Heinz Knoke P-47 Thunderbolt September 27, 1943

What I still look for :

Exact crash location
The contents of the MACR
Photo(s) of P-47 Serial 41-6199

Description of this victory by Heinz Knoke and different information :

Heinz Knoke's Flightbook mission 226 left page

Heinz Knoke's Flightbook mission 226 right page

Warning !
To facilitate the reading, lines of Heinz Knoke's flightbook, appearing above, were modified with small computing assembly.
If the disposal is not in accordance with the original, the main thing of the information, namely the mission 226 of September 27, has no change.

	Heinz Knoke Informations	Personal comments
Source	I flew for the f... page 116
Date	September 27, 1943
Type of claimed plane	Thunderbolt
Place of the interception	Jever's surroundings. 20000 feet in height.
Crash Location
Presumed mission USAAF		Target was Emden.
Presumed route USAAF
Schedule	Stand by : 10.30 enemy concentrations in map reference sector Dora Dora. Jever's takeoff : 10.55 Landing with parachutes near Jever : 11.26 (31 minutes)	31 minutes on the whole, everything happened near Jever.
Weather report	"The sky is completely overcast. We come out above the clouds at 10000 feet..."
Knoke's Unit	5./JG11 Bf 109G from II./JG11	All Bf 109G are equipped with rockets of 210 mm. Since August 19, 1943 the 109 are equipped with extra reserve fuel-tanks.
Detail 1	"10.45 : all set. I have a new aircraft. Arndt has been polishing it until it shines like a new mirror : no doubt that will add another ten miles per hour to the speed."
Detail 2	"The reserve tanks are still almost full when I order my Flight to jettison them."	It is a precious indication about Jever's nearness. Just the time to rise in 20000 feet heading East.
Detail 3	"We swing quickly in to attack with our rockets. As we get in position, the Fortress split up into separate groups of some thirty or forty aircraft each, and keep on constantly altering course... I order all our rockets to be discharge when we are in formation at a range of 2000 feet. The next moment a simply fantastic scene unfolds before my eyes. My own two rockets both register a perfect bull's-eyes on a Fortress. Thereupon I am confronted with an enormous solid ball of fire. The bomber has blown up in mid-air with its entire load of bombs. The blazing, smoking fragments come fluttering down."	Knoke first victory on same day.
Detail 4	"They [P-47] have the white star and broad white stripes as wing marking."	Knoke's first meet with P-47.
Description of the fight	<<Reinhard, Reinhard, wake up ! Thunderbolt behind !>> Reinhard does not reply, but keeps on calmly blazing away at his Fortress. I go flat out over the Thunderbolts. The first of them now opens fire on my wingman. The latter just keeps on firing at his victim. But now the leading Thunderbolt is a perfect target in my sights. A single burst of fire from my guns is all that is needed. It bursts into flames and goes down spinning like a dead leaf into the depths below. It is my second kill today."	A sure victory. Knoke didn't mention parachute. No survivor.
Detail 5	"Then there is a sudden hammering noise on my crate. I turn round. There is a Thunderbolt hard on my tail, and two others are coming down to join it. I push the stick right forward with both hands, diving for cover in the clouds. Too late : my engine is on fire. I can feel the heat : it quickly become unbearable. Jetissoning the canopy, I pull the oxygen mask off my face. I unfasten the safety-harness and, drawing up my legs, kick the stick forward with all my strengh. I am shot clear outof the aircraft and somersault through the air in a great arc... ...I quite enjoy the experience. What a marvellous invention the parachute is, to be sure--always provided it opens ! Jever lies off to the north. They must be able to see me from there..."	Crash location of Knoke's plane : Jever is near, north of Knoke's position.
Detail 6	"It is a black day indeed for the squadron. By evening it is ascertained that among my own pilots Sergeant Dölling has been killed, and Raddatz and Johnny Fest shot down also. 4./JG11 has lost two killed and one seriously wounded. One of the Headquarters aircraft has not returned. 6./JG11 seems to have got the worst of it. Nine our of its twelve pilots are lost. All the nine have been killed. The remaining three have been forced to either crash-land or bale out. Not a single one of their aircraft returned. On the credit side, however we have brought down twelve of the enemy to offset these heavy casualties. No fewer than six are credited to my lucky "Fifth" alone."
Detail 7	"Added to the credit side, of course, there is also the fact that today the Americans failed to reach their objective. They were obliged to take their bombs back home with them. The only exception was one of the smaller formations of Fortresses. They unloaded their bombs through a hole in the clouds on the little town of Esens in East Frisia. A school was hit, and 120 children were killed : that was one-third of the entire child population of the place."

