[Soto Cinematics] Falling aces of WWII - cinematic documentary series (Nowotny, Kittel, Marseille, Pattle, Preddy, Lang, Litvyak, Hafner)

[AWC]

Hello everyone!

 

I have decided to create a cinematic documentary series on the final flights of famous WWII aces. I have undertaken substantial research on these events in order to make my recreation as accurate as possible. I will update this topic as I complete each video. Please show your support by commenting or sharing my videos!

 

Soto

 

I have a parallel series on WWI aces here: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/83234-soto-cinematics-falling-aces-of-wwi-cinematic-documentary-series-voss/

 

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Death of Kittel added 10 Jan 2022

 

At the time of his death, Otto Kittel was Germany’s 4th highest scoring ace with 267 victories (265 according to some sources). This video recreates the events of his final sortie on 16th February 1945, which took place during fighting around the Courland Pocket in Latvia. According to eyewitness account from both the Germans and Soviets, Kittel was last seen attacking an IL-2 Sturmovik when two other IL-2 Sturmoviks simultaneously attacked Kittel from below to the rear. His plane was damaged and quickly fell to the ground. According to this article (https://warspot.ru/10237-tma-opustilas-nad-kurlyandskim-kotlom), despite Kittel not having time to jettison the canopy and bail out, the wreckage revealed that he was still alive before the FW 190 A-7 crashed, as the seat belts had been unbuckled.

 

Thanks to @SR603-Flowbeefor Kittel's paintscheme, 'Black 1' https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/73659-otto-kittel-and-emil-lang-skin-request/.

 

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Death of Pattle added 5 February 2022

 

South African-born Marmaduke Thomas St. John ‘Pat’ Pattle is known for being the RAF’s highest scoring ace of World War II despite being killed relatively early in the war. He is generally credited with 50 and 2 shared aircraft destroyed. This number may be higher according to some sources, but this cannot be confirmed as records from the campaign in Greece have been lost. During the air battle over Athens on 20^th April 1941, Pattle was last seen going to the aid of his comrade’s Hurricane before being attacked in turn by two Bf 110 aircraft. His aircraft caught fire and exploded, then fell into the sea. He is remembered as a gallant leader and a gifted pilot.

 

Mediterranean mod: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/79130-desert-war-modpack/

 

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Death of Lang added 6 February 2022

 

Hauptman Emil Lang was a 173-victory ace, known for being the pilot highest scoring pilot in a day (18 victories) and the highest scoring German pilot on the Invasion Front, allegedly gaining 29 victories there after being transferred from the Eastern Front. On 3^rd September 1944, Lang led a flight of JG 26 Fw 190s from Melsbroek. After overcoming difficulties with raising his landing gear, Lang and his flight were subsequently intercepted by Allied aircraft to the south-east of Brussels. Lang’s aircraft was last seen in flames as it crashed into the Belgian countryside near St. Trond.

 

It has been argued that Lieutenant Darrell Cramer flying in a section of P-51 Mustangs (338^th SQN 56^th Fighter Group) shot down the German ace. However, in more recent studies it has been found that it was almost certainly 41 SQN Spitfire XII’s led by Flight Lieutenant Terry Spencer who shot down Emil Lang due to the time and location of the engagement.

 

Sources:

Don Caldwell, JG 26 Luftwaffe Fighter Wing War Diary Volume Two: 1943-1945

Christopher Thomas and Christopher Shores, 2nd Tactical Air Force, Vol. 1: Spartan to Normandy, June 1943 to June 1944

Andrew Thomas, Griffon Spitfire aces

http://www.spitfireperformance.com/mustang/combat-reports/55-mcginn-3sept44.jpg

 

Skins

JG 26 skins: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/47221-jg26-skins/ @TP_Silk

Lang skins: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/73659-otto-kittel-and-emil-lang-skin-request/ @SR603-Flowbee, https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/32130-fw-190-a-5-skins/ @E69_julian57

41 SQN skins https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/71443-no-41-squadron-f-raf-spitfire-mk-xiv-skin-pack/ @FTC_Riksen

 

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Death of Nowotny added 10 April 2022

 

On 8th November 1944, Major Walter ‘Nowi’ Nowotny, veteran German ace and leader of ‘Kommando Nowotny’, took off alone on a mission to intercept an American bomber formation in the Osnabrück area. During this flight, Nowotny claimed a B-17 shot down and another one damaged, while also claiming a P-51 destroyed. At some point as he returned to base at Achmer, Nowotny’s Me 262 ‘White 8’ suffered an engine failure on the port side; whether this was caused by combat or by mechanical failure is unclear. Soon after, several American P-51 Mustangs dived on Nowotny’s jet as he led them over Vörden airfield. Probably approaching to land, Nowotny was most likely surprised by Edward ‘Buddy’ Haydon’s unseen P-51D, which caused him to pitch up in reaction and induce an accelerated stall, made worse by unequal thrust due to flying on one engine. Haydon reported Nowotny thrashing around in the cockpit as he crashed into the ground a few kilometres east of Hesepe airfield. The 23-year-old Nowotny had 258 victories at the time of his death.

