ROLAND1369 wrote: ↑16 Feb 2023 14:17
I can only give you the information I was told by my Father about the ME 262. He was a B 24 lead crew pilot in command of the 446 BG 2nd Air Division 8 AF. He said the few ME 163s which attacked them were totally ineffective. He said they seemed to stall through the formation firing without hitting anything. He stated they had no fear of them but certainly were highly concerned when the ME 262s were operating in the area. He said in the few attacks by the 163 no hits were scored, not so with the 262s.
That´s probably an accurate description. The -163 was basically a manually guided SAM, which generally relied on 2 x 30mm guns to bring down bombers. Not very effective against B17 and B24 but may have been developed against the prospect B-29 thread.
There were very few air kills (but at least one guncam footage is known from -163s). This is an incomplete list of aerial claims (not confimed kills!) I compiled in 2013. There is no information in sources from mid November 44 to the begin of march 1945.
number---date------pilot--------target-----notes
#1------05-08-44---I/JG-400------P-51------352nd FG (by account of B-17 radio operator)
#2------05-08-44---I/JG-400------P-51------352nd FG (by account of B-17 radio operator)
#3------05-08-44---I/JG-400------P-51------352nd FG (by account of B-17 radio operator)
#4------16-08-44---H.Ryll--------B-17------10:52 HSS north of Brandis at 6,000-7,000 meters-returned to Enland, written off
#5------16-08-44---S.Schubert----B-17------10:57 HSS south of Kölleda at 6,500 meters
#6------16-08-44---H.Straznicky--B-17------11:02 HSS south of Kölleda at 7,000 meters
#7------24-08-44---H.Bott--------B-17------12:18 HSS Leipzig
#8------24-08-44---S.Schubert----B-17------12:08 northwest Leipzig at 7,000 meters
#9------24-08-44---S.Schubert----B-17------12:09 northwest Leipzig at 7,000 meters
#10-----24-08-44---Strasznicky---four engined bomber
#11-----11-09-44---K.Schiebeler--B-17------no details
#12-----11-09-44---S. Schubert---B-17------12:38 Brandis at 2,000 meters (hardly legible: 8,000?)
#13-----11-09-44---I/JG-400------B-17------acc. to ethell, 7 Me-163 attacked
#14-----12-09-44---K.Schiebeler--B-17------no details
#15-----07-10-44---K.Schiebeler--B-17------12:34 HSS Naunhof south of Brandis at 6,000 meters
#16-----07-10-44---I/JG-400------B-17------no details
#17-----02-11-44---Wiedmann------B-17------12:17 15 Ost / LF-7/MF-1 at 7,000 meters
#18-----14-01-45---unit unknown--P.R. Spit-(F/L J.M. Coldwell-Horsfall 16 Sqn POW 14Jan45 flying a Spitfire PR.XI (PL853), supposedly shotdown by a Me 163)
#19-----03-03-45---A. Hachtel----B-17------no details (I/JG400)
#20-----03-03-45---A. Hachtel----B-17------no details (I/JG400)
#21-----16-03-45---R.Glogner-----Mosquito--near Leipzig NS 795 of No.544 sq, written off after crash landing near Lille, combat near Leipzig with rocket propelled enemy A/C
#22-----10-04-45---R.Glogner-----Mosquito--near Leipzig-e/a crew bailed out
#23-----10-04-45---F.Kelb--------four eng--B17 or Halifax downed with SG-500 rockets near Leipzig
#24-----22-04-45---F.Woidich-----Lancaster-no details
#25-------05-45----P.Gerth-------Mosquito--II/JG400, n. Germany