Luftwaffe losses 6/7 july 1944

[FlexiBull]

I'm looking into a raid on Feuersbrunn (Fels-am-Wagram) airfield Austria on the night of 6/7th July 1944.

61 Aircraft mainly Wellingtons from 205 Group attacked the base. My father was on this operation. 13 wellington were reported missing.

It was reported that a Wellington and an Fw 190 collided and that a Ju88 was shot down.

Can anyone confirm this or add any more information

FlexiBull

 

[Erich]

one Bf 110G-4 from 7./NJG 6 a bad landing accident with all 3 crewmen wounded at St. Gotthardt. no other losses of men or material on this night.

it is reported that a BC Mossie shot down a Ju 88 but have no details on this action.

3 Bf 109G-6's of I./JG 301 were in action against the Lancaster force and shot down 3 Lancs.

 

[FlexiBull]

Thanks Eric but this is still a bit of a mystery.

The St Gotthardt you mention is in Northern Germany I think.

The action I am referring to would have been Northern Italy, southern and central Austria.

The collision allegedly happened over the target and the Ju88 was reported shot down by a Wellington crew.

There must have been some Luftwaffe activity in this area that night for so many losses.

Perhaps the collision was between two Wellingtons and as for the Ju88, well there are some similarities with a Wellington. Maybe it was a blue on blue!

 

[Kurtl]

@ Erich: are you sure these Lancasters were against Feuersbrunn aerodrome? I also would be interested what the JG 301 did that night. Weren't they based somewhere in mid-germany that night?

@all: There is a St. Gotthard at the southern border of Austria/Slovenia that would fit to your describtion. Olt. Knieling (NJG 6), based at Steinamanger (Szombathely, Hungaria) was shot down this night in his Bf 110. All crew was killed.

Hope that helped some.
Regards,
Kurtl

 

[Erich]

Kurt how are you doing these days ? snow in Austria yet ?

will have to look as my activities into JG 301 for the last 8 months have been more late war-fall into 1945 but will do a recheck on the unit, equipped with Bf 109G-6 and cannon waffenpods ............

the loss given was from a LW night fighter losses book- 2 volumes.

you are correct gents the JG 301 ops were far to the north over Calais and Dieppe from I. gruppe, and not in Austria Hungary.

only I./JG 301 were still flying night missions until August of 44 while the other two gruppen switched to daylight operations. I. gruppe based for a short time at Dechy near Cambrai, France.

back to the drawing board..........

E ~

 

[Kurtl]

@Erich: Thanks I'm fine and still at Austria, snow will come in the next few days. Prepared some interesting investigations this year. Hope to get the chance for visiting these places next year.

@all: some adds and corrections about my previous post: The Me 110 of Olt. Knieling was shot down in the area of Graz, Styria in Austria. But only Knieling and Ogfr. Neumann were KIA, Fw. Schreiner was able to bail out and got seriously woundet.

Me 110 of Uffz. Lauterbach and Uffz. Niete made a belly-landing close St. Gotthard after being hit by friendly flak. The crew got seriously woundet.

I wonder if the JG 301 (or any other FW 190 at all) ever took part in night battles over the Austrian/Hungarian area at all. Hope that Erich can help at this point. - Kurtl

 

[Erich]

some of the southern SKG units did have Jäger missions in the south of the Reich during the war.............flying the Fw 190

would like to hear more Kurt of your findings of 2009.

Erich ~

 

[Barry Hunter]

I am currently working on a collection of Sgt JH Bird for IBCC. He was a pilot with 104 squadron at Foggia. He was involved in at least two raids (its a big collection) 29/30 June and 6/7 July 44. In the second raid a vertical aerial photograph of the airfield stands out very clearly and the bombs appear to straddle the centre of the airfield. You can look at the collection without charge at IBCC Digital Archive then search for JH Bird.

 

[SaparotRob]

Hey Barry, welcome to the Forum.