The Very Last Operational New German Fighter Model Of WW2

Nevertheless, the Germans claim these kills:

Feb '45: I/JG-1, Oberst Herbert Ihlefeld's wingman, Sill, near
Kircheim-Treck
April 26, 1945: I/JG-1, Unteroffizer Rechenbach
May 4, 1945: I/JG-1 Leutnant Rudolf Schmitt, near Rostock, Typhoon
aircraft

No mention of a I/JG-1 kill for April 19, 1945 which comes from
Green's outdated "Warplanes of the Third Reich".

I find the first kill in Feb '45 dubious since I/JG-1 wasn't ready for
combat until mid-April 1945. The two other kills are usually the ones
generally accepted and the last one is verified as Schmitt was
captured by the British and treated with respect, an invited guest at
the Staff Officers Club.

Nevertheless, no RAF single engine aircraft was lost in the area where Rudi
claimed one - to put a finer point on it, no German signed the claim as a
witness, and no RAF aircraft was lost there. To me, that means Rudi was
dreamin'. There was also nothing in JG 1s wartime KTBs that show an He 162
lost to any air combat. I have gone through them - its not there.

I don't usually recommend Tony Woods claims lists, but have you ever gone
through them, Rob? They represent the current data on German claims, culled
directly from the wartime records only - a few mistakes that I know of
personally, but without a doubt these lists of Tony's are the best online
resource, as they are completely independent of postwar second hand info
(unfortch, some such lists are generated entirely out of books, perpetuating
myths as well as introducing their own errors as well).

http://tonywood.cjb.net/

These are far more complete than anything produced in the past - the opening of
various east european archives has brought a large infusion of additional
wartime data to the table; at the same time, it has removed support for some
long cherished ideas. With a total lack of supporting data for the JG 1 claims
(i.e., NO original claim forms, signed by anyone, have come to light - even the
pilots that came forward after the war to say they had combat in He 162s
somehow failed to keep copies of their claims!)

So, we then have to go to the PRO to check the other side of the leger - did
the RAF lose anything that corresponds to the "Typhoon" (or any other single in
that region)? Nope. A couple of flak hits on kites on the day in question but
nothing else. Continuing deeper, we turn to the gold mine of wartime docs -
the ULTRA decrypts. Still, the record is silent: apparently, JG 1 never
notified anyone in its chain of command that three of their pilots (or two, or
even one) had engaged feindflug and scored an abschusse.

Postwar books that repeat the JG 1 claims invariably leave out the fact that
no Jafu or OKL document supports them.

As for the Brits treating Rudi well - they were downright respectful to Welter
too, and they knew quite well that he claimed dozens of Mosquitos that were
safely parked on their hardstands in east anglia.

Gordon
Stormbirds.com/recon