju 88G-6 destroyed it is quite unclear actually which one it was. Hauptmann Weigel flying a 88G-6, staffelkapitän of 11./NJG 6 and his crew slammed into a low hill but the demise is unclear, whether bad weather as the visibilty had closed in or was it due to the Mossie flown by the gent in the combat report present ?

[v2]

Excellent document Erich.

[evangilder]

Interesting mystery there, Erich. The report seems like it was pretty clear though.

[Gnomey]

Originally Posted by evangilder

Interesting mystery there, Erich. The report seems like it was pretty clear though.

That is what it looks like, that it was shot down, still an interesting mystery as you say Eric. Very interesting stuff Erich.

[Erich]

after further discussion this morning.....

Yes, you've got it right, though I don't see mention made of a hill - Weigel
apparently crashed after clipping a tree. He believed he was being followed
by a Mossie - apparently gunfire was heard, but the offiicial cause of the
crash was "Bodenberuehrung", contact with the ground.

I've not found a report from any other 406 Sqn (or any other squadron, for
that matter) which might indicate which mossie if any chased Weigel. See my
other notes for comments re: locations, however from MacFadyen's description
it doesn't seem he shot down Weigel's aircraft.

please note the last sentance. so with availble info or at least what there is the search continues. Research is fun eh ?

[Erich]

more aon the strangeness of relatiosnships between kills and actually areas of downings. macFayden shot down a different Ju 88G-6 and not Weigel

The information for MacFadyen's claim is as below. Initial comments (re
archives) again from (?). There's some info. on Hptm Weigel, however it doesn't look like he was attacked by
MacFadyen. I've not found any info. regarding whether there was another 406
Sqn aircraft which chased Weigel. In any case:

Based on original archive documents, not simply the books from Balss
etc. - The Ju 88 G-6 2Z+BV Werknr. 621077 of 11./NJG6 L54936 was destroyed
at Brünnstadtin, near Geroldshofen when it struck the ground. Pilot Hptm.
Kurt Heinz Weigel, Radar Operator Ofw. Herbert Milord, Radio Operator Fw.
Johannes Antoni, Observer/Gunner Uffz. Johannes Graf all KIA, initially
buried in Geroldshofen, then removed to Gemünden. Earlier, Hptm Kurt Weigel returned
to Germany in 1943 from Britain in a prisoner exchange after having feigned
madness. The 1945 cause of the crash was an incorrect estimation of the height
above ground, and the aircraft crashed directly into the ground. I have some
pictures of the crew. There was an investigation of the crash, with the
threat of a court martial, as the Weigel's aircraft was apparently followed
in the pattern by a British nightfighter. In addition, his wife (fiancee?)
was at the airfield. Weigel radioed the field to inform them and desperately
asked for help. However, the runway lighting was then switched off and
Weigel crashed after coming into contact with trees. Apparently the sound of
gunfire was heard. In the end, it did not come to a court martial, and the
matter was suppressed.


However, according to other loss records, Ju 88 G-6, 620187, of I./NJG 5 was
destroyed in combat north of Kitzingen. Note that Brünnstad is about 3 km
west of Gerolzhofen. F/L MacFadyen's report details that at 23.10,
Gerolzhofen was lit, with red signals fired west of the aerodrome. A contact
was obtained at 3 1/2 miles at 1,200 feet altitude, crossing starboard to
port and slightly above. The Mosquito followed in a port orbit over the
aerodrome, the e/a firing flares as it went, answered by a green from the
ground, then by numerous amber flares from the ground, which MacFadyen took
to be intruder warnings. E/A then turned starboard out of the orbit, heading
to Kitzingen and weaving a bit. Mosquito closed to 100 feet, and below at
altitude of 1,200 feet, and visually identified e/a as a Ju 88 G. Mosquito
dropped back to 150 yards and fired a five-second burst. Strikes were seen
all over the fuselage, and the starboard engine caught fire. E/A went slowly
into a port spiral and crashed into the first bend in the river Main, north
of Kitzingen. This matches the location given for 620187, whereas 621077's
loss location, confirmed by the airfield records at Gerolzhofen, is about
15km away from this bend in the river. The puzzle is continuing ..........

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Wow that has to suck..... I think I would almost rather get shot down then go down because I clipped a tree.

[Erich]

Richtig ! like my cousins Bf 110G-4 having an engine fire spreading to the wing, ordered his other two crew members to bail out which they did and the a/c flipped over taking my cousin flying the a/c down like a rock smashing into the ground just outside his airfield. what royally sucks this was not due to any operational action

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

To me that would be the worst way to go, a mechanical failure.

[lesofprimus]

I agree....

[Gnomey]

So do I.