P-47s Luftwaffe' Official Victories on September 27, 1943.

Source : Jagdgeschwader 1 und 11 Tail 1 1939 - 1943 Jochen Prien, Peter Rodeike.

Rank / Pilot	Unit	Plane	Schedule / Place
Lt. Knoke	5./JG11	P-47	11.20 S/BP-8
Lt. Brede	I./JG11	P-47	11.20 S/UP-5 7.800m
Uffz. Biermann	5./JG11	P-47	11.25 S/UP-6 7.500m

USAAF P-47s losses on September 27, 1943.

Source : COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES.

Rank / Pilot	Unit	Plane	Schedule / Place
1st Lt. Harry P. Dugas	56FG 61FS	P-47C 41-6199 UNW	KIA last seen in fight with enemy fighters near Juist Island
Lt. Alan W. Lowe	353FG	P-47D LHO	Crash landed at Ludham
?	?	P-47	Damaged

3 losses or damaged planes have been enlisted until today.
This number must be compared (above) to the 3 victories, claimed by Luftwaffe pilots.

Luftwaffe' Losses on September 27, 1943.

Source : Jagdgeschwader 1 und 11 Tail 1 1939 - 1943 Jochen Prien, Peter Rodeike.

Rank / Pilot	Unit	Plane	Schedule / Place
?	Stab/JG1	Fw 190 A-5 Wk Nr. 410 012	Motor Breakdown, Crash Landed : Donkerbrök Damaged 40%
?	Stab/JG1	Fw 190 A-6 Wk Nr. 550 512	Crash Landed : Leuwarden Damaged 15%
Olt. Georg Schott Staffelkapitän	1./JG1	Fw 190 A-6 Wk Nr. 550 476 11	U Fighting against Bombers. Crashed in German Gulf. 11.10
Uffz. Rudolf Schnappauf	1./JG1	Fw 190 A-4 Wk Nr. 0630 6	Fight against Bombers. Out of fuel. Crash Landed : Wittmundhafen
Lt. Kurt Ibing	4./JG1	Fw 190 A-6 Wk Nr. 530 372	Fight. Crash Landed : Aurich Damaged 40%
Ofw. Willy Ulrich	5./JG1	Fw 190 A-4 Wk Nr. 2572 8	Fight against B-17. Crash while landing at Hage. Damaged 80%
Fw. Hans Becker	6./JG1	Fw 190 A-5 Wk Nr. 7232 7	Out of fuel. Crash Landed : Diepholz Damaged 90%
Fw. Guido Rombaut	6./JG1	Fw 190 A-6 Wk Nr. 550 523 12	U Fighting against P-47s Shot down West of Norden.
?	II./JG1	Fw 190 A-5 Wk Nr. 7215	Fight. Crash Landed : Wittmundhafen Damaged 15%
?	II./JG1	Fw 190 A-6 Wk Nr. 530 272	Fight. Crash Landed : Wittmundhafen Damaged 40%
Olt. Erich Kuhnla	3./JG11	Fw 190 A-5/U12 Wk Nr. 710 015 2	Wounded. Shot down over the sea 35kms North of Langeoog
?	I./JG11	Fw 190 A-4 Wk Nr. 145 577	Fight. Shot down Wunstorf
Uffz. Ludwig Kurz	II./JG11	Bf 109 G-6 y Wk Nr. 16 482	Wounded. Shot down over the sea.
Ofw. Erich Gaumert	4./JG11	Bf 109 G-6 Wk Nr. 20 051	Wounded. Fight. Crash Landed: Norderney Damaged 40%
Fw. Herbert Dostmann	4./JG11	Bf 109 G-6/U4 Y Wk Nr. 20 086 2	Wounded. Fight. Shot down over the sea.
Uffz. Kurt Klinkhammer	4./JG11	Bf 109 G-6 Wk Nr. 20 474 8	Wounded. Fight. Shot down over the sea.
Fw. Hans Raddatz	5./JG11	Bf 109 G-6 Wk Nr. 20 079	Fight. Crash Landed: Norderney Damaged 15%
Lt. Knoke Staffelkapitän	5./JG11	Bf 109 G-6 Wk Nr. 20 ??? 1	Fighting against P-47s Shot down Southwest of Jever. 11.22
Uffz. Wilhelm Fest	5./JG11	Bf 109 G-6/U4 Wk Nr. 20 020 2	Wounded. Fight. Crash location : Norden
Hptm. Hermann Hintzen Staffelkapitän	6./JG11	Bf 109 G-6 Wk Nr. 20 330 1	Fighting against P-47s Shot down : North of Norderney
Uffz. Otto Turowski	6./JG11	Bf 109 G-6/U4 Wk Nr. 16 479 0	Wounded. Fight. Shot down over the sea.
Uffz. Rudolf Kotrba	6./JG11	Bf 109 G-6 Wk Nr. 20 082 3	Wounded. Fight. Shot down over the sea.
Lt. Eberhard Kämpf	6./JG11	Bf 109 G-6/U4 Y Wk Nr. 20 093 8	Wounded. Fight. Shot down over the sea.
Uffz. Karl Wiesmann	6./JG11	Bf 109 G-6/U4 Wk Nr. 20 105 4	Wounded. Fight. Shot down over the sea.
Olt. Erich Bock	6./JG11	Bf 109 G-6 Wk Nr. 20 516 13	U Fight. Shot down : North of Norderney
Fw. Otto Werner	6./JG11	Bf 109 G-6/U2 Y Wk Nr. 15 712 14	Wounded. Fight. Shot down over the sea.
Fhr. Weihrauch	6./JG11	Bf 109 G-6 Wk Nr. 20 099	Fight. Crash Landed : Norderney Damaged 10%