 

Sources:
Colin Heaton, Anne-Marie Lewis, The Me 262 Stormbird: From the Pilots Who Flew, Fought, and Survived It.
Robert Forsyth, Jagdgeschwader 7 ‘Nowotny’. 
http://don-caldwell.we.bs/jg26/nowotny.htm
https://toflyandfight.com/p-51d-profile-lady-nelda/ 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjsLRiK3KzE&ab_channel=spottydog4477

 

Skins:

Fiebelkorn skin: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/42650-raptorattackers-skinhouse/page/7/ @Raptorattacker

Haydon skin: 

Dortenmann skin: https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/42650-raptorattackers-skinhouse/?do=findComment&comment=750437 @Raptorattacker 

 

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Death of Preddy added 9 May 2022

 

On the evening of Christmas Day 1944, Major George Earl ‘Ratsy’ Preddy Jr. led a flight of 10 P-51 Mustangs of 328th Fighter Squadron, 352nd Fighter Group on a patrol over Bonn, Germany. After being directed towards Liège, Belgium, Preddy pursued a lone Fw 190 D-9 at ground level to the SE of Aachen. Preddy was observed to fire on the Fw 190 before US anti-aircraft gunners began firing at Preddy's fighter. He was last seen in a shallow inverted dive as he bailed out and hit the ground. 

 

Sources:

Death of the Mustang Super Ace by John R. Beaman Jr. with Samuel L. Sox Jr, Air War Publications.

George Preddy, Top Mustang Ace, by Joe Noah and Samuel L. Sox, Motorbooks International, 1991, from http://www.preddy-foundation.org/preddy-bios/george-preddy/

http://www.aircrewremembered.com/KrackerDatabase/?q=preddy

https://www.starduststudios.com/george-preddy.html

https://www.aviationarthangar.com/prpbyjimla.html

https://www.americanairmuseum.com/person/107089

http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww2/f/165/3/22

https://www.flightjournal.com/mustang-ace-aces/

@Legioneod https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/54643-p-51-d-skins/?do=findComment&comment=841691

 

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Death of Litvyak added 6 June 2022

 

On 1st August, 1943, while escorting a flight of IL-2 Sturmoviks in her Yak 1b, Senior Lieutenant Lydia ‘Lylia’ Litvyak attacked a formation of German bombers. In the process, she was attacked by a formation of Bf 109s. An intense dogfight broke out in which Litvyak became separated from her comrades and she was last seen with smoke billowing from her Yak. She is believed to have rammed her attacker or been struck in the head by German fire.

 

Sources:
Henry Sakaida, Heroines of the Soviet Union, Osprey
http://luftwaffeinprofile.se/Yak-1 vs Bf 109 .html
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/KrackerDatabase/?q=litvyak&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archive/index.php?t-4295.html
https://books.google.com.au/books?id=-ESSJzUOk2oC&pg=PA18&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=4#v=onepage&q=litvyak&f=false
https://disciplesofflight.com/first-female-ace-lydia-litvyak/

https://www.mission4today.com/index.php?name=Downloads4&screen=267

 

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Death of Hafner added 11 July 2022

 

On 17th October, 204 victory ace Oberleutnant Anton Hafner led a flight of 8./JG 51 on a patrol over the southwest area of Lithuania. While patrolling, Hafner’s flight was intercepted by Yaks of 3rd Escadrille, 303rd Fighter Aviation Division, part of the famous French Normandie-Niemen regiment. Hafner was seen to hit a tree while chasing a Yak 9 at low level and was killed in the crash. Hafner remains the highest scoring pilot of JG 51 ‘Mölders' for the rest of the Second World War.

