25 June 1944 comabt reports in France

[gillescollaveri]

Dear all ,

I am working on the day of 25 June 1944 when US Air Force launched a big operation in the South of France and three pilots from the 31st fighter Group submitted claims that particular day.

I look for the combat reports of these three pilots, namely :

BROWN CARL H, 2LT, AO00681601, 307FTR SQ
RIDDLE ROBERT E, 1LT, AO00677013, 307FTR SQ
MCCORKLE CHARLES M, COL, O00020239, 31FTR GP

I asked to the 31st fighter group web site but got no feedbacK.

The background: we have identified a JG200 Bf109 crash site near Aix en Provence and we would like to rebuild the whole story of that day.

Thanks for your help.
Gilles

 

[gruad]

Dear all ,

I am working on the day of 25 June 1944 when US Air Force launched a big operation in the South of France and three pilots from the 31st fighter Group submitted claims that particular day.

I look for the combat reports of these three pilots, namely :

BROWN CARL H, 2LT, AO00681601, 307FTR SQ
RIDDLE ROBERT E, 1LT, AO00677013, 307FTR SQ
MCCORKLE CHARLES M, COL, O00020239, 31FTR GP

I asked to the 31st fighter group web site but got no feedbacK.

The background: we have identified a JG200 Bf109 crash site near Aix en Provence and we would like to rebuild the whole story of that day.

Thanks for your help.
Gilles

Would be interested what you know so far unless it's Commercial in confidence

 

[gillescollaveri]

sure :
I was been contacted by Sarah, the grand niece of Werner Bauch, a JG200 pilot who was shot down near Aix en Provence (south of France) on 25 June 1944.
She knew nothing about what happened to her grand uncle, and she asked me some help,
I managed to find the crash site (which by sheer coincidence is a few miles from my cousin home !) , and also testimonies of what happened in 1944 : Mustangs chasing 2 Bf109, one escaping by flying low level, and one shot down (Werner Bauch), with pilot bailing out but wounded and killed.

Sarah will come in August on the crash site for a remembrance and I will meet her there.
I therefore try to rebuild the whole story, thus I would be very interested to read the combat reports of the US pilots who claimed a Bf109 this day.
You know the whole story now

thanks in advance for those who can shed some light on that day: 25 June 1944.
Best regards
Gilles

 

[Nogo99]

sure :
I was been contacted by Sarah, the grand niece of Werner Bauch, a JG200 pilot who was shot down near Aix en Provence (south of France) on 25 June 1944.
She knew nothing about what happened to her grand uncle, and she asked me some help,
I managed to find the crash site (which by sheer coincidence is a few miles from my cousin home !) , and also testimonies of what happened in 1944 : Mustangs chasing 2 Bf109, one escaping by flying low level, and one shot down (Werner Bauch), with pilot bailing out but wounded and killed.

Sarah will come in August on the crash site for a remembrance and I will meet her there.
I therefore try to rebuild the whole story, thus I would be very interested to read the combat reports of the US pilots who claimed a Bf109 this day.
You know the whole story now

thanks in advance for those who can shed some light on that day: 25 June 1944.
Best regards
Gilles

 

[gillescollaveri]

thanks for sharing this information, Nogo99.

it seems you have a lot of information (I understand that you have the gendarmerie report and the Form34?), this will be helpful to understand what happened on 25 June 1944

On my side , I have :
- the death card of Werner Bauch stating (i) that he died "from skull damages/wounds" (gefallen : Zertrümmerung d. Schädels) (ii) the aircraft crashed "South East of le Puy Sainte Réparade, ring bei Hohe 313"

- Four local testimonies (in French) gathered in 2003. This 5 pages report is very complete and accurate, describing in detail what happened that day. In short : the witnesses said that several US fighters (2 or 3) were chasing two German aircraft. One aircraft escaped flying low and the other was shot down, its pilot bailing out. Then he was killed.

The crash site near le Puy Sainte Réparade was located 20 years ago, and parts were found there at that time. It is in reality in the South West of le puy sainte réparade.

Maybe could we exchange the documents we have by private mail
Gathering them could help us rebuild the story.

BR
Gilles

 

[Nogo99]

It was just a guess from what I hastly could gather from online data end my own 150Gb database (regarding WWII Airwar Kills/Losses), So now with your last info I'll dig into to it and see what actually can be proved

 

[Nogo99]

thanks for sharing this information, Nogo99.

it seems you have a lot of information (I understand that you have the gendarmerie report and the Form34?), this will be helpful to understand what happened on 25 June 1944

On my side , I have :
- the death card of Werner Bauch stating (i) that he died "from skull damages/wounds" (gefallen : Zertrümmerung d. Schädels) (ii) the aircraft crashed "South East of le Puy Sainte Réparade, ring bei Hohe 313"

- Four local testimonies (in French) gathered in 2003. This 5 pages report is very complete and accurate, describing in detail what happened that day. In short : the witnesses said that several US fighters (2 or 3) were chasing two German aircraft. One aircraft escaped flying low and the other was shot down, its pilot bailing out. Then he was killed.

The crash site near le Puy Sainte Réparade was located 20 years ago, and parts were found there at that time. It is in reality in the South West of le puy sainte réparade.

Maybe could we exchange the documents we have by private mail
Gathering them could help us rebuild the story.

BR
Gilles

I'm going thru 31st FG history and plenty of tales about MCCorkle and Riddle but untill now nothing about 25. June 1944, but alot of days before and after. There's also plenty in "Aircraft of Aces" but exactly the 25 june 1944 is "blank" aswell ......

