Spitfires over Berlin : The Air War in Europe 1945

132 Pages·2015·19.83 MB·English

by  Dan Sharp

FURIOUS AERIAL COMBAT DURING THE LAST DAYS OF WW2
SPITFIRES
OVER BERLIN
THE AIR WAR IN EUROPE 1945
Dan Sharp
DEATH THROES OF
THE LUFTWAFFE
HEINKEL HE 162 JET
FIGHTER’S ONLY ‘KILL’
US MUSTANG PILOT
MURDERED BY CIVILIANS
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• PIPER L-4 ‘DOGFIGHT’ WITH FI 156 STORCH • THE KOMET’S LAST COMBAT MISSION 7
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• DISGRACED GERMAN PILOT’S DEADLY ROCKET FLIGHT • TOP 20 FIGHTERS OF 1945 N:
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andindices/Diameter:44mm/Calibre:SellitaSW200-1
BEGINNING OF THE END
TheSupermarineSpitfirewasmanythingsbutitwasneverasuccessfullong-rangefighter.Therefore,
justasthesightofshort-rangeMesserschmittBf109sflyingrightoverLondonhadsymbolisedthe
terrifyingextentofAdolfHitler’spowerin1940,sotoodidtheappearanceofSpitfiresoverBerlinin1945
heraldthehourofhisfinaldefeat.
SpitfiresOverBerlin:TheAirWarinEurope1945tellsthestoryofthelastfourmonthsoftheSecond
WorldWarthroughtheexperiencesofairmenonbothsidesoftheconflict.Manymythsandhalf-
truthshavegrownuparoundtheeventsofthosefinalmonths–likethe‘finaldogfight’ofthewarthat
supposedlytookplacebetweenanL-4HGrasshopperandaFi156Storch.Infactthiswasfarfromthe
war’slastaerialcombat.
FromastartingpointjustbeyondGermany’sbordersonJanuary1,theBritishandAmericanairforces
cutthroughtheLuftwaffe’sflaggingstrengthfromthewest,whiletheRussianshammereditfromthe
east,untilbothsidesmetandSpitfiresencounteredYaksovertheGermancapital.Yeteventhen,Bf109s,
Fw190sandMe262scontinuedtoflysortiesuntilthebitterendontheeveningofMay8.
SettingouttowritethestoryoftheclosingchapteroftheairwarinEurope,Iwassurprisedtodiscover
thatwhilesometaleshadbeentoldbeforeindividually,andseveraloverviewshadbeenwritten,no
onehadpreviouslybroughtacollectionofstoriestogethertoillustrateallthediverseoperationsand
activitiestakingplacerightacrossthewarzoneatroughlythesametime.
Infact,insomecases,suchasdestructionofB-17G42-31333‘WeeWillie’,theoperationsof350
Squadron’sSpitfiresoverBerlinin1945andthecallousmurderofP-51pilotCaptainChesterE
CoggeshallJr,verylittleseemedtohavebeenwrittenbeforeinanydetail.
Andonefactseemstohavebeenentirelyoverlookedbyhistory:whodidscoretheverylastaerial
victoryofthewarinEurope?Differentclaimshavebeenreportedbutcanwenowsayconclusivelywho
didtheshootingandwhowasshot.
Thispublicationisnotafullhistoryoftheperiod–ratheritseekstogiveaflavourofthefuriousand
destructivedaysofaerialcombatthatledtotheLuftwaffe’s,andGermany’s,outrightdefeatonallfronts.
Theactionsofthosewhofoughtwithbraveryanddeterminationattheendtobringthebloodiestair
wartheworldhaseverseentoitsfinalconclusionshouldneverbeforgotten.
