German and Allied aircraft losses during Operation Bodenplatte

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Main article: Operation Bodenplatte

Operation Bodenplatte (English: Operation Baseplate or Operation Ground Plate), launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the Second World War. The Germans husbanded their resources in the preceding months at the expense of the units defending against the Allied strategic bombing in what was a last-ditch effort to keep up the momentum of the German Army (Heer) during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge (codenamed "Operation Watch on the Rhine" German: Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein).

This is a list of all known casualties during the course of the operation.

Background[edit]

Despite the passage of time, there is still controversy regarding the extent of Allied losses. One author, Norman Franks, has pointed to what "some" historians call a "conspiracy to hide the true, unacceptable, total of aircraft destroyed".[1] This theory has been aided in the conflicting totals quoted in official records and the apparent lack of detailed surviving reports. For example, some authors claim the Eindhoven airfield attack may have destroyed 141 Hawker Typhoons.[2] RAF loss records refute this claim. Total figures give only 107 operational Typhoons; 17 were destroyed outright, nine damaged beyond repair, 10 badly damaged but repaired and 24 slightly damaged.[3] In a more recent study, Fighter Command Losses of the Second World War: Volume 3, Operational Losses, Aircraft and Crews 1944–1945, the same author states that a report made by No. 85 Group RAF gave 127 operational aircraft destroyed and 133 damaged, while British personnel casualties were said to be 40 killed (11 pilots; six were killed in the air) and 145 wounded. In another report, dated 3 January 1945, losses were given as 120 destroyed and 73 damaged. 24 non-operational aircraft were also lost with 11 damaged. This included aircraft outside of RAF Second Tactical Air Force's control. The Air Force's losses were 73 destroyed and the same figure damaged, 12 non-operational aircraft destroyed and 11 damaged.[4]

A Fw 190D-9 of 10./JG 54 Grünherz, pilot (Leutnant Theo Nibel), downed by a partridge which flew into the nose radiator near Brussels on 1 January 1945.

Werner Girbig in his book, Six Months to Oblivion: The Eclipse of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force, gives German losses, from their sources, as 137 destroyed (98 in the British sector and 39 in the American). Some 57 were shot down by Allied fighters and 80 by Allied anti-aircraft defences. Girbig notes a further 48 were lost to unknown causes making a total of around 200 fighters. The rest, the author attributes to German anti-aircraft fire ("flak"). His final total is given as 300. Girbig gives personnel losses as 151 pilots killed and 63 captured.[5] Girbig gives Allied losses as roughly 500, including quoted figures according to Allied sources of 144 destroyed and 84 damaged for the RAF and 134 destroyed and 62 damaged for the USAAF. Girbig asserts that 65–75 were shot down in combat.[6]

In recent years other authors have offered more detail on the losses of each side. John Manrho and Ronald Pütz, published their findings in Bodenplatte: The Luftwaffe's Last Hope. According to their figures, taken from German and Allied sources, which include the remains of German airmen found up until 2003,[7] German casualties were 271 fighters destroyed, 65 single-engine fighters damaged and 9 twin-engine aircraft destroyed, and four damaged. Some 143 pilots were killed in action, 70 became prisoners of war and 21 were wounded in action.[8][9] The Allies lost 305 aircraft destroyed and 190 aircraft damaged.[10] A further 15 Allied aircraft were shot down and ten damaged. A further six were downed by other causes.[11] Manrho and Pütz have also deduced that only 17 German aircraft are certain to have been shot down by German Flak. Even if aircraft with unknown fates are added, it still gives a figure of only 30–35. They state that the notion that one-third of the German aircraft were shot down by friendly fire is "myth".[10]

Jochen Prien and Gerhard Stemmer in their book, Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" in World War II, quoted Allied losses as being 340 destroyed with 84 heavily damaged from Allied records.[12] Tertiary histories give varying figures; anywhere between 250 and 500 Allied aircraft destroyed.[13] Steven Zaloga gives figures of 214 German aircrew killed or captured and 304 aircraft destroyed. In return, Allied losses are put at 144 lost on the ground, 62 damaged and 70 lost in aerial combat.[14]

