ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 51047
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Saturday 8 January 1944 |
| Time: | 15:44 LT |
| Type: |  Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4 |
| Owner/operator: | LBeoSta.3 Luftwaffe |
| Registration: | 581 |
| MSN: | grüne 1 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Venlo Airfield, Limburg -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Venlo airfield (NL) |
Lt Ludwig Wirtz of 3.Luftbeobachterstaffel took off on 8 January 1944 from Venlo with the Fw 190 WNr 581 next to a Ju88 of the same unit, but he did not know that a flight mechanic had forgotten a heavy toolbox in the rear fuselage of the Fw 190. When it climbed, the toolbox shifted to the rear end, thus shifting the point of gravity. The Fw 190 stalled and crashed near the airfield, killing Wirtz.
This pilot had so far claimed three victories against Allied night bombers, one with NJG 1 on 26 July 1943 and two with Luftbeo. St. Venlo on 20 December 1943, and a fourth against a B-17 on 14 October 1943 (with Luftbeobachtungsstaffel 7).
In the end, he was credited with three victories. These concern B-17F 42-29511 and Lancasters DS817 + LL630.
Sources:
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=14858
https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T3295&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
http://historie.venlo.nl/persoon.asp?odID=834
http://www.redkitebooks.co.uk/aa/twelveoclockhighNJWDsample2.pdf
Luftwaffe claim lists by Tony Wood and Jim Perry (http://lesbutler.co.uk/claims/tonywood.htm)
http://wikimapia.org/4464233/Venlo-Herongen-airfield
Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943 parts two and three
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 19 May 1943 | 0656 | 2./SKG 10 Luftwaffe | 1 | Thames Estuary, near Whitstable |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Dec-2008 11:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 08-Jan-2017 11:03 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Jan-2019 11:39 | TigerTimon | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 04-Jan-2019 07:57 | TigerTimon | Updated [Source] |
| 08-Apr-2019 14:59 | TigerTimon | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 25-Dec-2019 17:32 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator] |
| 13-Jun-2022 10:08 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation