May
15, 1943, 8ème
victoire May
15, 1943, 8ème
victoire 
Searches concerning this victory :
| progress of the search | 4 | Last update | May 14 , 2002 | Evaluation quality of information | 2 |
The mission of the USAAF
COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCESSATURDAY, 15 MAY 1943
EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force)
Mission Number 57 :
Bombs falling towards Heligoland from 26,000 feet - 15 May 1943.
Photo taken from the camera pit of #41-24577 "Hell's Angels"
[photo Archives 303rdBGA ]
113 B-17's are dispatched against various targets in Germany as well as airfield and naval installations on Heligoland Island and the naval base and submarine construction works at Wilhelmshaven ;
76 bomb the targets at 1050-1055 hours local ; we claim 29-20-30 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed ;
we lose 5 B-17's, 1 is damaged beyond repair and 26 damaged ;
casualties are 1 KIA, 7 WIA and 51 MIA.
80 B-17's are dispatched against the U-boat yard, marshalling yard and airfield at Emden, Germany;
59 bomb at 1056-1103 hours local ; they claim 14-3-1 Luftwaffe aircraft;
we lose 1 B-17 and 9 others are damaged ;
casualties are 10 MIA.
116 P-47's are dispatched on a high altitude sweep of the Amsterdam/Rotterdam area prior to the bombing raids ;
they claim 2 Luftwaffe aircraft damaged ;
1 P-47 is lost and the pilot is listed as MIA.
B-17 declared lost on May 15, 1943 (current result of my works) :
Source : 303rd Bombardment Group (H) Eighth Air Force Station 107 - Molesworth, England
http://www.303rdbga.com/macr.html
serial number
plane name
squadron
Code
reason
mission lost on
pilot
42-29481
B-17-F-55-BO
303 BG 427 BS
?
fighter
Wilhelmshaven
Crash Location
North SeaChester D. Jacques,
10KIA
MACR 15515
|
serial number |
plane name |
squadron |
Code |
reason |
mission lost on |
pilot |
|
42-3173 |
B-17-F-30-DL "Spare Ball" |
351 BG 511 BS |
DS-R |
Shot down
by a bomb drop from top ! |
Emden |
Lt.Joseph A. Meli
Jnr. |
Source : Book "The B-17 flying Fortress Story"
serial number
plane name
squadron
Code
reason
mission lost on
pilot
42-5055
B-17F-BO
306 BG 367 BS
GY-H
flak
Wilhelmshaven
Crash Location
?Ritland,
10POW42-29677
B-17F-BO "Battlin' B"
306 BG 367 BS
?
fighter
Heligoland
Crash Location
North SeaMann,
7KIA, 3POW,
MACR ? 16060 ?42-29744
B-17F-70-BO "Battling B"
306 BG 367 BS
?
fighter
Wangerooge
Crash Location
North SeaClemons,
6KIA, 4POW,
MACR 1551242-29820
B-17F-70-BO
92 BG 407 BS
PY-V
flak
Heligoland
(Target of Opportunity really bombed)
Wilhelmshafen
(Primary Target)
Crash Location
North Sea1 Lt. Larche M. Washer P POW
Robert W. Kennedy C? POW?
Martin J. Healy N? KIA
William F. Haenel B? POW?
Alfred Sikorski E? KIA
Jack P. Roebuck R? POW?
Arthur L. Davis BT? POW?
James R. McDermott RW? KIA
Arthur F. Blasenak LW? KIA
Kenneth G. Murray T? KIA
MACR 16060
Photo of Lead Crew of the 360th BS on mission #36 on May 15, 1943 Helgoland Islands.
Yardbird II #42-5260 (360BS) PU-A
102nd PBCW #2 (360BS) - Pilot Maj L.E. Lyle / CoPilot Cap J.W. Farrar
(Back L-R) T/Sgt K.C. Hassler (E), Capt L.E. Lyle (P),
Lt R.H. Auman (N), Capt J.W. Farrar (CP),
Lt M.S. Fonorow (B), Capt S.H. Anderson (N)
(Front) S/Sgt F.W. Bartlett (TG), S/Sgt P.H. Prescott (WG),
S/Sgt L.T. O'Connell (WG), T/Sgt E.K. Lindewall (R), S/Sgt J.R. Sunderlin (BT),
Description of this victory by Heinz Knoke and different information :
Source " I flew for " page 99: Americans repeat their attack on Kiel. Knoke damaged the right internal engine of a fortress situated on the side of the Box. He attacks another one situated on the rear of the Box. Two left engines begin smoking. The plane loses height rapidly, ...10 parachutes open. The plane goes down without pilot spin and finally disintegrating in its descent. It crashes at 10.56 in map reference sector Toni-Siegfried-4.
Heinz Knoke Informations
Personal comments
Source
Date
Type of claimed plane
Place of the interception
Height 25 000 feetCrash Location
Square TS-4
2 miles South West of WesterheverPresumed Mission USAAF
Presumed route USAAF
It would be interesting to know the American flight plan which had to foresee this type of path to deceive German on the real objective of the attack (reached purpose because Knoke mentions Kiel as target while it was not aimed.)Schedule
Weather report
Knoke's Unit
5./JG11
five planes only, "since nearly all our planes had holes in them when they arrived home yesterday."Description of the fight
"By this time I simply could not care less. I dive steeply from behind at another Fortress flying at the tail end. At last my firing begins to have some effects. The two left engines begin smoking. The Yank loses height rapidly. Once he is out of the formation, it is all over. I fasten on behind his tail and blaze away with everything I have. Bright flames spread along the belly. All ten members of the crew bale out. the parachutes hang in tyhe sky like washing on some invisible clothes-line, while the giant plane goes down trailing a long column of smoke, in apilotless spin, falling aut of control, and finally disintegrating in its descent.
It crashes at 1056 hours in map reference sector Toni-Siegfried-four."
Crash location is precise.
Complete crew bailed out.Detail 1
He observes in the third attack hits on the the internal right engine of B-17 which slides over into the well protected centre of the formation. He loses sight of this B-17.
Victory takes place probably on the way back...Detail 2
The only one of 5 bombs because there was 5 planes only. It is so doubtful that the American crews noticed of "bombardment". It was probably confused with Flak.
Probably no survivors in Lennartz's B-17 victim.
Luftwaffe' Official Victories on May 15, 1943.
Source : Jagdgeschwader 1 und 11 Tail 1 1939 - 1943 Jochen Prien, Peter Rodeike.