Dan Sharp
SpitfiresOverBerlin 003
006 Luftwaffereborn–theGermanairforceatthebeginning 048 YaksoverKönigsberg–March31,1945:Normandie-Niemen
of1945 joinsthelastbattleforEast Prussia’scapital
012 All-outattack–January1,1945:OperationBaseplate 056 Ramthem!–April7,1945:Kommando‘Elbe’isunleashedonthe
EighthAirForce
024 Dicingwithpiggybacks–February3,1945:TheDoubleNickel’s
Mistelencounter 062 Kingoffighters–thebestsingle-seatersof1945
032 FightingjetswithSpitfires–February14,1945:FlightLieutenant 074 WhenWeeWillieranoutofluck–April8,1945:BoeingB-17G
TonyGazedestroysaMesserschmittMe262.BySquadron 42-31333isdestroyed
LeaderCliveRowley
082 World’sfastestMesserschmitt–April9,1945:Hans-Guido
040 ThefatalmistakeofLotharSieber–March1,1945: Mutke’scontroversialdive
Bachem-WerkM23testflight
004 SpitfiresOverBerlin
CONTENTS
FRONTCOVER:
SpitfireoverBerlinbyMark
Postlethwaite.PilotOfficer
DesWatkinsflyingSpitfireXIV
RB155of350Squadronshoots
downaFocke-WulfFw190over
theoutskirtsofBerlinonthe
eveningofApril20,1945.For
thefullstoryseepage98.
AUTHOR:DanSharp
CONTRIBUTORS:AndrewArthy,CliveRowley
DESIGN:atg-media.com
REPROGRAPHICS:JonathanSchofieldandSimonDuncan
PUBLISHER:DanSavage
MARKETINGMANAGER:CharlottePark
COMMERCIALDIRECTOR:NigelHole
PUBLISHEDBY:MortonsMediaGroupLtd,MediaCentre,
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THANKSTO:SergeBonge,GregLance-Watkins,
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StephenWalton
PRINTEDBY:WilliamGibbonsandSons,Wolverhampton
ISBN:978-1-909128-69-9
©2015MortonsMediaGroupLtd.Allrightsreserved.
Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedor
transmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,electronic
ormechanical,includingphotocopying,recording,or
anyinformationstorageretrievalsystemwithoutprior
permissioninwritingfromthepublisher.
ABOVE:AFocke-WulfFw190F-8ofII./SG1fires
rocketsatSoviettanksamidtheruinsofBerlin
duringthelastdaysoftheSecondWorldWar.
BasedinTutow,110milestothenorth,theunitwas
heavilyinvolvedinthesiegeoftheGermancapital.
PaintingbyMARKPOSTLETHWAITE
084 CanadiansagainsttheKomet–April10,1945:Leutnant 104 DeaththroesoftheLuftwaffe–April24,1945:Germanair
FriedrichKelbachievesthelastrocketfightervictoryofthewar operationstwoweeksfromthewar’send.ByDrAndrewArthy
088 TheGrasshopperthatkilledaStork–April11,1945:Piper 110 Theringmaster’sgrandfinale–April26,1945:JV44andAdolf
L-4HvFieselerFi156Storch Galland’slastbattle
090 Pistonenginezenith–April14,1945:OberfeldwebelWilli 118 Volksjägervictory–May4,1945:HeinkelHe162pilotLeutnant
ReschkedestroysaHawkerTempestV RudolfSchmittclaimsaTyphoon
094 Twoshotstothehead–April16,1945:ThemurderofCaptain 124 Finaldogfight–May8,1945:Whoscoredthelastvictoryofthe
ChesterE‘Coggie’CoggeshallJr airwarinEurope?
098 SpitfiresoverBerlin–April20,1945:350(Belgian)Squadron’s 126 Aftermath–May9,1945,andbeyond
magnificentsevenincombat
SpitfiresOverBerlin 005
LUFTWAFFE REBORN
LUFTWAFFE
REBORN
THE GERMAN AIR FORCE AT
THE BEGINNING OF 1945
Intensive bombing had crippled
the German aircraft industry by the
summer of 1944 as the Third Reich
crumbled on all fronts. But even as
disaster threatened, the genius of
Armaments and War Production
Minister Albert Speer was bringing
about a near miraculous revival of
the Luftwaffe…
R
omefelltotheAlliesonJune4,1944,andtwo
dayslatertheNormandylandingsofD-Day
heraldedthebeginningoftheSecondWorld
War’sendgame.
