Jagdgeschwader based in Yugoslavia, late 1943?

[Cobrahistorian]

Hi all,

First thread here, so bear with me. I'm working on a book on 12th Air Force P-47 units and I've been researching a series of three engagements that happened on 16-17 December 1943 over the Dalmatian coast. The 57th Fighter Group claimed ten Me109s destroyed, one probable and five damaged in exchange for two damaged P-47s over this two day period.

However, I have not been able to figure out which Luftwaffe unit they were engaging. Logic tells me that Kroat 1JGr. would be the most likely, but they were not operating Me109s over home territory until Spring 1944.

I'd also thought that possibly these were mis-identified Macchi C.202s, since Kroat 1JGr. was flying both the C.202 and the MS406 at the time. Looking through the 57th's records, however, they were meticulous about identifying enemy aircraft accurately, so I don't think this is the case.

If anyone's got any thoughts, please drop me a PM!

Thanks very much,

Jon

[Ian Jewison]

Welcome to the forum Jon!

I am not sure if this is your unit but IV Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 27 were in Yugoslavia at Skoplje with detachments at Tirana, Devoli, Mostar and Podgorica.

Jagdgeschwader 27 history by Ring and Girbig has the following:

16.12.1943
Lt. Wolf Lang. Stab IV Gruppe - Missing in action
Fw. Ernst Hackl. 12 Staffel - Missing in action
Uffz. Hans Dinesen. 10 Staffel - Killed in action
17.12.1943
Hptm. Joachim Kirschner. Stab IV Gruppe. Killed in action (Murdered on the ground by Partisans)
Lt. Holger Lummerding. 10 Staffel - Missing in action
Lt. Rolf Heißler. 11 Staffel - Killed in action
Fhr. Friedrich Thiel. 10 Staffel - Missing in action
Uffz. Rolf André. 11 Staffel - Killed in action

/Ian

[Cobrahistorian]

Thanks so much Ian! That's exactly what I needed, and a quick Google search confirmed that this is the unit I was looking for. I've made mention of Lang and Kirschner in the narrative as the flight leaders. Horrible way to go for Kirschner, especially such an accomplished aviator.

Jon