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First Me163 kill
Posted:
Sat Aug 05, 2006 2:47 pmby gryshnak
On this day in 1944, Leutnant Hartmut Ryll scored the first successful kill by a Me163 Komet when he downed a B-17.
Ryll was killed in action the very next day, shot down by P-51 escorts.
Gryshnak
Re: First Me163 kill
Posted:
Sun Aug 06, 2006 12:07 pmby denishc
As I understand it, for being so technically ahead of any other aircraft in the war, the Me-163 wasn't a very successful interceptor. By the end of the war how many aircraft did the Me-163 shoot down?
Re: First Me163 kill
Posted:
Sun Aug 06, 2006 12:11 pmby denishc
One other question, was Lt. Ryll flying a Me-163 when he was killed?
Re: First Me163 kill
Posted:
Sun Aug 06, 2006 12:56 pmby Theis
From
Me 163 Units"Leutnant Hartmut Ryll attacks two B-17's (both return home), but is shot down by P-51's. The Komet explodes, Ryll is killed, wreck impacts near Bad Lausick (Wnr 3100..)."
Re: First Me163 kill
Posted:
Mon Aug 07, 2006 12:42 amby denishc
An intersting subject. Was the Me-163's rocket engine used during the attack of a bomber formation or was all its fuel used in the initial climb? Did the Me-163 use a fast, unpowered glide in the attack?
Re: First Me163 kill
Posted:
Mon Aug 07, 2006 7:59 amby cspyro21
An intersting subject. Was the Me-163's rocket engine used during the attack of a bomber formation or was all its fuel used in the initial climb? Did the Me-163 use a fast, unpowered glide in the attack?
Apparently it did indeed use all of its fuel climbing up and gliding down upon the bombers...or so I think...(I think I read it somewhere - I really need a better memory
)
Re: First Me163 kill
Posted:
Mon Aug 07, 2006 8:48 amby expat
Ryll was killed in action the very next day, shot down by P-51 escorts.
Catch 22, be shot down or try and land and stay in one piece.
Matt
Re: First Me163 kill
Posted:
Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:13 amby Theis
try and land and stay in one piece.
Not the case in the ME 163!!
It was hell to land with, and germany lost more Me-163 pilots due to landing accidents and fuel burning the pilots up, than to enemy fighters!!
Re: First Me163 kill
Posted:
Mon Aug 07, 2006 10:19 amby Hagar
Not the case in the ME 163!!
It was hell to land with, and germany lost more Me-163 pilots due to landing accidents and fuel burning the pilots up, than to enemy fighters!!
I think that's what Matt was referring to. Be shot down by the enemy fighters or blown up attempting to land. A Catch 22 situation.
PS. It was a dangerous occupation but not all Me 163 pilots were killed.
PPS. Interesting article here.
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.walker6/komet/flight/flight1.htm