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13 May 1944: report from III./JG 53
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Source found a badly damaged copy of a report on evening 13/5 from III/JG53.
The first pages were torn off:
Missing, Uffz. Rolf Reihlen, Uffz. Josef Effelberger.
(Several lines torn)
Ltn. Horst Wegener, shot down by 2 Spitfires at 1717 hours at 4500 m. baled out, slightly wounded in GD 6 top right. A/c burst into flames on hitting the ground, 99%, third jump.
Observation 1617 hours. A Bf shot up by a Thunderbolt in 3000, white plume issuing from radiator and engine in a downward glide in GE 7.
1633 hours, 8 Fw 190 (smudge) bombs dropped in …L
Special events:
1710 hrs. Uffz. Werner Walk belly landing on Arlena airfield, caused by shooting up. 4 Bf intermediate landing in Orvieto.
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The details of the missing and shot down pilots coincide exactly (give or take the spelling of one name) with surviving Luftwaffe casualty reports:
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7./JG 53
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Ltn. Horst Wegener
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Bailed out in combat with Spitfires.
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Bf 109 G-6 WNr. [not known]
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8./JG 53
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Uffz. Rolf Reihlen
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Bailed out wounded, combat with P-47s, Capranica [c. 8 km. south of Lake Vico].
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Bf 109 G-6 WNr. 163169, black 9
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8./JG 53
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Uffz. Josef Effenberger
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Bailed out wounded, combat with P-47s, Monte Rosa.
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Bf 109 G-6 WNr. 163343, black 7
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That Uffz. Walk does not appear in these records suggests that while his aircraft was damaged, he himself was unhurt.
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NOTE: Horst Wegener would go missing in action on 30 May. The circumstances were set out in Luftflotte 2's Fleet Order 24/44 of 27 August under "Search Reports":
The fighter pilot Horst Wegener, born 30.4.23 in Frankfurt/Oder, and his Me 109 failed to return following air combat in the Rome–Viterbo area on 30.5.44. It still remains to be determined whether the Lt. jumped with a parachute which was sighted that day between Rome and Lago di Bracciano (15–20 km north of Rome) and perhaps drifted far away. There is a possibility that Lt. W. was delivered wounded to a military hospital situated north of Rome and so ended up in captivity. Any information about the crash of an Me 109, the descent of a parachute etc. to Luftflotte 2, IIa 5.
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DECIPHERED MESSAGE
From the surviving files of the British Government Code and Cipher School.
The message was summarised to make it look as if a spy on the ground had seen a damaged paper document. In fact, parts of a supposedly secure wireless signal had been deciphered.
Note: all times are GMT, add two hours for local time.
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