REASON FOR LOSS:

A clear improvement in the weather made possible the next daylight incursion by units of the 8th Air Force; a total of 664 four-engined bombers were dispatched to once again attack airfields in the northwest of Germany as well as aircraft factories near Braunschweig. The list of targets included the air bases at Oldenburg, Quakenbrück, Achmer, Rheine and Twente. The heavy bomers were escorted by 780 fighters, including 206 Mustangs. The Luftwaffe mobilized 20 day fighter Gruppen to meet the incursion, while the Zerstörer & Nachtjäger units were kept on the ground. A total of 417 fighters saw action. Once radar had detected the force of bombers & fighters heading for northwestern Germany, the Jagdgruppen based in 7 Jagddivision's area were ordered into the Frankfurt/Main area to reinforce 3 Jagddivion. 24 Messerschmitts of II/JG53 scrambled from Eschborn at 12.49 p.m. After takeoff the Gruppe once again linked up with II/JG27, whose 23 aircraft had been joined by another eight from I/JG5 on this day. Once assembled, the battle unit was vectored toward the Harz Mountains, where it was supposed tojoin two Gruppen of JG1 to form an even larger battle unit. The two elements missed each other, however and consequently the units of 3 Jagddivision were vectored alone into the Braunschweig – Wolfsburg area.

There, at 1.45 p.m, they engaged several eastbound formations of heavy bombers and their escort of P-51s. The Gruppe succeeded in breaking through to the bombers, all the while under heavy pressure from the P-51s and following its return reported two Liberators shot down. Unfortunately the Gruppe suffered heavy losses in tough dogfights with superior American fighter escort; when it was all over 4 Messerschmitts were missing and three pilots had been killed. Lt. Liebig, temporarily leading the 6th Staffel in place of the wounded Lt. Hammer, was shot down and killed in combat with American escort fighters not far from Hösseringen near Uelzen, while Lt. Steinmüller, also of 6/JG53, crashed to his death near Unterlüss near Weyhausen after combat with enemy fighters. Friedrich Steinmüller had come to II Gruppe with 11/JG2 at the end of 1942 and since then had raised his victory total to about 15. 4 Staffel reported the loss off Uffz. Hans Albers, who was shot down near Glüsingen and died in the crash of his machine. The pilot of the fourth Me 109 shot down in combat was more fortunate, as he escaped injury and was able to parachute to safety.

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Unteroffizier Hans Albers – MISSING in ACTION. (Kaufmann)

Auskunft der Wehrmachts Auskunft Stelle Berlin (WASt)

Truppenteile: 24.08.1941

3. Kompanie Flieger-Ausbildungs Regiment 32

- Erkennungsmarkenausgabe -

15.07.1943 Flugzeugführerschule A/B 115 Wels

30.10.1943 3. Staffel Jagdgruppe Süd

08.04.1944 4. Staffel Jagdgeschwader 53

- gefallen –

In the Middle of the woods at Glüsingen is a wooden cross, which commemorates Uffz. Hans Albers.
The cross was erected by the late Herr.Hilbeck in the fifties and later renewed by Herr. Mischke.



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Where Hans Albers is buried, is not known. An entry in the "National Association eV German War Graves care" does not exist.

Researched by Rüdiger Kaufmann, Museumsverein für Technik- und Luftfahrtgeschichte e.V and presented to our archive.
Melvin Brownless, May 2013 – (Updated October 2014)