Withinmonths,theWesternAllieshadbrokenthe
deadlockaroundtheirlandingsitesontheFrenchcoast
andwereadvancingrapidlyinland,withtheSoviets
simultaneouslydrivinginhardfromtheeast.
V-1flyingbombsandthenV-2missilesbeganhitting
targetsinBritain,butGermany’sairforcewasstruggling
toopposethoseoftheBritish,AmericansandSoviets.
InFrance,airfieldsheldsincetheBlitzkriegof1940were
quicklyswallowedupbytheAlliedadvance.
Hundredsofaircraftthathadbeennewlydeliveredto
frontlineLuftwaffeunitshadtobeabandonedduringthe
summerof1944andunitssufferedcasualtiesaspilots
wereshotdownattemptingtoswitchairfields.
AlongthewesternfringesofGermany,survivingairand
groundcrewarrivedatairstripsinachaoticjumbleofbadly
under-strengthgroupsandsquadrons.Tonsofequipment
hadbeendestroyedorleftbehind–notjustaircraftbut
alsovehicles,spareparts,toolsandawidevarietyofother
valuablegear.
Itwasamessanditwasmadeworsebythefactthat
theGermanaircraftmanufacturers,concentratedat27
easilyidentifiableandwellknownproductioncentressuch
asMesserschmitt’sAugsburgplantandFocke-Wulf’s
Bremenfactory,hadbeenrepeatedlyhitbythebombers
006 SpitfiresOverBerlin
MAINPICTURE:Smokerisesfromthesiteof
Focke-Wulf’sMarienburgaircraftfactoryduringaUSAAFraid
onOctober9,1943.As1944arrived,theraidsgrewin
frequencyandintensitybutplanswerealreadybeingdrawn
uptoblunttheireffectivenessandallowarenaissanceof
wartimeaircraftproductioninGermany.
SpitfiresOverBerlin 007
LUFTWAFFE REBORN
RIGHT:Atthebeginning
of1944theLuftwaffewas
beginningtorunoutofaircraft
astheAlliedbombingcampaign
razedallthemajorGerman
manufacturingfacilities.Itwas
ArmamentsandWarProduction
MinisterAlbertSpeer,formerly
AdolfHitler’sarchitect,who
cameupwithawaytothwart
theAlliesanddramatically
increaseproduction.Heis
picturedhereontheright,
walkingwithHitler..
ABOVERIGHT:With
componentsbeingmoved
aroundGermanyinacomplex
balletofproduction,assembly
linesforboththeFw190,as
picturedhere,andtheBf109
multipliedexponentially.
BELOWRIGHT:Rows
ofMesserschmittBf109G-6
fightersareassembled.The
G-6wasmassproducedin
numbersthatdwarfedalmost
everyotheraircrafttypein
Germany.
ofboththeUSAAFandtheRAF.Fromtheautumnof companiesthatostensiblydidsomethingelse–suchas
1943onwardsthose27centreshadbeenbombedagain furnituremakersandcigarettemachinemanufacturers.
andagaininaconcentratedeffortbytheAlliestodestroy Bycarefullyorchestratingthisvastwebofsmallerscale
Germany’saircraftmanufacturingcapability. producers,Speerwasabletonotonlyrestoreproduction
Seeingthecatastrophicdamagetheyhadcausedand topre-bombinglevelsbutalsotoactuallyincreaseit.
giventhenumberofGermanfightersthathadbeenshot Atotalof3821newcombataircraftweredeliveredin
down,destroyedonthegroundorcaptured,theBritish September1944,thehighestmonthlyfigureeverachieved
andAmericanscametobelievethattheLuftwaffewasa bytheGermanaircraftindustry.
spentforce. Notonlyhadproductioncapacitybeenincreased,it
ButtheyhadreckonedwithoutAlbertSpeer,the hadalsobeenconcentratedontheaircraftmosturgently
ministerresponsibleformanagingGermany’swartime neededforGermany’sdefence–single-seatfighters.Four
economy,andhisMinistryofWarProduction.Herealised outofeveryfiveofthenewmachineswereMesserschmitt
BELOW:Dispersingaircraft thattherewasahighlycomplexbutalsohighlyeffective Bf109sandFocke-WulfFw190s.