Loss statistics[edit]

Total Allied aerial losses[edit]

Allied aerial casualties directly related to Bodenplatte:[15]

Name Rank Unit Aircraft type Fate Cause
Howard P. Gibboms Flight Lieutenant 168 Squadron RAF Hawker Typhoon KIA shot down by JG 3 Fw 190s
Don Webber Flying Officer 183 Squadron RAF Hawker Typhoon KIA shot down in error by 352nd P-51
Wacław Chojnacki Flight Lieutenant 308 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire KIA shot down by JG 1 Fw 190s
Stanisław Bednarczyk Warrant Officer 308 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire uninjured shot down by JG 1 Fw 190s
Józef Stanowski Flight Sergeant 308 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire uninjured ran out of fuel
Tadeusz Szlenkier Flying Officer 308 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire uninjured ran out of fuel
Stanisław Breyner Sergeant 308 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire uninjured ran out of fuel
Tadeusz Powierza Sergeant 317 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire KIA shot down by JG 1 Fw 190s
Zenobiusz Wdowczyński Warrant Officer 317 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire uninjured ran out of fuel
Czesław Mroczyk Flight Lieutenant 317 Polish Fighter Squadron Supermarine Spitfire uninjured shot down by JG 1 Fw 190s
L Rose Sergeant 329 Squadron Supermarine Spitfire uninjured engine trouble
David Harling Flight Lieutenant 416 Squadron RCAF Supermarine Spitfire KIA shot down by JG 26 Fw 190D-9
Peter Wilson Flight Lieutenant 438 Squadron RCAF Hawker Typhoon KIA shot down by JG 3 Fw 190D-9
Ross Keller Flying Officer 438 Squadron Hawker Typhoon KIA strafed and killed during take-off JG 3 Fw 190s
Hugh Fraser Flying Officer 439 Squadron RCAF Hawker Typhoon uninjured damaged by JG 6 Bf 109. Wheels up landing at Volkel airfield (after downing two German aircraft)[16]
Samuel Angelini[17] Flying Officer 439 Squadron Hawker Typhoon KIA shot down by JG 6
Len Wilson Flying Officer 442 Squadron RCAF Supermarine Spitfire uninjured shot down by JG 6
Don Gordon Flight Lieutenant 442 Squadron Supermarine Spitfire WIA shot down by JG 6
Donald Brigden Flying Officer 442 Squadron Supermarine Spitfire KIA shot down by JG 6
William Whisner Captain 487 Fighter Squadron, 352 Fighter Group North American P-51 Mustang uninjured After damage from JG 11 20 mm fire, Whisner destroyed two Bf 109s and two Fw 190s[15] and made a "wheels down" landing[18]
Dean Huston First Lieutenant 487th Fighter Squadron, 352 Fighter Group P-51 Mustang uninjured minor damage
James Hall Second Lieutenant 366th Fighter Group Republic P-47 Thunderbolt uninjured shot down by JG53 Bf 109
Dofel Brunetti Second Lieutenant 366 Fighter Group P-47 Thunderbolt KIA shot down by JG53 Bf 109
William Schubert First Lieutenant 367/358 Fighter Group P-47 Thunderbolt uninjured shot down by JG53 Bf 109
David Johnson Jr Flight Officer 366 Fighter Group P-47 Thunderbolt uninjured shot down by JG11
John Feeney First Lieutenant 366 Fighter Group P-47 Thunderbolt uninjured shot down by JG11
John Kennedy Second Lieutenant 390th Fighter Group P-47 Thunderbolt uninjured shot down by JG11
D.K Neil
Other crew: Crew Sgt. Owen Stafford WIA; William Fletcher KIA		 Lieutenant 125 Liaison Squadron Stinson Vigilant uninjured shot down by JG4
Pilot and Observer unknown 27th Field Artillery Artillery Spotter both KIA shot down by JG53
Pilot and Observer unknown XX. Art Corps Artillery Spotter KIA shot down by JG53
? Harvey unknown Air Despatch Letter Service Flight Auster uninjured shot down by JG53 (bailed out)

