eBay: Airwar ww2 The Pilots. (1 Viewer)

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drgondog said:
Bill Cullerton was not only a very good fighter pilot but a gentleman.

DidI mention survivor? Shot down strafing Asbach airfield, a mission my father was leading on April 8, 1945. Bailed out, and was captured by SS. When he suurendered his 1911 to the SS Colonel, the bastard shot him in the guts after telling Cullerton "For you the war is over' - and lft him to die.

A Jewish doctor rescued him and treated him in his attic until over run by US infantry -

Bill flew west around 2015 IIRC.
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Assigned to 357FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Credited with 5 kills and 21 [Ground]. Hit by flak strafing Ansbach A/D baled out near Ansbach on 8-Apr-45 in P-51D 44-64011 'Miss Steve'.

Gentleman gun slinger i would say.

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Snautzer01 said:
Assigned to 357FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Credited with 5 kills and 21 [Ground]. Hit by flak strafing Ansbach A/D baled out near Ansbach on 8-Apr-45 in P-51D 44-64011 'Miss Steve'.

Gentleman gun slinger i would say.

View attachment 746400
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Bill's score was 5 air, 16 gnd, 13 of which were scored on two missions. He received DSC for 11-1944 mission.

Kind of a sad note, his wingman claimed the one destroyed by Cullerton but the #3 in flight corrected him publically in the de-briefing session.

He came to 355th about sametime my father maybe a week later.
 
Snautzer01 said:
Grave Uffz. Michel vom Sturzkampfgeschwader 51 3./StG51

View attachment 746399

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7359aâ ORIGINAL Foto, Grab von Uffz. Michel vom Sturzkampfgeschwader 51 | eBay

Entdecken Sie 7359aâ ORIGINAL Foto, Grab von Uffz. Michel vom Sturzkampfgeschwader 51 in der groÃen Auswahl bei eBay. Kostenlose Lieferung für viele Artikel!
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17th May 1940
8./StG51 Junkers Ju87B-1. Shot down by Hurricanes of No.151 Squadron in combat north of Landrecies 10.30 a.m. Possibly that claimed by F/L Ives. Pilot Lt. Gerhard Wanke and Bordfunker Uffz. Siegfried Michel both killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.

Note: '3' in Luftwaffe parlance denotes 3. Staffel. 'III' denotes III. Gruppe, of which 8. Staffel was a part (7. 8, & 9. Staffeln formed III. Gruppe). Hope this helps.
 
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John Vasco said:
17th May 1940
8./StG51 Junkers Ju87B-1. Shot down by Hurricanes of No.151 Squadron in combat north of Landrecies 10.30 a.m. Possibly that claimed by F/L Ives. Pilot Lt. Gerhard Wanke and Bordfunker Uffz. Siegfried Michel both killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.

Note: '3' in Luftwaffe parlance denotes 3. Staffel. 'III' denotes III. Gruppe, of which 8. Staffel was a part (7. 8, & 9. Staffeln formed III. Gruppe). Hope this helps.
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So how did one get this info on his grave? Seems specific. His dogtag perhaps?
Any idea?
Thanks in advance.
 
Snautzer01 said:
So how did one get this info on his grave? Seems specific. His dogtag perhaps?
Any idea?
Thanks in advance.
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The dog tag gives two sets of numbers. The top numbers, comprising of five numbers, is the unit identifier. The bottom numbers, usually two, are the numbered ID of the person within the unit. From those two things, the deceased can be identified from unit records. The fuselage code of the aircraft, if identifiable, also gives a clue at unit level, as they would know who was flying in which aircraft.
 
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In honor of Bill Cullerton - highest day score for 355th FG pilot. Two air, six ground. Would not be broken until April, 1945

November 2, 1944

FO 1281A. Major Elder led a Free Lance fighter Sweep for First and Second Division bombers attacking Merseburg. The 355th put up 56 Mustangs to try to take full advantage of the opportunity to roam out in front of the bomber force, unfettered by close escort responsibilities.

The Group took off at 1012, made rendezvous west of Merseburg at 1216 and provided area support north and east of the Merseburg area and the main bomber track.

At 1248 the 358FS intercepted six Me109s attacking one box of B-17s just northwest of Merseburg as the force started the return home. The109s shot down a B-17 while Lieutenants Mikalauskas and McElroy came away with one Me-109 destroyed and one damaged.

At 1253 Lieutenant Priest led Green flight into a flight of 25+ Me109s ten miles west of Naumburg and broke up an attack on 1st Division B-17s. Priest and Woolard destroyed one apiece before the109s split for the deck. The 109 that Priest shot down was clobbering a Mustang with 'black' (more likely the blue/white of the 364th) and white checkered nose.

Priest pulled up next to the damaged P-51 and the pilot gave him a 'thumbs up' but Priest and Woolard assumed high covering position and escorted him back to the English coast where they left their new friend.

The 357FS climbed to head off several Me 262s coming in from the east at 30,000 feet and pursued them when they broke for the deck. The 357th lost the jets but spotted some Me 109s from I./JG3 which were landing at Borkheide airdrome near Wernigerode. The time was approximately 1250. Elder led the 357th to bounce the 109s in the landing pattern.

The 357FS had a field day at Borkheide. By chance some stray rounds shot at the low flying 109s near Borkheide lit up well camouflaged Me 109s of I./JG 300 hidden in the brush and trees surrounding the airfield.

In addition to Lieutenant Cullerton shooting down two, Major Elder and Lieutenants Wilkes and Moroney destroyed on fighter each. In total three Me109s and two FW 190s were clobbered over Wernigerode airfield. The squadron claimed another 22 fighters on the ground. Top ground scores were turned in by Cullerton with six and Elder with five.

Cullerton and Elder had their individual best days of the war getting a combined air/ground total of eight and six respectively. Captain Dufresne and Lieutenants Miller, Williams and Moroney each claimed two apiece. Lieutenants Riffle, Cavender, and Engelbreit each got one apiece on the ground.

Engelbreit was hit hard by flak on his last pass and had to belly his 'Spook III' in near the airdrome to become a POW.

The actual number of I./JG 300 Me109s destroyed , revealed after the war, was 32 Bf 109G-14's. Only 22 were awarded as destroyed – a rare case of 'under claiming.' The JG3 leader was reprimanded severely after this action for leading the Mustangs to the base.

On the way home 354FS pilot Lieutenant Zimmerman had an engine problem and bailed out over occupied territory in Holland. He evaded capture and joined the Dutch underground and fought with them until the following March when the Allies finally liberated Holland. He then returned to the US.

The rest of the Group returned to base by 1530.

Lieutenant Bill Cullerton set the final record for individual number of enemy aircraft destroyed for the 355th Fighter Group in one day. It would never be broken. For Cullerton's valor on this day he received the Group's sixth Distinguished Service Cross.

The 355th FG became the third 8th AF combat unit to destroy 500 German aircraft on this day. The 355th was still in third place behind the 4th and 56th but now close to 175 credits behind each of them.

Final score 30-0-2 for loss of two - both flak related.
 

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German Maximilian Schick Flugzeugführer Aufklärer 1.(F)/AG124 Kette Lappland

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sign. Foto von Maximilian Schick Luftwaffe Flugzeugführer Aufklärer | eBay

Schönes Foto mit Signatur von Maximilian Schick, Luftwaffe, Flugzeugführer und Beobachter in einer Fern-Aufklärungsstaffel. Das Foto (18x13cm) ist eine Reproduktion, die Unterschrift ist original aus der Nachkriegszeit.
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