productiontosmallworkshops waytopreventtheAlliesfromdestroyingaircraftfactories– TypessuchastheAradoAr196maritime
suchasthisinbackwater bydispersingthemtolargenumberofmuchsmallersites. reconnaissanceaircraft,theDFS230andGothaGo242
townsandvillagesgavethe
LuftwaffealltheMesserschmitt Mostofthe27centresremainedbuttheywererapidly gliders,troublesomeHeinkelHe177bomber,thereliable
Bf109sandFw190sitcould supplementedbymorethan700additionalplantsset JunkersJu52transportandtheJu290long-range
handleandthensome. upintunnelsandcaves,forestsandonthepremisesof transportwereremovedfromproductionschedules.These
werefollowedinSeptemberbyevenfrontlinetypessuch
astheHenschelHs129andJu87Stukagroundattack
aircraft,theMesserschmittMe410heavyfighterandthe
venerableHeinkelHe111bomber.
Narrowingproductiondowntolittlemorethantwo
typeshaditsdrawbackstoohowever.Withsupplylines
gearedincreasinglytowardsjustBf109andFw190
components,itwasdifficulttogetadvancedtypesinto
massproduction.
Just18ofthenewAradoAr234jetbomber/
reconnaissanceaircraftwerebuiltinSeptember1944,
alongwith35MesserschmittMe163rocket-powered
interceptors,91MesserschmittMe262jetfightersand28
HeinkelHe219Uhunightfighters.
Therewereotherproblemsthatgavecauseforconcern
too.Germany’spetrochemicalindustrywasanotherregular
targetforAlliedbombingraidsandalthoughtheLuftwaffe
hadaccumulatedsignificantreserves–ithad580,000
tonsoffuelinMay1944–thesewerequicklydepletedby
ongoingoperationssothatbySeptember1944ithadjust
180,000tonsremaining.
Oneseeminglyminorproblemthatwasalsobecoming
amajorheadachewastheweaknessofGermanaircraft
tyres.Unabletoreceiveimportedrubber,Germanywas
forcedtorelyonlowgradesyntheticandreclaimedrubber
tyreswhichweremorepronetoburstundertheweightofa
heavyaircraft.Thisproblemwasparticularlyacutewithjet
aircraft,whichhadahigherlandingspeed.
Inspiteofallthis,however,Germanynowhada
formidablefighterforceatitsdisposalonceagain.
008 SpitfiresOverBerlin
THEGREATBLOW weretobebroughtintocontactwiththeapproaching ABOVE:TheHeinkelHe177,
ThesuddeninfluxofBf109sandFw190sintheautumn bomberformation. Germany’sonlyheavybomber,
of1944meantalloftheLuftwaffe’sdepletedfighterunits “Second,duringthefly-inandthereturnoftheenemy wasaxedtomakemoreroom
onproductionlinesfortheBf
fromFrancecouldberebuiltwithspareaircrafttoholdin aboutanother150fightersoftheLuftwaffeCommand
109andFw190.
reserve.Butthiswasjustthebeginning.Byshortening Westweretobesentup.Third,inthesecondaction
thetrainingcoursesofnewpilotsanddrawinginpilots another500fightersweretobebroughtintocontactwith
fromdissolvedbomber theenemy.
