Date: 1st February 1945
Unit: 3 Staffel/Nachtjagdgeschwader 2
Type: Junkers Ju 88G-6
Werke/Nr. 620181
Code: 4R + AK
Location: Noithausen, near Grevenbroich, Germany.
Pilot: Leutnant Johannes Strassner 208495/44 Baled out (Born 12.04.1922. Passed away in Salzkotten 1998.)
Radio/Op: Feldwebel Hans Hahn Baled out (Passed away in Cologne during 1994.)
Gunner : Obergefreiter Helmut Pareidt Baled out (Last known living in Weissenfels. Sachsen/Anhalt.)
REASON FOR LOSS:
This aircraft was shot down by another German night fighter. See report of Johannes Strassner detailed below;
With special thanks to Remco Immerzeel for the translation of the report from German to English.
01.02.1945. A remarkable day. We started at 18.30 and were directed towards Mannheim. We were put on standby position at an altitude of 3200 meters near Munchen-Gladbach. Up until now I've always been against taking a second radio with me (SN2 radio). Today I got sorry about that. By watching constantly the screen, one can notice the approach of aircrafts from behind. After watching half an hour, we were surprised by a short, steady burst coming from below and soon our entire starboard wing was set ablaze. The only thing left now was to get the hell out! Hans and Helmut bailed out through the hatch. Things didn't go as smooth with me. With a terrible fear of being caught in an explosion, I attempted to get up twice (after having set the course) and tried to get to the rear. Each time the growing fire of the burning wing would throw the aircraft back to port direction. In a last desperate attempt, I managed to get to my leg through the hatch. Of course the aircraft immediately swung back and started spiralling. Fortunately this helped me and pulled me out getting me away from the crashing Ju. I was so upset that I actually pulled my parachute too early and lost conscience when the chute pulled open. After a few seconds I regained conscious again, hanging under my chute and saw our faithful ship on the ground. It was burning out and ammunition was exploding. I then felt an immense feeling of relief and gratitude.
The descent lasted about fifteen minutes. Just before I touched the ground I saw a flare going up (I would hear later this was Helmut). Through the flare I could see a village below me and I landed in the back of a garden, on a manure stack. Gravenbroich before had a chance to get my things together, (the parachute is very difficult to handle) I heard people coming towards me. From a distance I could hear them shout "Kamarad?" I then realised, at the last moment, that I could as well be considered as a Tommy, so I thought it was safer to identify myself. The men then took me into a house through several dark backyards. (There was neither light, nor telephone and the bomb alert facilities did not work either). From a distance I could hear artillery. We were only 25 km from the front line! Luckily we had a strong westward wind; otherwise we would have landed "on the other side". Once we were in a home we were offered cigarettes and something to drink. Gradually the tension I underwent for the last twenty minutes fell down. The local policeman asked me for my front identification. This was followed by a great "Hello": Helmut was just found at the other side of the village and was brought to me.
Unfortunately this peaceful break would not last long. At 02.30, Mosquitos attacked the Grevenbroich station in a totally unexpected bombing (reinforcements!) and Noithausen was unfortunately situated at the embranchment of two railroad tracks. A woman grabbed my arm, and we all went down into a dark place through escape stairs and reached an emergency shelter. I will never forget that night. About a hundred people, mostly women, were sitting on a reed carpet on a concrete floor. Each half an hour, a Mosquito would approach and six bombs exploded. The women were praying in front of the statue of the Virgin Maria which was surrounded with candles. Then it was silent again. This is where we learnt about Rhenan courage: just a few seconds earlier they were frightened and terrorised, and now full of life and merry again, despite all the horror these people undergo night and day. At day break things eventually calmed down, and we could start thinking about how we could get back to Twente. First thing we had to call and tell we were still alive! At six o'clock we were reunited with Hans again. He had experienced even more than we had.
He had lost his jump boots through with shock of his opening parachute; therefore he was wearing some hiking shoes he had received from the Volksturm. He was the first one to bail out and therefore landed directly at the Grevenbroich station.The whole night bombs exploded near him and he kept moving from one place to another.
The joy of being all safe and well together was immense. At 06.30 we drove away on a workers bus that was going to Neuss. From there, we took a streetcar to the Dussseldorf-Lohausen airfield. There we got rid of our parachutes, reported by telephone to the I./NJG2, and got written orders that would allow us to go to Twente.
This was how we got back to our unit by train, ( without wearing our caps that were left behind in the briefcase of our aircraft). The ground crew guy who was in charge of our parachutes got an extra award, as he was also responsible for keeping us alive. On the same night the crew of Oblt. Breithauft also bailed out, not far from Wurzburg.
When we explained how we were shot down, we were told it had to be a Schräge Waffen weapon, which was very unpleasant to hear. Wandelt had already experienced something similar in France.
Lt Johannes Strassner (via Strassner)
