the "Magdeburg Boys"???

[bobbysocks]

I was reading a book and came upon an account of one of the first US raids on Berlin that had fighter escort. The author of the account made the statement something to the effect " you could always count on the Madgeburg Boys to show up as this unit really liked to fight". I have heard of the Abbeville Boys but this is the first I have heard of this group. Who were they? JG 300...301 or ???

 

[fubar57]

Never heard of them but do not Google search them and transpose the "g" and "d". I repeat, do not do it. The eyes cannot unsee what they have seen.

Geo

 

[vikingBerserker]

Dammit Geo, why did you say that?? You made me look!

 

[bobbysocks]

i will resist.....but thanks for the warning.

i dont know if this group was commonly called that back then or it was the author's own nick name for them. it was in the book "Bleeding Sky" by Joey Maddox and was a quote from Leonard "Kit" Carson's book. I had never heard of another LW group being labeled like that...

 

[fubar57]

Sorry about that David. I'll have a look through my books to see if I can find anything.

Geo

 

[fubar57]

Just found something that may or may not be relevant. There was a training outfit at Magdeburg, Flieger-Ausbildungs-Regiment 21. Maybe he was referring to the pilots who were trained here. Will keep looking.

Geo

 

[Koopernic]

Magdeburg, a town in what was east Germany. Junkers had an engine plant, specifically a jet engine plant outside that town. It's a very small city, was very pretty.

 

[vikingBerserker]

I cannot find anything on it myself.

 

[fubar57]

Magdeburg-Ost, 1943

Still looking....

 

[bobbysocks]

i do know there sere several big air battles around there and later ( early 45 ...around march ...JG 300 pretty much got wiped out in that vicinity ). but with all the shifting and reassigning of groups i pretty much doubt they ( JG 300 ) were the MBs. i am going to have to shoot erich a PM

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Rick would know. I'll see if I can find out.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Bobby, do you know the date of the raid?

 

[bobbysocks]

march 4th, 1944 according to the book....

 

[drgondog]

I have never heard of Magdeburg Boys and the March 4 date makes me wonder. AFAIK no Luftwaffe unit was stationed specifically at Magdeburg.

The 4 March Berlin mission did pass over Magdeburg but most of the LW activity in Berlin area were from JG 3 from Salzwedel and Burg (west of Berlin/Magdeburg), I./JG 302 from Juterbog (south of Berlin). The other primary LuftFlotte Reich units came from Wunsdorf, Gardelegen, Rotenurg, Luneburg (mostly JG 11 and III/JG 54 and III./ZG26)

I have read a lot of bomb group histories and that term has not surfaced till now.

 

[drgondog]

I was reading a book and came upon an account of one of the first US raids on Berlin that had fighter escort. The author of the account made the statement something to the effect " you could always count on the Madgeburg Boys to show up as this unit really liked to fight". I have heard of the Abbeville Boys but this is the first I have heard of this group. Who were they? JG 300...301 or ???

It was The second attack that actually a.) made it to Berlin, and b.) was escorted by a few fighters. Lt R.D. Wallen 357FG destroyed the first 8th AF victory credit over Berlin. On the 3rd, the 55th FG made it to Berlin but no action, whereas the 354FG (9th AF)scored both on the 3rd and 4th near Berlin

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

This is what is what Rick had to say, and he has done a lot of research on the Luftwaffe with interviews.
"kinda strange since I cannot really say. III./JG 3, Stab./JG 3, II. and IV./JG 3 also flew as well as I./Jg 26. II./Jg 27, II./JG 53, I./Jg 300, I./Jg 301, I./JG 302, Sturmstaffel 1 and JGr. Süd. Out lof these there are only two units flying Fw 190A's the other Bf 109G's. still think it might be JG 300 or 301 though JG 301 overall was still flying night ops."

 

[bobbysocks]

I'm guessing this was Carson maybe using a little "poetic license". as everyone else I had never heard of this name until now and why i posed the question. not that i am a bonafide expert but think the name would have been bounced around in one forum or another....especially the gamer sites where they try to skin the ac in the games to known groups.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

I would be inclined to agree on the "poetic license". It's been done before.