andheavyfighterunits, He called this operation ‘The Great “Fourth,about100
thesingle-seatfighter nightfighterswereto
Gruppenwereexpanded Blow’ and was somewhat surprised screentheborders
fromthreeStaffelnto when the Luftwaffe’s high command towardSwedenand
four. Switzerlandtocatch
Inmid-November approved its implementation almost damagedorstraggling BELOW:Thesheerspace
1944,theLuftwaffe’s without question. singlebombers.Fifth, onGermany’sproductionlines
unitshad3300 toshootdownan occupiedbytheBf109made
itdifficultformanufacturers
serviceablefighters approximatetotalof
togetnewtypesbroughtinto
available,comparedtojust1900twomonthsearlier. 400-500four-enginedbombersagainstalossofabout400 service–ultimatelytothe
Astonishedbythisrapidreversalinhisfortunes,the aircraftandabout100-150pilots. detrimentoftheLuftwaffe
Luftwaffe’sGeneralofFighters,GeneralmajorAdolfGalland, “Thiswasgoingtobethelargestandmostdecisive whenitfacedadvancedAllied
types.Veryfewdevelopments
cameupwithadaringplanthathebelievedwouldputa airbattleofthewar.OnNovember12,1944,theentire
wereviewedasimportant
stoptotheruinousUSAAFdaylightbombingraidsthat fighterarmwasreadyforaction:18fighterwingswith3700 enoughtoriskthedisruptionof
weresteadilycripplingGermany. aircraftandpilots.AfightingforcesuchastheLuftwaffe 109production.
Withasufficientlyoverwhelmingforceoffighters
deployedallatonceinidealconditions,hehopedto
inflictdevastatingdamageontheAmericanbomber
fleet.Ifenoughbomberscouldbedestroyedallin
onego,hereasoned,theAmericansmightrethink
theirstrategyandwouldcertainlyhavetocallahalt
tooperationsforsometimewhilereplacementswere
broughtoverfromtheUS.
Hecalledthisoperation‘TheGreatBlow’andwas
somewhatsurprisedwhentheLuftwaffe’shighcommand
approveditsimplementationalmostwithoutquestion.
Inhisautobiography,TheFirstandtheLast,Galland
wrote:“TheGreatBlowhadbeencarefullyplannedand
workedoutinalldetails.Allcommodoresandcommanders
werecalledtogetherforarehearsalatTreuenbrietzen,
duringwhichfourorfivedifferentactionandapproach
flightswerepractisedwithallvariations.
“Itwaswhollyagreedthatintheframeoftheplanned
actionthefollowingpointshadtobeachieved.First,inthe
firstactionatleast2000fightersin11combatformations
SpitfiresOverBerlin 009
LUFTWAFFE REBORN
ABOVE:TheLuftwaffe’s
generaloffighters,
GeneralmajorAdolfGalland,
picturedright,wasamazedby
thehugenumbersofaircraft
suddenlybeingdeliveredto
hisunitsduringtheautumn
of1944andquicklycame
upwithaplanhebelieved
wouldseehisrebuiltforces
strikeacripplingblowagainst
theUSAAFEighthAirForce
bomberfleet.Thiswouldgive
hadneverpossessedbefore.Morethan3000ofthese armytostrikeadecisiveblowonthegroundagainstthe
Germanindustryachanceto
recoverandmightevenforce wereexpectingTheGreatBlow. BritishandAmericansinthewest,withthefighterforce
theAmericanstostopdaylight “Nowitwasaquestionofawaitingfavourableweather. providingaerialcoverandsupport.OperationWachtam
bomberraids. Goodweatherwasoneoftheessentialsforthismass Rheinor‘WatchontheRhine’wouldinvolvesevenPanzer
action.Itwasadifficultdecisiontoholdbackthedefensive divisions–some200,000men.
RIGHT:Anotherofthe
manytypesretiredasaircraft fighters,whichwerestandingbyinthefaceoftheair Itsobjectiveswereprimarilytocapturethestrategically
productionwasfocusedon armadasdroppinggiganticbombloadsdaily.Butcontrary importantharbourofAntwerpandtodriveawedge
justtwomainfighterswasthe tomypreviousexperiencetheleaderskeptcalmanddid betweentheBritishandAmericangroundforces.