 

Sources:

French Eagles, Soviet Heroes: The 'Normandie-Niemen' Squadrons on the Eastern Front by John Clarke

Normandie-Niemen by Christian-Jacques Ehrengardt

http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archive/index.php?t-8567.html

https://warspot.ru/12325-posledniy-den-antona-hafnera 

@SR603-Flowbeehttps://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/72593-bf109g-6-late-black-1-flown-by-leutnant-anton-hafner-huttenfeldegermany-17-october-1944/

@Maillon21 https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/74746-normandie-niemen-yaks-9/

 

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Death of Marseille added 4 September 2022

 

On 30th September 1942, Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Marseille, ‘The Star of Africa’, led a flight of four Bf 109 G-2s of JG 27 on a Stuka escort sortie. On the return journey back to base, Marseille’s Bf 109 G-2/Trop began suffering engine trouble, causing him to lose altitude and eventually bail out. Marseille hit the tail of his fighter and was either knocked unconscious or failed to open his parachute.

 

Sources.

Colin Heaton and Anne-Marie Lewis ,The Star of Africa: The Story of Hans Marseille, the Rogue Luftwaffe Ace Who Dominated the WWII Skies.
Robert Tate, Hans-Joachim Marseille: An Illustrated Tribute to the Luftwaffe's "Star of Africa".

@JSOflyer https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/79130-desert-war-modpack/ sorry for late tag!

@SR603-Flowbee https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/69525-bf109-f4-trop-3jg27-yellow-14-hans-joachim-marseille-wnr10137-june-1942/

@E69_julian57 https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/78304-african-skins-bf109-f-4-g-2bf-110-e-2-ju-87bf-109-e7mc202s8p-40hurricane-mk-iihe111h6ju88a4fw-190-a-5spitfire-mk-vb/

@szelljr https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/28332-szelljr-skindeposit-%C2%AE-%E2%84%A2-%C2%A9/page/36/

 

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Death of Finucane added 4 October 2022

 

On 15th July 1942, Wing Commander Brendan ‘Paddy’ Finucane, the top scoring Irish ace of the Second World War, led the Hornchurch Wing on a Ramrod ground attack sortie against a German army camp at Étaples, France. As the wing flew over the French coast near Le Touquet, a burst of machine-gun fire hit the radiator on Finucane’s Spitfire Mk.V, causing the engine to quickly overheat and eventually lose power. Attempting to fly back to England Finucane was forced to ditch, but despite making a very good water landing Finucane was not seen to exit his Spitfire. He is presumed to have been knocked unconscious during the ditching or unable to make it out of his aircraft in time.

 

Sources
https://www.key.aero/article/paddy-finucane-flying-shamrock 
http://bbm.org.uk/airmen/as-finucane.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_Finucane#Death
http://acesofww2.com/can/aces/aikman/

@FTC_Riksen https://forum.il2sturmovik.com/topic/80457-supermarine-spitfire-mkvb-no-602-squadron-f-raf-sn-bm308bf/

 

Edited March 4, 2023 by Lemsip

[JG4_Thibaut]

It doesn't make sense for me that kittel crashed due to the forward firing Il-2 armament, since he was a very experienced pilot and would not attack a formation without a higher speed advantage. Furthermore did I read several times of the cause being return fire. 

 

Apart from that I really enjoyed the video and I like the project of last aces' flights you started there.

[timothy55]

Hi Lemsip 

 

                      Just been able to see the Kittel video I requested  end of last year, hope that had something to do with its production.

 

                      your videos bring history to life .

 

                     Thanks again Lemsip.

 

                      

[AWC]

5 hours ago, timothy55 said:

                      your videos bring history to life .                     

 

Thankyou! Your support encourages me to make more.

Edited February 1, 2022 by Lemsip

[AWC]

Death of Pattle added

[AWC]

Death of Lang added

[AWC]

Death of Nowotny added

[AWC]

Death of Preddy added

[AWC]

Death of Litvyak added

[AWC]

Death of Hafner added

[timothy55]

Excellent Lemsip

[sevenless]

Comment on Preddy:

 

Propably the best source, and best documented / crossreferenced source you will find here:

 

Death of the Mustang Super Ace - Air War Publications

 

[AWC]

11 hours ago, sevenless said:

Propably the best source, and best documented / crossreferenced source you will find here:

 

Death of the Mustang Super Ace - Air War Publications

 

Just bought this and thankfully it confirms the research I did that Preddy fell from his aircraft and did not crash land. I had so many comments on that video that believed the other version. Thanks, will probably be using more of those articles in future.

[AWC]

Death of Marseille added

[AWC]

Death of Finucane added

[Adger]

Absolutely brilliant work @Lemsip really enjoyed these.

[AWC]

New video released on Death of Voss and WWI aces here: