Last Bomber missions and dogfights of WWII

[JDK]

Hello Hellcat and Wixers. I've been a lurker for a while, but your post is a good opportunity to introduce myself.

Welcome aboard!

[JägerMarty]

In ETO, Willi Reschke flew some of the last ops in a Ta152, claimed a Hawker Tempest and a Russian fighter near Berlin.
Havn't got dates handy sorry

[Django]

Scott, is the Boomerang book about the same raid as you posted?

[Second Air Force]

Django,

I scanned a few "Statistical Summaries of Combat Operations" when Elly and I were at AFHRA a few years ago, and the August 14/15 mission was one of the records we copied. A gentleman who was with the 331st Bomb Group (one of the 315th Wing Groups) told me several years ago that they had had a quite nice party on the 13th only to get the airplanes cocked for a mission on the 14th. He said he was glad to be a ground crewman for that one, that a lot of his Squadron mates that had to fly probably had some BIG headaches! My 331st friend thought that "The Uninvited" was the last airplane to drop but that it was entirely possible that it could have been "Horrible Monster". He didn't really care, the war was over, and they could have another party!

I finally found a hardbound copy of Jim Smith's excellent "The Last Mission", and it had much of the same information as I'd heard earlier, but from the 502nd Bomb Group point-of-view. I get a warm feeling knowing that I have walked all over the same AAF stations that Mr. Smith talks about in the early part of his book.

I do have to correct a paragraph in Mr. Smith's book, though--he speaks about being back at Fairmont in 1959 and seeing "the B-29 hangar". In actuality all four hangars that could fit a B-29 are still standing in excellent condition today. The small Squadron hangar on the south end of the apron is the only one missing. Nitpicking, I know, but our friends trying to save the Fairmont history will appreciate it.

In fact, here is a March, 1945 photo of the brand new "flyaway" B-29Bs that the 16th Group flew to Guam after training at Fairmont:

If you look closely you can see the APQ-7 airfoil antenna on 42-63603 and the next airplane in line. Sadly, #603 was lost on 12 July, 1945. This was the sixth 16th Bomb Group mission, and she was being flown by the Berry crew.

Scott

[Jack Cook]

Last dogfight of the ETO was between a Storch and an L-4. Germans "lost"

More closer to the truth is that the German pilot just landed so he could surrender to the Americans which was the purpose of the flight. The chance of hitting a moving airborne target with a .45 pistol is close to zero.
Even if it we're true, it still wouldn't be the last WWII ETO aerial kill. That honor belongs to 2Lt Lee Larson of the 15th TRS flying a F-6D. He downed a FW-190 NE of Radnitz, GR at 8 PM well after the L-4 vs Storch bruehaha.

[Obergrafeter]

Jack you missed my second post about the Storch and L-4. That's why I put the "shot down" in italics. The Storch pilot simply flew him self into the ground. You wouldn't beleive how heavy a Storch wing is and hard to handle so the skidding turns only below 200 feet makes sense now, so it should have made sense back then. Of course drinking all that liquor probably made them invisible.

[strafer]

One of the last dogfight occurred on at 4 p.m. on May 8, 1945 over the north-western part of Czechoslovakia - Oblt. Fritz Stehle of 2./JG 7, who was flying Me 262, brought down a P-39 of 129th GIAP, 2nd Soviet Air Army. The pilot flown by Lt. S.G. Stepanov was killed.
Regards, Filip

[the330thbg]

Lots of pilots/crews claim to be the 'last' of the war.., I know of several 330th aircrews were radioed that the war was over but were 90% of the way to their primary target.., so they continued on and completed there mission.

[Django]

Wow, one year to the day (and only 45 minutes apart) to bring this thread back from the dead!

I have since seen The Last Mission on the History Channel. It was quite good.

[the330thbg]

wow.., almost perfect timing on my part.

that will never happen again