HenschelHs129ground-
notinsistonvainandcostlyforcedaction.” Whenthetanksbegantoroll,theLuftwaffe’sfighters
attackaircraft.Ithadearned
afearsomereputationasa GallandbelievedthatbythisstagetheAllieshadan wouldsimultaneouslylaunchanattackontheAllies’
tank-busterbutAlbertSpeer inklingofwhatTheGreatBlowentailed,particularlysince forwardairbasestoputthemoutofaction.Thiswas
believeditwassimplyno largenumbersofLuftwaffefighterswerenowbeingsentup OperationBodenplatteor‘Baseplate’.Nexttheywould
longerpossibleforGermany
onadailybasisfortrainingflights,butheheldhisnervein providewhatamountedtoanairexclusionzoneoverthe
tohavedozensofdifferent
machinesinproductionat readinessfortheidealmomenttostrike. battlefieldtopreventAlliedaircraftfromharassingthe
once. TheeventsofNovember2,1944,provedtobehis advancinggroundforcesandgivecloseairsupportwhen
undoinghowever.Thatday1174bombersand968 necessaryduringtheoperation.
fightersfromtheUSAAF’sEighthAirForce,splitintofive WhenGallandwasinformedthatTheGreatBlowhad
groups,attackeda beencancelledin
selectionofoilindustry When Galland was informed that favourofWatch
BELOW:GeneralmajorAdolf andrailtargetsacross ontheRhine,he
Gallandwasaskilledand The Great Blow had been cancelled
Germany.Itwasafairly washorrified.What
flamboyantfighterpilotwho
wasalsoahugefanofMickey typicalmissionforthe in favour of Watch on the Rhine, he seemed,onpaper,
Mouseandcultivatedanimage Americans. tobeasensibleand
was horrified.
ofcigar-chompingbravado TheLuftwaffeput reasonableuseofhis
whichmadehimpopularwith
upalargefighterforce rebuiltfighterforce
hismen.HisGreatBlowplan
todestroyalargeportionof toopposethem–490fightersfrom10Gruppen.The was,heknew,arecipefordisaster.
theAmericanbomberforce Germansinitiallyhadsomesuccess;armouredbomber- Hewrote:“InthemiddleofNovemberIreceivedan
resultedinhugereservesof killerFw190SturmbocksofIV.(Sturm)/JG3shotdown alarmingorder,thewholeimpactofwhichIcouldnot
fightersbeingbuiltup–only
11bombersfromthe91stBombGroupanddestroyed foresee.Thefighterreservesweretobepreparedforaction
forHitlertofindadifferentuse
forthem. anothertwobyrammingthem.II./JG4downedanother onthefrontwhereagreatlandbattlewasexpectedinthe
ninebombers,thistimefromthe457thBombGroup. west.Thiswasincredible!
Inbothinstances,Americanescortfightersthen “Thewholetraininghadbeenaimedatactioninthe
showedupandinflictedheavycasualtiesontheunwieldy defenceoftheReich.Allnewpilotsshouldhavehad
attackers.Therehadbeen61Sturmbockaircrafttaking sometraininginthetotallydifferentconditionsatthe
partinthedefensivemissionand31ofthemwereshot front,butpetrolshortagepreventedthis.Theexperience
downbyP-51Mustangs.Intotal,theLuftwaffedestroyed andstandardoftheunitleadersandpilotscouldbe
40ofthe1174bombersand16ofthe968fighters,fora regardedasjustpassableforthedefenceoftheReich,
lossof120ofitsownfighters. butforactionatthefronttheywereabsolutelyoutofthe
TheFührerhimselfreviewedthesefiguresatlength question.
fourdayslater,onNovember6,andconcludedthatthe “Besides,thesquadronshadnowwithoutexceptiona
outcomeofthedefensiveactionhadbeen“thoroughly strengthof70aircraftandwerethereforemuchtoolarge
unsatisfactory”.Itseemedcleartohimthatrepeatingthe fortheairfieldsatthefront.OnNovember20thetransfer
exerciseonamuchgreaterscalebyallowingGalland’s tothewestwasorderedregardlessofmyscruplesand
GreatBlowtoproceedwaslikelytoseemuchgreater objections.”
lossesforasimilarlyineffectualresult. Thebeginningoftheattackhadbeenslatedfor
Instead,heapprovedanotherplandrawnupbyhis November27butwasdelayedformorethantwoweeks
generalswhichinvolvedusingGermany’ssimilarlyrebuilt whilesufficientfuelreservesweregathered.
010 SpitfiresOverBerlin