I know many are thinking of the tributes to the US servicemen that lost their lives on this bleak Sunday years ago at Pearl Harbor and the islands

but on December 6/7 1944 in the evening other battles were taking place, at least 6 GErman LW night fighters were downed, 2 of them by Mossie night fghters. 1 Bf 109G-6/AS pilot was wounded in combat with RAF heavies Feldwebel Günther Laas near Gießen.

One of the most famous pilots of 12./NJG 1 lost his life along with his Bordfünker, the R/O and rear gunner Unteroffizier Kurt Schmidt somehow managed to bail out wounded from the stricken Bf 110G-4 G9+HZ 10 km NW of Münster-Handorf.
BF Feldwebel Günther Steins was Killed and the pilot Hauptmann Hans-Heinz Augenstein a Ritterkreuz winner was also killed with 46 victories to his credit.

The victor was a Mossie XXX of 85th squad. VY-O Flight Leader E.R. Hedgecoe.

What is interesting is that the Bf 110G-4 was found and has been investigated the debris being gone through.........

LW night fighters claimed 14 victories this night, 6 of them Lancasters by IV./NJG 6 twin-engines in the area of Gießen. 2 German crews of Bf 110G-4 equipped IV./NJG 1 claimed 2 Halifax's in the area of Quakenbruck.

Leuna had been attacked by 475 Lancs and 12 Mossies with 5 Lancasters lost
Osnabrück was hit by 363 Hali's and 72 Lancs and 18 Mossies with 7 Halifax and 1 Lancaster lost
Giessen was attacked by 255 Lancs and 10 Mossies with 8 Lancasters lost.
2 other Mosquiotos were also lost on other ops, 1 attacking Berlin ans a Mosie NF intruder crashing ion France.

23 Allied a/c lost from 1,343 sorties

~ A salute to the Fallen ~