I am trying to find information regarding which German night fighter pilot shot down my great uncle's RCAF Halifax Bomber on the night of January 20th, 1944 near Stapel Germany. Oral history given to the family by the sole surviving crewman from the crash stated that a German night fighter shot down a bomber next to my uncle's plane and that this bomber exploded and destroyed his Halifax as well.
I have seen other posts where info regarding the German pilot can sometimes be obtained from books with this info listed. Hopefully someone can find some entries regarding my Uncle's plane.
Theo Boiten's book on the NJWD has very few matches for this night. However he does have a possible match to a claim by Ofw Hams Berschwinger of 4./NJG2 for his 9th victory when he claimed a Halifax at 19.10hrs. He achived a total of 12 victories before he was killed in air combat on 15 Feb 1944 at Radel.
For the possible claim of Halifax LL197 there is no mention of another Halifax exploding. On that night Ofw Hans Berschwinger claimed another possible Halifax LV773, 14 minutes earlier.
From Bill Chorleys RAF Bomber Command Losses.
20/21 Jan 1944 429 Sqn Halifax V LL197 AL-L Op: Berlin F/O H D Paddison RCAF + F/S H Bryant + P/O B N Foster RCAF + F/O J McA Ramsay RCAF + F/O A A Ayres RCAF + Sgt N E Carter RCAF + Sgt R A SAffran RCAF pow
T/o 1612 Leeming. Shot down by a nightfighter and crashed E of the Elbe at Zeetze, 7 km SE of Neuhaus. Those who died are buried in Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery.
