LAST KILL?

When it comes to identifying the unfortunate Ju 87, problems arise. As we have seen, only two German units were then operating the type on the Western Front and there is no surviving record of material or personnel loss from NSG 2; by contrast NSG 1 had a bad night, with three aircraft written off and several others damaged (see Appendix 1). Of the total losses, one was a landing accident, another (V8+PD) was to AA fire and a third was missing without trace over the battle area. While it might seem safe to assume that it was this last aircraft that fell victim to the Mosquito, another Ju 87 was damaged by a night fighter. Only one Allied night fighter made a Ju 87 claim that night and that was Green and Oxby's Mosquito so, unless they somehow unwittingly fired on two German planes, it seems as if they did not in fact achieve a kill. We are nonetheless left with their report that their victim crashed and burned, though this is possibly explicable in an area of intense ground fighting where explosions and fires may have had other causes.

THE VICTIM?

As described earlier, the wreck of Ju 87D-5 WNr. 131372 was found at Bonn-Hangelar airfield (see Appendix 6). With the Allies closing up to the west bank of the Rhein, Hangelar became untenable. Orders to evacuate were given to III./NJG 11 on 2 March, the aerodrome coming under artillery fire on the 7th. Signals installations were being pulled out on 6 March and a message on the evening of the 9th spoke of "the evacuation currently taking place." Next day, and significantly for this story, Luftgau VI was asking the Aerodrome Regional Command to assist a recovery unit, Bergekompanie z.b.V. 30, in transporting no fewer than 10 unserviceable and 30 salvaged aircraft away from Hangelar.

This apparent use of Hangelar as a salvage collection point offers one possible explanation for the presence of W.Nr. 131372, that it may have been dismantled and taken there from wherever it came to earth. Another possibility is that, damaged in combat over Forst Hambach, it made for a nearby airfield. (There is a parallel case: on 13 February 1945, Bf 109 G-6 WNr. 202113, "Red 7" of 2./NAG 13, experienced engine trouble and was 40% damaged in a belly-landing at Hangelar, a long way from its base in Donaueschingen. It too ended its days on the Bonn scrap heap). So, even if not in quite the way he thought, it looks like Ju 87 D-5 W.Nr. 131372, V8+KD may well have been Green's last kill.

Appendix 1

 

 

NSG 1's known casualties, 24 February 1945.

Appendix 2

 

 

Other combats and Luftwaffe casualties over Northwest Europe, night of 24/25 February 1945.

Appendix 3

 

 

Operations by Luftwaffenkommando West, night of 24/25 February 1945.

Appendix 4

 

 

NSG 1 formation leaders (Winter 1944/45).

Appendix 5

 

 

NSG 1 camouflage and markings on the Western Front.

Appendix 6

 

 

Aircraft inspected at Bonn-Hangelar on 22 March 1945.

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