Oskar Bösch
Feldwebel
Oskar Bösch was born on 18 May 1924 at Höchst in
Austria. He was a qualified glider pilot when he joined the Luftwaffe in
1943. Bösch underwent his flying training at Flugzeugführerschule A/B 118
at Stettin-Altdamm. After completing his advanced fighter pilots training
with JG 101 at Nancy in France, he was posted to the Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe
West, based at Avignon, in February 1944 to await a posting to a front-line
unit. Bösch was soon posted to JG 3. En route to his new posting Bösch
was caught up in a bombing raid. He resolved to become a bomber destroyer
and volunteered for Sturmstaffel 1, a dedicated anti-bomber unit, flying
heavily armed and armoured Fw 190s, then based at Salzwedel to the west
of Berlin. He joined the unit a few days before its dissolution in late
April. He made his first flights in a Fw 190 on 28 April: four flights
lasting a total of 60 minutes! Unteroffizier Bösch claimed his first victories
on 29 April, when he claimed a USAAF B-17 four-engine bomber shot down
and another Herauschuss out of a force of 578 US Eighth Air Force four-engine
bombers targeting Berlin. When Sturmstaffel 1 was absorbed into IV./JG
3, Bösch was assigned to the 11. Staffel. He continued his success against
USAAF four-engine bombers. By November 1944, he had added a further five
four-engine bombers to his tally to raise his victory total to seven. By
Early November 1944, Bösch was serving with 14./JG 3. He added a further
11 victories with this unit, including his 10th victory on 1 January 1945
when he shot down a RAF Spitfire fighter. The balance of his victories
were recorded over Russian opponents. Bösch also survived a mid-air collision
with a Russian Yak fighter over Berlin in the last days of the war! Bösch
survived the war and continued to make a name in gliding circles.
Oskar Bösch was credited with eighteen victories.
He recorded eight victories over the Eastern front,
including one Il-2 Sturmovik. Of his 10 victories
recorded over the Western front, eight were
four-engine
bombers.
|
No
|
Date
|
Time
|
A/c Type
|
Unit
|
Location / Comments
|
|
1
|
29.4.1944
|
11:07
|
B-17 HSS |
Sturmst. 1 |
NE Gifhorn |
|
2
|
29.4.1944
|
11:10
|
B-17 |
Sturmst. 1 |
5km NW Helmstedt |
|
3
|
8.5.1944
|
10:12
|
B-24 |
11./JG 3 |
Peine-Wolfsburg |
|
4
|
8.5.1944
|
-
|
B-17 HSS |
11./JG 3 |
- |
|
5
|
18.7.1944
|
10:50
|
B-17 |
11./JG 3 |
SE Kempten |
|
6
|
3.8.1944
|
11:43
|
B-24 |
11./JG 3 |
Lechtaler
Alpen |
|
7
|
16.8.1944
|
10:02
|
B-17 |
11./JG 3 |
Münden |
|
8
|
2.11.1944
|
12:47
|
B-17 |
14./JG 3 |
NW Halle |
|
9
|
25.12.1944
|
-
|
P-51 |
14./JG 3 |
- |
|
10
|
1.1.1945
|
-
|
Spitfire |
14./JG 3 |
- |
|
11
|
18.2.1945
|
-
|
Pe-2 |
14./JG 3 |
- |
|
12
|
19.2.1945
|
-
|
P-39 |
14./JG 3 |
- |
|
13
|
3.3.1945
|
17:00
|
P-39 |
14./JG 3 |
- |
|
14
|
11.3.1945
|
-
|
Yak-9 |
14./JG 3 |
- |
|
15
|
19.3.1945
|
-
|
La-5 |
14./JG 3 |
- |
|
16
|
21.3.1945
|
-
|
Il-2 |
14./JG 3 |
- |
|
17
|
18.4.1945
|
-
|
Yak-9 |
14./JG 3 |
- |
|
18
|
24.4.1945
|
-
|
Yak-3 |
14./JG 3 |
- |
Victories : 18
Awards :
Units : Sturmstaffel 1, JG 3
