Author Topic: Who Really Flew Them? (Read 5637 times)

Kweassa · « **Reply #45 on:** September 15, 2003, 08:36:14 PM »

Thx for the continuous research Guppy, I really appreciate it!

The Komet data I aquired comes from this page:

The Me163B Komet

It seems to suggest the White11, and the Yellow11/191454 we have in AH, is a different plane.

Quote

Pictures clearly show the identity of this aircraft: Werknummer 191454, and a code '11' that is consistently reported to be yellow. Since it was captured at Husum it must have been an aircraft belonging to II. Gruppe of JG400. No Stammkennzeichen is known, nor of the production batch.

Guppy35 · « **Reply #46 on:** September 16, 2003, 01:10:30 AM »

Yep, you are definately right about the Komet. Ahh well, I can't win em all

Still hunting for the remaining unknowns.

Dan/Slack

Replicant · « **Reply #47 on:** September 16, 2003, 10:36:23 AM »

Have arranged to have a look at the 1 (F) Sqn diaries tomorrow so I'll see what I can find out about the Hurricane IIC.

Replicant · « **Reply #48 on:** September 17, 2003, 10:43:00 AM »

Ok, today I went to visit 1 (Fighter) Squadron which is less than 100 metres from where I work. I managed to search through the war diaries and sorties record book and finally found the information after about an hour!! Definitely some interesting reading to be done! The current Officer Commanding 1 (F) Sqn even came out to see what I was up to!

Now, the problem is that sorties were listed to airframe serial number and not by squadron code.... The Hurricane IIC we have in AH (JX-B) has the serial number of BD-150.

FS Kuttlewascher (Czech) flew this mostly in late 1941/early 1942. He late became a Flt Lt and flight leader with 1 Sqn.

After then it was used by about five different pilots taking turns to use it. The two that used it the most are:-

Plt Off Corbett and Flt Sgt Pearson (promoted from Sgt to Flt Sgt during 1942). This was between Mar 1942-Jul 1942 and whilst at Tangmere. What probably happened is that if one pilot returned and they had to up the aircraft again they may have used the other pilot. Just a thought!

So...

Hurricane IIC - 1 (F) Sqn, Tangmere '42 - Plt Off Corbett & Flt Sgt Pearson.

Arlo · « **Reply #49 on:** September 17, 2003, 12:26:32 PM »

BTW .... as I'm sure some or most of you can tell .... it sure appears that Guppy/Dan/Slack/Tiff has found his element here. Hehe .... as long as I've known him he's been a fount of info and a good source of "the rest of the story."

flakbait · « **Reply #50 on:** September 17, 2003, 01:06:07 PM »

I've got two threads running on the http://www.j-aircraft.com (snafu'd the above link) boards about the B5N2, D3A1, A6M2, Ki-67 and A6M5b. Hopefully they'll be able to dig up some info on 'em.

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Flakbait [Delta6]
Delta Six's Flight School
Put the P-61B in Aces High

Guppy35 · « **Reply #51 on:** September 17, 2003, 01:23:18 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Replicant
Ok, today I went to visit 1 (Fighter) Squadron which is less than 100 metres from where I work. I managed to search through the war diaries and sorties record book and finally found the information after about an hour!! Definitely some interesting reading to be done! The current Officer Commanding 1 (F) Sqn even came out to see what I was up to!

Now, the problem is that sorties were listed to airframe serial number and not by squadron code.... The Hurricane IIC we have in AH (JX-B) has the serial number of BD-150.

FS Kuttlewascher (Czech) flew this mostly in late 1941/early 1942. He late became a Flt Lt and flight leader with 1 Sqn.

After then it was used by about five different pilots taking turns to use it. The two that used it the most are:-

Plt Off Corbett and Flt Sgt Pearson (promoted from Sgt to Flt Sgt during 1942). This was between Mar 1942-Jul 1942 and whilst at Tangmere. What probably happened is that if one pilot returned and they had to up the aircraft again they may have used the other pilot. Just a thought!

So...

Hurricane IIC - 1 (F) Sqn, Tangmere '42 - Plt Off Corbett & Flt Sgt Pearson.

I've got a profile of F/L K.M. Kuttlewascher's Hurricane IIC and its shown as BE581 JX-E. He shot down 3 He111s in it while on a Night Sortie out of Tangmere to St. Andre airfield, France on May 4, 1942. Obviously pilots flew different aircraft on different days depending on availability. Kuttlewascher is probably the best known of the 1 Squadron IIC pilots, in terms of getting kills anyway. Might consider using him

Don't ya love those Squadron History books Nexx? When I was in England in 86 for the 41 Squadron reunion at Coltishall I got to go through 41's History. I love they way they wrote them and recorded all the info.

