JG26: Top Guns of the Luftwaffe by Donald Caldwell

Author:Donald Caldwell
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781473831612
Publisher: Frontline Books
Published: 2013-11-19T22:00:00+00:00

The FW 190 pilots recorded another solid triumph over the heavy bombers on the 21st. Nearly 800 bombers were dispatched to bomb the newly identified V-weapon launch sites in the Pas de Calais area of France. The weather closed in, and some formations spent so much time over France attempting to make clear target identifications that the escort plan broke down. The First Gruppe located an unprotected Pulk of B-24s. Since the bombers were already near the coast on their return flight, Hptm. Borris ordered his fifteen pilots to attack from the rear of the formation. The fighters made repeated stern attacks and succeeded in shooting down five 44th Bomb Group Liberators. The bomber gunners claimed four Focke-Wulfs, but none in fact were lost.

The Geschwader did not pass the day unscathed, however; the Third Gruppe lost two Messerschmitts and one pilot. A flight of P-47s from the 353rd Fighter Group, flying near St. Quentin, came across a Schwarm of four 12th Staffel Bf 109s beneath them. The Thunderbolt pilots made an undetected bounce from out of the sun. Their leader, Maj. Walter Beckham, hit the trailing fighter with a short burst of machine-gun fire. The Messerschmitt burst into flames. Its pilot bailed out quickly, suffering only light injuries. Beckham shifted his sights to the lead fighter, which exploded under the fire of his eight. 50s. The pilot of this Messerschmitt was killed instantly.

The next major Eighth Air Force mission took place on 29 January. The bombers’ target was Frankfurt. The First and Second Gruppen claimed seven B-17s destroyed, one separated from its formation, and one straggling bomber shot down; two B-24s destroyed plus two separated; and two P-47s and two P-38s destroyed. Bad weather split up many formations, and most German attacks were made by individual Staffeln. The Geschwader fought the Americans from central Germany to the English Channel. Three JG 26 pilots were killed, and another wounded.

The 7th Staffel encountered a small Pulk of B-24s near Trier. Their first pass damaged several bombers. As the Staffel continued to stalk the Liberators through the clouds, it was overtaken by the P-38s of the 20th Fighter Group’s 79th Squadron. The Germans broke formation and sought cover. One Focke-Wulf was hit by a Lightning’s fire and pulled up toward the sun, smoking heavily; its pilot later had to bail out. All but one of the other German pilots succeeded in evading the attack. The inexperienced Gefr. Alfred Teichmann was caught flying straight and level by a P-38 pilot who opened fire from dead astern, quickly closing to seventy-five yards range. The FW 190 spun out in flames, and it was still spinning when it entered the overcast at 4,000 feet. Teichmann and his aircraft disappeared without a trace. Not until 1974 was the wreckage discovered. Aviation historian Werner Girbig was called upon to assist in the excavation and succeeded in identifying Teichmann’s remains. The bodies of many other airmen remain buried with their aircraft in the soft soil of northwestern Germany and the Low Countries.

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