 

[gillescollaveri]

Hi Nogo99
I am investigating locally to get more information and I hope to have pictures of some parts of the aircraft that were collected 20 years ago.
If we are very very lucky, we may have the Wnr.
I keep you posted;
Best regards
Gilles

 

[gillescollaveri]

Dear readers,
a short update : yesterday, the contact with a 88 year old wirness was made, he has kept parts of the Bf109 and noted the exact crash site on a map, and the grand niece will come in August on site where we will meet. However no Wnr on the parts.
pictures follow.
Best regards
Gilles

 

[gillescollaveri]

 

[gillescollaveri]

Can somone make the part number speak ? (R8-3607-U15) thanks

 

[gillescollaveri]

 

[gillescollaveri]

 

[gruad]

Can somone make the part number speak ? (R8-3607-U15) thanks

You probably did this yourself after posting which is to put it into an AI. And here are the results. It's not my skill. It's the AI (Gemini) that did all this.

I have to say this is a brilliant real life investigation and I am hooked. I hope the grandniece gets some closure too. Again I am only trying to help and not steal credit for your excellent ground work.

Would more knowledgeable members be able to cross check?

Based on historical Luftwaffe parts logs (Ersatzteil-Liste), part number 8-3607 is a core component of the wheel brake assembly (Brake Assy) for the Messerschmitt Bf 109 landing gear—most notably found on the Bf 109G ("Gustav") series.

Here is how the alphanumeric breakdown works for parts recovered from a crash site:

• 8-: The Reich Air Ministry (RLM) manufacturer prefix assigned specifically to Messerschmitt-designed aircraft structures and hardware.
• 3607: The specific part drawing classification code for the hydraulic/mechanical brake assembly units that attached to the landing gear's oleo struts.
• R / U15: The "R" usually denotes a specific casting batch or sub-component related to the Rad (wheel) system, while "U15" designates the Untergruppe (sub-assembly level) or a specific modification/drawing variant of a small component within the brake system (such as a piston, brake shoe linkage, or hydraulic line connector).

Because the landing gear and brake housings were cast from heavy, durable alloys (often electron or aluminum-magnesium variants), these brake assemblies are among the most common and recognizable structural items to survive high-impact WWII crashes and fires relatively intact.

 

[Nogo99]

Hey.
After many good discussions with Gilles and going through numerous reports and documents, I am ready to present a theoretical reconstruction of Werner Bauch's sortie on June 25, 1944. Based on verified data and probable variables, the evidence suggests the following sequence:

According to this model, the Bf 109 G-6/U4 (New info: its tactical number highly likely being Red/Black 3,4 or 6', based on the complete absence of these specific aircraft in subsequent Allied reports) departs from the Aix-Les Milles airfield. The sortie is conducted under the control of Jafü Süd, utilizing the overlapping radar network of 9./Ln.Rgt. 51 and adjacent stations.

At 09:34, a verified encounter occurs with Melvin E Wiedbusch's P-38 (43-28774), approximately 100 km from the Avignon sector. During this engagement, it is a verified fact that Melvin's aircraft is either shot down or crashes while diving too steeply (wingman witness Jack D. Joley) on Werner Bauch. This could explain why 9./Ln.Rgt. 51 made the claim—the aircraft simply disappeared from their radar—and why Werner did not identify the aircraft type, as he may never have actually seen it go down. Following the separation, the Bf 109 remains within the seamless coverage of the German radar grid, as documented by historical Jagdräume maps covering the coast and the Rhône valley. It is highly probable that ground controllers at Jafü Süd, observing a new, larger threat—the USAAF 31st Fighter Group approaching the Avignon marshaling yards—immediately re-vector the aircraft toward this sector.

The timeline and distance correlate precisely with this dual-engagement hypothesis. At 09:56, exactly 22 minutes after the initial combat, it is verified that the 31st FG intercepts Bf 109s near Avignon.

Traversing a 100 km distance within a 22-minute timeframe requires an average speed of approximately 273 km/h (170 mph). In contrast, a Bf 109 G-6 in uninterrupted cruise flight (approx. 450 km/h) would cover this distance in merely 13 to 14 minutes. The 8 to 9-minute differential aligns perfectly with the time required to execute the combat maneuvers during the encounter with Melvin, disengage from the area, receive new radio vectors, and adjust course toward Avignon.

Arriving in the Avignon sector at 09:56, the aircraft would theoretically be operating with depleted fuel reserves after an extended sortie and a preceding combat encounter. Positioned in close proximity to its base at Aix-Les Milles, the aircraft may have been entering a Return To Base (RTB) profile. The Bf 109 is then intercepted by the numerically superior 307th Fighter Squadron.

At this exact verified time (09:56), verified USAAF claims are officially filed by Lt. Robert Riddle (achieving Ace status), Lt. Carl H. Brown, and Col. McCorkle flying P-51's. The Bf 109 sustains catastrophic damage during this attack, forcing Werner Bauch to bail out. It is a verified fact that his parachute caught fire during the egress or subsequent descent (french witnesses), resulting in his verified death and marking the fatal conclusion of the sortie.

 

[gillescollaveri]

Gruad, about brakes: thanks, this is it, here we go.

 

[gillescollaveri]

Nogo99 : thanks so much for supporting this investigation and for bringing your knowhow, I trust that your scenario is 99% good.
With all your inputs, we have rebuilt the story.

I will go in Provence on site in August, I will meet the 88 year old witness, i will look at the parts, meet Sarah the grand niece and it seems that the French channel M6 wants to make a movie out of this story. Sounds good, isn'it ?

Guys, thanks to each of you, I am grateful and I can tell you that Sarah as well.

Gilles