Operation: Armed Recce

Date: 14th April 1945 (Saturday)

Unit: No. 486 Squadron. 2nd Tactical Air Force. (motto: Hiwa hau Maka - 'Beware of the Wild Winds'). 122 Wing. 83 Group

Type: Tempest F.V II

Serial: SN141

Code: SA-U

Base: B.112 Hopsten, Germany

Location: Ludwigslust, Germany

Pilot: W/O. Owen James Mitchell NZ/424498 RNZAF Age 23. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off at 18:25 hrs as one of four which later split into two pairs when they approached the target.

The following are extracts from RAF Combat reports:

Ludwigslust area. Time of Attack: 19:30 hrs. Height of own aircraft on first sighting: 200 ft. Height of enemy aircraft on first sighting: 1000 ft.

S.J Short reports:

'I was flying pink 3 on an Armed Recce of the Perleberg-Ludwigslust area and together with my No. 2, W/O Mitchell was pulling up from attacking Met north of Ludwigslust when we saw 2 Me.109s at 100 ft and another 4 x 109s at about 3000 ft. The 2 x 109s were coming in to attack us from port rear-quarter. I called up and advised my No. 2 and instructed him to drop his tanks. I broke port but could not quite get onto the tail of the loading 109 who started turning with me. A climbing turning match ensued and after 3 turns I was able to give the 109 a burst with about 45° off. The 109 flew through and I observed 4 strikes aft of the cockpit. I was unable to observe further results because I had one 109 on my tail and another positioning to attack. The last I saw of my No. 2 was from 6000 ft., when I saw him turning at deck level with some 109s. Cine camera used. I claim 1 Me.109 damaged.'

Above: 4 Tempest from 486 squadron in formation (courtesy RJ Atkinson personal collection via Air Museum of New Zealand see links)

W.J. Shaw reports:

'I was flying Pink 2 and whilst diving to attack Met on a road about 10 miles east of Ludwigslust I saw a single Fw.190 flying east at deck level. I reported this to Pink 1 who ordered me to follow him in to attack. The 190 broke when we were out of range and as I could see that my No.1 would be unable to attack I dropped my tanks and climbed for height. As the E/A straightened out east I dived on it passing my No. 1. This time the 190 broke rather later and again to port and I was able to pull my bead through until he disappeared beneath my nose. It was a full deflection shot and I opened fire when I judged I had 2 radii deflection on him. I fired a long burst and then broke upwards to observe the results. As the 190 came in sight again I saw the flash of a strike just forward of the cockpit. An instant later, flames appeared from the port side and, enveloped in flames, the 190 went down in a gradual straight dive to the deck. I saw it crash in a field and explode. Cine camera used. I claim 1 Fw.190 destroyed.'

Above left W/O. Owen James Mitchell with Reginald John Atkinson - right Owen James Mitchell (courtesy RJ Atkinson personal collection via Air Museum of New Zealand see links)

An early Ta 152 combat occurred on 14 April 1945 when Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke tried to intercept a De Havilland Mosquito over Stendal but failed to catch up due to engine trouble. On the evening of that same day, Reschke was to demonstrate that the Ta 152H could be used as a low-altitude fighter. A section of four Hawker Tempest Vs of 486 (NZ) Squadron was out on patrol. After attacking a train near Ludwigslust, the section split up into pairs; Wing Commander Brooker ordered the Tempests flown by Flying Officer S.J. Short and Warrant Officer O.J. Mitchell to make their own way back to base. On the way back, this pair, which was strafing targets along the railway tracks near Ludwigslust, was spotted by lookouts posted at Neustadt-Glewe. Three Ta 152s - flown by Reschke, Oberstleutnant Aufhammer and Oberfeldwebel Sepp Sattler - were scrambled, catching the Tempests by surprise.