Total German losses[edit]

German casualties related directly to Bodenplatte:[19][20]

Unit KIA or MIA POW wounded Average number of aircraft deployed Percentage of staff lost
I./JG 1 7 3
II./JG 1 10 1 1
III./JG 1 1 2
18 6 1 80 31%
Stab./JG 2 1
I./JG 2 9 6 1
II./JG 2 3 1 1 1
III./JG 2 10 3 2
22 11 4 90 31%
I./JG 3 3 5
III./JG 3 3 2
IV./JG 3 4 1
10 6 2 70 26%
I./JG 4 3
II./JG 4 8 3 1
III./JG 4 1
IV./JG 4 6 2
18 5 1 55 42%
Stab./JG 6 1
I./JG 6 4 1 1
II./JG 6 5 2
III./JG 6 6 3
15 7 1 70 33%
Stab./JG 11 2
I./JG 11 4
II./JG 11 6 2
III./JG 11 9 2
21 4 65 38%
I./JG 26 5 3 2
II./JG 26 4 4 1
III./JG 26 3 1 1
12 8 4 160 38%
I./JG 27 6 1
II./JG 27 1 1
III./JG 27 2 1
IV./JG 27 2 1
11 3 1 85 18%
II./JG 53 5 2 1
III./JG 53 2
IV./JG 53 5 2 1
10 4 4 50 36%
III./JG 54 5 4 1 17 60%
IV./JG 54 2 1 25 12%
7 5 1
I./JG 77 2 1
II./JG 77 1 1
III./JG 77 3 3
6 5 105 10%
Est./JG 104 1 3
Total (day fighters) 150 65 19 875
Stab./SG 4 1
III./SG 4 2 1
3 1
FlüG 1 1
NJG 1 9 2
NJG 3 3 1
NJG 101 1
14 3
KG (J) 51 2
Total (other units) 19 4
Grand Total 169 69 19

Jagdgeschwader 27 losses on 1 January 1945 numbered 18 pilots overall. Fifteen pilots were lost as a direct result of Bodenplatte.[21]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Franks 1994, p. 201.
  2. ^ Franks 1994, p. 202.
  3. ^ Franks 1994, p. 204.
  4. ^ Franks 2000, p. 130.
  5. ^ Girbig 1975, p. 112.
  6. ^ Girbig 1975, pp. 77–78.
  7. ^ Manrho & Pütz 2004, pp. 4–5.
  8. ^ Manrho & Pütz 2004, pp. 272–3
  9. ^ Forsyth & Laurier 2008, p. 30.
  10. ^ a b Manrho & Pütz 2004, pp.272–273.
  11. ^ Manrho & Pütz 2004, pp.290–291.
  12. ^ Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 349.
  13. ^ Weal 1996, p. 83 and Fiest 1993, p. 77.
  14. ^ Zagola 2004, pp. 61–62.
  15. ^ a b Manrho & Pütz 2004, pp. 290–1
  16. ^ Melnick, Michael T. (1 January 1945). "This Day In History". The Unofficial Homepage of 439 Tiger Squadron. rcaf.com. Archived from the original on 21 May 2006. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  17. ^ Samuel Angelini
  18. ^ Whisner, William. "1 January 1945 Combat Log". Home of the 352nd Fighter Group: The Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney (Second to None). 352ndfg.com. Retrieved 19 January 2009.
  19. ^ Girbig 1997, pp. 229–230.
  20. ^ Girbig 1975, pp. 115–117.
  21. ^ Manrho & Pütz 2004, pp.282–283.

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]

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