Museum 119 virtual tour - Room III. / Midday

*Oberhof victims - Uffz. Johann Roth (III./JG 4) - Me 109G-6 - KIA 11.9.1944*

*Global look on showcase dedicated to Johan Roth*	Pieces of Johan Roth´s leather suit and leather waist-belt. Behind some pieces of instrumnt	Another wreckage from instruments, behind piece of the wheel disc.	Pieces from burned harness and buckles from the seat belts and the parachute harness
Uffz. Johann Roth died in his Messerschmitt while crash into forested hill close to Oberhof, about half hour before midday. He one of first victims of te JG 4 on that day. In 1997 we were able to contat his family.

*Oberhof victims - Uffz. Jakob Cryns (III./JG 4) - Me 109G-14 - KIA 11.9.1944*

Global look on Jakob Cryns showcase	Seat harness mounting buckle	? - Probably ventilate gap on the cockpit left side - who can confirm if it is actual for G-14?	A manufacture plate from Argus company - who can identify this ?
Jakob Cryns, friend of Helmut Detjens since advanced training, was killed in this initial combat with fighters of 55th FG. On his crashsite in 2002 we have found rests of the DB 605 engine, instruments, pieces from the propeller, etc. His Me 109 was one of few G-14 lost in this combat. In 1997 we were able also to contat his family.

*Oberhof victims - Lt. William M. Lewis, Jr. (55th FG) - P-51D Mustang - MIA/KIA 11.9.1944*

Global look on William M. Lewis showcase. White flowers in center were donated by his dauhter Sharon Kay Cross	Details of two Frigidaire machineguns. On left - photo of Bill Lewis and his wife Eleanor	Some personnal artifacts excavated on crashsite, such as pieces from the uniform, leather suit, a zip, eyelet for neck microphones and a hand knife	Another view of wrecked 0.50" caliber machineguns and some other airplane devices


Fuel carburettor	Pieces of the gun-camera film and the ammo loading chart	Pilot´s daughter Sharon Cross accompanied by husband Villere and son Casey while their historical visiting of the crashsite in Oberhof, June 9th, 2002	Piece from bottom of the rigt wing with painted US national insignia (the blue circle)
Bill Lewis, is a centre of an amazing story. On it´s begin is just his name in column of loses for that day... and also note MIA (missing in action). After years of research, finding the crashsite, contact with Bill Lewis´s daughter Sharon Kay Lewis / Cross, his only living best friend David Jewell, unbelieveable discoveries made together with Ken Breaux and the recovery mission with the US Army CILHI, etc, etc., he is not only "name" for us. He is close friend, brother. We made something for him, he made lot for us. In 1944 also as today. Ken, Sharon and her husband Villere became to be more than our great friends. Read the article by Bruce Nichols / Dallas Morning News "A father found" - page 1, page 2 (English) or "Navrat ztraceneho otce" by Lucie Husarova / Instinkt - page 1, page 2, page 3 (Czech) Almost complete story of search for missing Bill Lewis and related miracles will be soon published in book "Courtesies of the Heart" by Ken Breaux. See details at: PX (item No. 8) About the 55th FG see more at: 55th Fighter Group Color Scheme reconstruction Project

*Oberhof victims - Lt. Kenneth I. Crawford (55th FG) - P-51D Mustang - KIA 11.9.1944*

Global look on the first part of the "Oberhof corner". Table of Kenneth Crawford is far right	A table dedicated to Ken Crawford, one of two US victims of the Oberhof combat.	Panel describing the combat over Oberhof, shortly before the Midday
Ken Crawford was one of the two US losses of the Oberhof conflict. During the combat he apparently shot down a Me 109, but later was seriously hit. He bailed out of his Mustang, but the parachute failed and he suffered serious injuriesof which he died a few hours later. Ken Crawford was like Bill Lewis (above) member of th 38th squadron. More about their fighting colors see at: 55th Fighter Group Color Scheme reconstruction Project

*Oberhof victims - Uffz. Günther Mechau (III./JG 4) - Me 109G-6 - KIA 11.9.1944*

Global look on Günther Mechau showcase. See the piece of a shoe, piece of a wrist compass	Harness buckless and pieces of leather suit	Pieces of leather suit in front, wreckage from instrument panel on right and wrecked machinegun on back	Wrecks of instruments and canopy
Uffz. Mechau´s Messerschmitt crashed not far away from the places of cras of Bill Lewis and Johann Roth. When we visited his crashsite first time, we were amazed by the amount of the personnal artifacts laying still in the forest (see in the showcase above). G. Mechau is, like as J. Roth and J. Cryns (all from the III./JG 4), buried in the local cemetery in Oberhof, where was originally buried also Ken Crawford (55th FG).

*Oberhof victims - Uffz. Wilhelm Wohlgemuth (III./JG 4) - Me 109G-6 - wounded 11.9.1944*
		Copies of photos and documents were obtained directly from Mr. Wohlgemuth whom we visited in April 2000.
	Global look on Wilhelm Wohlgemuth panel.
Uffz. Wohlgemuth was seriously injured before he bailed out his Me 109 close to Oberhof, while the initial phase of battle. he spent long time in local hospital. The "gas lever" on left was mounted out from a wrecked Messerschmitt by Mr. Wohlgemuth, as he believed to could be his own, when he returned from a local hospital. It was donated to the Museum later by his family after Mr. Wohlgemuth died...

One of the "Thüringerwald victims" was also Uffz. Hans Ammon. We have no plane wreckage
or other exhibits related to him, but have photos donated by his son.
Therefore he can be mentioned on the JG 4 panel (see in section 5)

If you find a family member or someone you know on this site,
we would love to hear from you. Please contact us at 517@centrum.cz

Photos on this site may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Museum

Actually you are in Room III - "the Oberhof section"
from here you should continue to

*Oberhof victims - Gefr. Josef Proks (III./JG 4) - Me 10914 - KIA 11.9.1944*

	Global look on the forst part of the "Oberhof corner". Table dedicated to Josef Proks is far left	A panel dedicated to Gefr. Josef Proks
Josef Proks crashed with his Messerschmitt north of Oberhof, near of Tambach-Dietharz, Thüringerwald.

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