Reschke recalled:

As the direction of take-off was in line with the railway tracks leading straight to Ludwigslust, we were almost immediately in contact with the enemy fighters, which turned out to be Tempests. Flying in No. 3 position I witnessed Oberfeldwebel Sattler ahead of me dive into the ground seconds before we reached them. It was hardly possible for his crash to have been the result of enemy action, as the two Tempest pilots had clearly only just registered our presence. So now it was two against two as the ground-level dogfight began. We knew the Tempest to be a very fast fighter, used by the British to chase and shoot down our V-1s. But here, in a fight, which was never to climb above 50 metres, speed would not play a big part. The machines' ability to turn would be all important. Both pilots realised from the start that it would be a fight to the finish and used every flying trick and tactical ploy possible to try to gain the upper hand. At this altitude, neither could afford to make the slightest mistake. And for the first time since flying the Ta 152 I began to fully appreciate exactly what this aircraft could do.

Above L-R: Fritz Aufhammer and Josef Sattler (courtesy Kracker Archive - see links)

Pulling ever tighter turns I got closer and closer to the Tempest, never once feeling I was even approaching the limit of the Ta's capabilities. And in order to keep out of my sights, the Tempest pilot was being forced to take increasingly dangerous evasive action. When he flicked over onto the opposite wing I knew his last attempt to turn inside me had failed. The first burst of fire from my Ta 152 caught the Tempest in the tail and rear fuselage. The enemy aircraft shuddered noticeably and, probably as an instinctive reaction, the Tempest pilot immediately yoked into a starboard turn, giving me an even greater advantage.

Now there was no escape for the Tempest. I pressed my gun buttons a second time, but after a few rounds my weapons fell silent, and despite all my efforts to clear them, refused to fire another shot. I can no longer remember just who and what I didn't curse. But fortunately the Tempest pilot didn't realise my predicament as he'd already taken hits. Instead, he continued desperately to twist and turn and I positioned myself so that I was always just within his field of vision. Eventually - inevitably - he stalled. The Tempest's left wing dropped and he crashed into the woods immediately below us. (courtesy Wikipedia)

It so happened that the site of Oberfeldwebel Sattler's crash, and that of the Tempest pilot, who proved to be New Zealander Warrant Officer Owen J. Mitchell, were only about one kilometre apart. They were buried side-by-side in Neustadt-Glewe cemetery the next day with full military honours.

W/O. Owen James Mitchell with his grave 9.C.16 in Berlin

Burial details:

He was initially buried at Neustadt-Glewe cemetery next to Ofw. Josef Sattler, In 1947 he was reinterred in Berlin.

W/O. Owen James Mitchell. Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery. Grave 9.C.16. Born at Rotorua on the 29th January 1922, Educated at Nelson College, Canterbury University. Enlisted at Rotorua on the 02nd May 1942. Trained at No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, Harewood 13th June 1942, No.2 Service Flying Training School, Woodbourne, on the 05th September 1942. Flying badge awarded on the 30th November 1942 and promoted to sergeant on the 06th February 1943. Promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 06th August 1943. Central Flying School, Tauranga, for training as a flying instructor.

Posted as an instructor to No. 2 Service Flying Training School, Woodbourne, on the 16th April, 1943 and remained there until embarking for the United Kinsdom on the 21st August, 1943. Embarked for the Middle East on the 08th June 1944. Posted back to England on the 23rd December 1944. Trained with 55 Operational Training Unit on the Typhoon on the 01st February 1944. Joined 486 squadron on the 23rd March 1945. A total of 767 flying hours logged and on his 14th operational sortie.

Son of Frank Mitchell (Town Clerk in Nelson - died 28th July 1956) and of Sarah Deborah Elizabeth Mitchell (née Nielsen - died 17th March 1983, age 94), of Nelson, New Zealand.

Video interview with the Luftwaffe pilot, Willi Reschke

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, New Zealand Cenotaph, Weekly News of New Zealand, Air Museum of New Zealand, Museum of Transport and Technology, Auckland, Wings Over New Zealand. Kracker Luftwaffe Archive. Wikipedia.

Other pages that may interest you:

Pages regarding Luftwaffe losses

Pages detailing RNZAF losses

Other sources as quoted below:

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