Heinz W Detlefsen

Military ROLL OF HONOUR
media-47924.jpeg UPL 47924 1LT Heinz W. Detlefsen
Fighter Pilot
479th FG - 435th FS - 8th AF

aircrew remembered

Object Number - UPL 47924 - 1LT Heinz W. Detlefsen Fighter Pilot 479th FG - 435th FS - 8th AF

Killed in Action (KIA) near Minden in P-51 #4414294

Connections

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Units served with

Aircraft

44-14294

  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 479th Fighter Group 435th Fighter Squadron

Places

Events

Event Location Date Description

Born

Manning, Iowa 11 June 1920

Died

near Minden, Germany 8 November 1944 KIA when he was involved in a mid-air collision with Lt. Thomas V. Smith. "I then observed Lt. Smith gain altitude until he collided with Lt. Detlefsen, whose propeller cut the tail off Lt. Smith's P-51 at approximately the fuselage tank.... Lt. Detlefsen's plane was trailing smoke and Lt. Smith's plane ceased burning. Both planes spun violently. I followed Lt. Detlefsen down to the deck and called for him to get out, but received no reply. His aircraft exploded on impact." - Lt. Norman R. Benoit, eyewitness

Buried

Plot H Row 6 Grave 11 Netherlands American Cemetery Margraten, Netherlands

Revisions

Date
Contributor466thHistorian
Changes
Sources

https://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?indiv=1&dbid=60541&h=391928…
https://www.abmc.gov/node/531417
"The 479th Fighter Group in World War Two" - Terry A. Fairfield, page 236

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / MACR 10424 / Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Ted Damick, VIII Fighter Command pilots list

Heinz W Detlefsen: Gallery (1 items)

Object number: UPL 47924 - 1LT Heinz W. Detlefsen Fighter Pilot 479th FG -...