Who Killed Udet's Wingman?

[TaurusRising]

Hopefully someone with better access to French and German combat reports can help me clear up this question.

Around noon on May 25, Ernst Udet led Jasta 15 from the field at Boncourt. Out of the blue, his roommate "Puz" Haenisch was shot down by a French scout attacking from out of the sun. Here's an excerpted description of the event in Udet's memoir:

"I make a half turn and in that instant I see, close to my side, not twenty meters off, Puz's aircraft enveloped in fire and smoke. But Puz himself sits straight up in the center of this inferno, head turned toward me. Now he slowly lifts his right arm to his crash helmet. It could be the last convulsion, but it looks as though he were saluting me for the last time. "Puz," I scream, "Puz!" Then his machine breaks up. The fuselage dives straight down like a fiery meteor, the broken wing planes trundling after it. I am stunned as I stare over the side after the wreckage. An aircraft moves into the range of my sight and tears westward about five hundred meters below me. The cockades blink up at me like malicious eyes. At the same moment I have the feeling that it can only be Guynemer! I push down, I have to get him! But the wings of the Albatros are not up to the strain. They begin to flutter more and more, so that I fear the machine will disintegrate in the air. I give up the pursuit and return home."

Now, May 25, 1917 is the day when Guynemer famously scored four kills, all of them were two-seaters though, and Udet's men were flying Albatros fighters. Probably that means this was not Guynemer who killed Haenisch.

So, who killed Haenisch? I'd be interested to hear what the records say on the subject.

Thanks,

TaurusRising

[Immo_Frese]

TaurusRising,

Udet is wrong in his memoirs. Hänisch was shot down one day later on 26 May 1918. It is almost impossible to say for sure who got him but S/Lt. L.Milliat, Esc.N 80, claimed an enemy aircraft at unknown time over german held territory that day near Neuville-Chermizy. His claim was not confirmed by the french authorities...

Immo

[TaurusRising]

Thanks for the info.

I wonder if that opens up the possibility that the mysterious French pilot was in fact Guynemer. Probably just wishful thinking, but Georges' logbook for May 26th records, "Brought down a two-seated Albatros at 10 o'clock to the west of Conde sur Suippes," and later, "Four fights, one of which was against four single-seater Albatroses."

Any chance?

TaurusRising

[Immo_Frese]

Of course it is possible, but wouldn't Guynemer had put in a claim for Hänisch if he was one of those four Albatros he fought with...? After all Hänisch went down in flames according to Udet!

Immo

[Taz]

The French were as bad as the Germans about requiring ground confirmation of kills. Guynemer was like Lufbery, as long as they were shooting down the invaders, they were happy, and who cared about official credit. Fonck, by the way, claimed 125 kills, 75 confirmed, so who knows. He definitely cared about his total. After a reanalysis of his kills (and Guynemer's and Nungesser's), Fonck's total (and most likely Guynemer's) far exceeded other entente ace totals.

Terry Phillips
Taz

[wingedwarrior]

Originally Posted by Taz

After a reanalysis of his kills (and Guynemer's and Nungesser's), Fonck's total (and most likely Guynemer's) far exceeded other entente ace totals.

Hi Taz,

By reanalysis, do you mean matching claims to actual German losses?

regards,

Darren

[Taz]

Darren- No, I just meant destroyed vs out of control. Should have said analysis instead of reanalysis.

Terry Phillips
Taz

[wingedwarrior]

Thanks for the clarification. Somebody said they were analyzing this - thought it might be you!

regards,

Darren