The current issue (Sept 2002) of AVIATION HISTORY has an article by Colin D. Heaton entitled "THE P-51 PILOT WHO SHOT DOWN AUSTRIA's TOP LUFTWFFE ACE", referring to the great Luftwaffe ace Maj. Walter Nowotny.
From various readings that mention on Nowotny's career & death, I've always had the distinct impression that the Germans did not know the exact circumstances of his death. However, Heaton's article has an interview with former 8th AF Lt. Edward R. Haydon, a P-51 Pilot of the 357th FG who describes in great detail his encounter with an Me-262 supposedly flown by Nowotny over Achmer airfield and the ensuing crash of the Me-262. In summary, Nowotny appeared to be attempting to land at Achmer when he was bounced from above by P-51's of Haydon's 364th FS and also the 20th FG (Capt. Ernest C. Fiebelkorn). The Mustangs were spotted by German flak on the ground. As Haydon broke away to avoid the intense flak he found himself less than 200 yds behind Nowotny's Me-262 at an altitude of 100 feet!! Haydon never fired a shot because Nowotny's Me-262 "was slowing down as if on a downwind leg...appeared to stall...suddenly snapped right in, falling no more than half a roation to the left". Haydon makes no mention of any fire, flames or smoke coming from Nowony's Me-262. This really contradicts the German verion of Nowonty "disappearing in the clouds" and his supposedly last radio transmission of "Oh my God I'm burning!" If Haydon's account is accurate, the Germans on the ground at Achmer did see the Mustangs attacking the Me-262 and must have seen it crash.
In response to my above post on the Luftwaffe Discussion Group forum, I received the following informative reply from a forum member:
"The Me-262 "shot down" by Hayden was flown by Franz Schall, who bailed out. There is a widely published photo showing Me-262 going down with the cockpit empty. Fiebelkorn was below cloud in exactly the same place and also fired on the now unoccupied Me-262. Both were awarded a kill. Nowotny... was caught on the way back from his fight with US heavies, probably already damaged, and shot down by Lt R.W.Stevens of the 364th Fighter Group west of the Dummer See, and crashed near Bramsche."
Sheez, you would think a conscientious author (i.e., interviewer Colin Heaton) would have checked with German records in an attempt to reconcile their accounts with his "interview" and verify the actual events. Oh well, next time I see a magazine "interview" by Colin Heaton, I'll know to ignore it.