27 losses or damaged planes have been enlisted until today.
This number must be compared (below) to the 27 victories,
probable or damaged claimed by US pilots.

US Fighters claimed victories on single fighters on September 27, 1943.

Source : "Fighter units & Pilots of the 8th Air Force
September 1942 - May 1945 Day to Day Operations . Fighter Group Histories" Kent D. Miller.

Rank / Pilot	Unit	Plane	Schedule / Place
Lt. W.W. Millikan	4 FG 336 FS	Fw 190	Destroy (air) Potten
Lt. J.H. Truluck	56 FG 63 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) Borkum Island
Lt. J.H. Truluck	56 FG 63 FS	Fw 190	Destroy (air) Borkum Island
Lt. J.E. Coenen	56 FG 63 FS	Fw 190	Destroy (air) South Juist Island
Lt. J.E. Coenen	56 FG 63 FS	Fw 190	Destroy (air) South Juist Island
Lt. W.J. O'Connor	56 FG 63 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) Borkum Island
Maj. J.J. Oberhansly	78 FG 82 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) Emden
Maj. J.J. Oberhansly	78 FG 82 FS	Me 109	Probable (air) Emden
F/O M.S. Martinez	78 FG 82 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) Emden
Maj. J.C. Davis	78 FG 83 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) Emden
Lt. E.W. Powell	78 FG 83 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) Emden
Lt. P.E. Pompetti	78 FG 84 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) North West Emden
Capt. J.D. Irvin	78 FG 84 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) North West Emden
Capt. H.D. Stump	78 FG 84 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) North West Emden
Lt. Q.L. Brown	78 FG 84 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) North West Emden
Lt. W.W. Dougherty	78FG 84 FS	Me 109	Probable (air) North West Emden
Maj. B. Rimerman	353 FG 350 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) South Emden
Lt. D.A. Fry	353 FG 350 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) West Emden
Lt. W.W. Odom	353 FG 350 FS	1.5 Me 109	Destroy (air) Emden
Capt. D.E. Newhart	353 FG 350 FS	0.5 Me 109	Destroy (air) Emden
Capt. D.E. Newhart	353 FG 350 FS	Me 109	Damaged (air) Emden
Lt. J. Rosenberg	353 FG 350 FS	Me 109	Damaged (air) Emden
Capt. O.A. Kinkade	353 FG 351 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) South West Emden
Capt. O.A. Kinkade	353 FG 351 FS	Me 109	Damaged (air) South West Emden
Lt. H.F. Hunter	353 FG 351 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) South West Emden
Lt. W.J. Maguire	353 FG 351 FS	Me 109	Destroy (air) West Emden
Lt. W.J. Maguire	353 FG 351 FS	Me 109	Damaged (air) West Emden

Serial	Type	Squadron	Code	Reason	Mission / Crash Location	Pilot
41-6199	P47C-2-RE	56 FG 63 FS	UN-W	Last seen in a fight with enemy fighters near Juist Island	?	1st Lt. Harry P Dugas KIA MACR 666 & 747

September 27, 1943, 15th victory

P-47C-2-RE Thunderbolt Serial 41-6199 Code UNW

progress of the search
4 Last update October 5 , 2003
Evaluation quality of information
5

September 27, 1943, 15th victory

P-47C-2-RE Thunderbolt Serial 41-6199 Code UNW

progress of the search 4 Last update October 5 , 2003 Evaluation quality of information 5

progress of the search
4 Last update October 5 , 2003
Evaluation quality of information
5