WIX Archives
Re: Bunte's 51
Posted by Dan Johnson II on Wed Feb 04, 2004 01:48:24 PM
In reply top Re: Bunte's 51 posted by Ryan Harris on Wed Feb 04, 2004 12:29:16 AM
April 5, 1944 Bunte and other 4th FG 51s were strafing airfields near Berlin. Bunte's 51 was hit and caught fire near Gardelegan Airfield. There is some suggestion he hit a high tension wire near that airfield. He saw flames in the cockpit as he passed over a lake. He jammed the stick forward and put it in the lake. He was knocked out in the landing, but coming around he was under water and felt the 51 settle on the bottom of the lake. He managed to get out of the cockpit and made his way to shore where he was captured.
I looked at the MACR at the National Archives once and it doesn't nail down the lake but I've seen it mentioned elswhere that it was near Potsdam.
This was the same day Beeson was shot down.
Dan