Dan/Slack

Replicant · « **Reply #52 on:** September 17, 2003, 01:42:20 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Guppy35
I've got a profile of F/L K.M. Kuttlewascher's Hurricane IIC and its shown as BE581 JX-E. He shot down 3 He111s in it while on a Night Sortie out of Tangmere to St. Andre airfield, France on May 4, 1942. Obviously pilots flew different aircraft on different days depending on availability. Kuttlewascher is probably the best known of the 1 Squadron IIC pilots, in terms of getting kills anyway. Might consider using him

Don't ya love those Squadron History books Nexx? When I was in England in 86 for the 41 Squadron reunion at Coltishall I got to go through 41's History. I love they way they wrote them and recorded all the info.

Dan/Slack

Yeah, I saw a lot of references to Kuttlewascher in the sortie diary. When he stopped flying BE150 he moved on to BE581 and in the diary it also showed signals in the following format:- 1 Hurricane IIC fitted for long range (LR), F/L Kuttlewascher (his service no.) JX-E departed....' When he flew BE150 though, he was only a Flt Sgt.

I think he was one of the highest scoring 'intruder' fighter pilots of the time. Many other 'high scorers' were defending.

Sqn Ldr Jimmy MacLachlan was probably the most famous of 1 Sqn pilots at the time since he had a fair few kills and then lost an arm. He continued to fly and scored more kills and was awarded both the DFC (& bar) and DSO.

I have a couple of very useful reference books that you may be interested in (if you haven't got them already!).

Flying Units of the RAF - Alan Lake
RAF Squadrons (2nd Edition) - Wg Cdr Jefford

The second book is my 'bible'!

BTW Did you serve with 41 Sqn? They're still based at Colt.

Guppy35 · « **Reply #53 on:** September 17, 2003, 02:56:26 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Replicant

BTW Did you serve with 41 Sqn? They're still based at Colt. [/B]

Nope, never served with em. No Yanks in the RAF in the 80s that I know of. I was 'adopted" by the Spit XII drivers of 41 during the 80s when I was researching the XII along with 41 and 91 Squadrons. I've got my 41 Squadron Tie that was given to me by Peter Cowell and got in the photo taken in front of the Spit with all the vets in 86 to prove it

Tis my favorite photo.

If you get bored, visit: http://brew.clients.ch/RAF41Sqdn.htm

A nephew of a former 41 Squadron pilot has been working on the site and I've been helping him with my photo collection and by doing the Spit profiles. They've been a 20 year passion. Anything credited to Dan Johnson is mine. The group photo at Coltishall is on the site in the postwar photos.

Dan/Slack

btw my AH name is based on a 41 Squadron pilot named Tom Slack who passed away a few years ago. He was a great person to get to know.

Tom apparently was a wonderful flyer, had the classic RAF Fighter pilot look, but not the best of luck. Shot down and walked back through Gibralter in July 43. Ran out of fuel over the Channel in June of 44 and was fished out by a Walrus flying boat. Had his drop tank fail to switch over while on a Fighter Sweep over Holland in August of 44 and glided down to a crash landing next to a flak battery and was made a POW. Thats about how good my luck is in AH

flakbait · « **Reply #54 on:** September 17, 2003, 04:43:01 PM »

A6M2 model 21 identified, and it's the wrong color; according to the guys at j-aircraft it should be a soft, pale green color. Info is here...

http://www.j-aircraft.com/research/lansd-77.htm

A6M2 model 21, V-128 tail code, Tainan Kokutai, Saboro Sakai, 1942

-----------------------
Flakbait [Delta6]
Delta Six's Flight School
Put the P-61B in Aces High

flakbait · « **Reply #55 on:** September 17, 2003, 06:33:51 PM »

Ki-67 "Peggy" identified

http://www.j-aircraft.org/bbs/army_config.pl?read=8330

To quote the informant...

Quote

61st Sentai, 3rd Chutai. The 61 F exchanged its Ki-21s for Ki-67s in January of 1945 and moved to Borneo.

Also, our B5N2 "kate" took part in Pearl Harbor as it was stationed on the carrier Soryu. I haven't found any further details on it.

-----------------------
Flakbait [Delta6]
Delta Six's Flight School
Put the P-61B in Aces High