Luftwaffe claims Dec 1944

[FlexiBull]

Does anyone know where I can access Luftwaffe claims for 1944. I have visited LesButlers site but there is no mention of a claim

I am interested in a Lancaster: PB629, Mk. III shot down by a Me 262 during an abortive daylight raid to Heimbach on the 4th December. The Lancaster was hit wounding one of the gunners but carried on with the rest of the crew bailing out over Holland, the plane crashing in Belgium.

FlexiBull

 

[Erich]

sorry but there were no daylight or evening missions flown by Me 262's on 4 December 1944

 

[FlexiBull]

Interesting and by the way how are you feeling Eric .......... better I hope

This official account mentions "a fighter" no mention of Me 262, that part came from a relative who heard it from the pilot. Surely if it had been an observed aircraft Bf 109, Fw 190 Me262 it would have appeared in the oficial report?

Lancaster: PB629, Mk. III
Classification: Shot Down 3-Dec-44 (daylight attack) against Heimbach

Production: Part of the ninth production batch of 723 aircraft built by A.V. Roe Co. Ltd., Newton Heath, Manchester, under Contract No. 1807, in two parts. Part 1 (440 Mk.III's and 1 Mk.I [PB592]). PA964-PA999, PB112-PB158, PB171-PB213, PB226-PB267, PB280-PB308, PB341-PB385, PB397-PB438, PB450-PB490, PB504-PB542, PB554-PB596 and PB609-PB642. Deliveries commenced 5/44; completed 9/44 (average rate of production, approximately 27 aircraft per week.)

Service: 32 MU St. Athan del'd 27-9-44, 156 Sqn del'd 12-10-44 GT-?, 582 Sqn del'd 9-11-44 6O-J, SOC 15-12-44

Notes: 3-12-44: Take off 0804 Little Staughton. Part of a force of 187 aircraft - 183 Lancasters, 4 Mosquitoes, tasked in support of the Allied armies to attack Heimbach. Unable to locate the aiming point the Master Bomber ordered the raid aborted. 1 aircraft, 0.53 percent of the force were lost - 1 Lancaster. The aircraft was shot down by a fighter and crashed possibly at Zuid Nederland, Holland. S/L Grillage is buried in the Venray War Cemetery. It is possible that this aircraft crashed behind Allied held lines and allowed the crew to be returned to their squadron within a few days.

Crew: F/L A.F. Green, RCAF; Sgt. D.R. Naylor; F/O W. Wood, RCAF; F/O C.E. Dalik, RCAF; Sgt. W.J. Hough; S/L F.G. Grillage +; W/O1 J.L. Campbell, RCAF

FlexiBull

 

[Hawgripper]

I know that this post was from a while ago but I can add some info.
My wife's grandfather was William Mood who was the F/O on that mission.
His story was that they were shot down but no mention of what aircraft. He broke his ankle on impact and they didn't
Know where they landed. The people that found them hid them in their barn.

 

[stona]

First, the loss was on 3rd NOT 4th December as per the original and rather old post, which may be why the Me 262 possibility was originally discounted.
I think that the Me 262 connection is the claim Ofw. Petersen of 2./KG 51 made for a B-24 between Weert and Venlo, in the Netherlands, at 09.25 hours, which some have linked to the loss of the Lancaster. Such errors in identification were not uncommon, and the German pilot may well have expected a US type flying in daylight.

For those that worry about such things PB629 was coded 6O-J.

Cheers

Steve