The names of German pilots listed as shot down by RAF Tempests that day, all belonging to III/JG54 and flying FW-190Ds, were:
On March 7th he scored his 10th and last victory of the war shooting down the FW 190D-9, “Yellow 15”, flown by Unteroffizier Karl-Georg Genth of 11/JG26 after a 10-minute-long chase. When Genth’s machine emerged out of a cloud, “Vass” got on his tail and hit the cockpit area. Genth bailed out and his “Dora” crashed in the Enschede area. 'Vass' was awarded the DFC on the 19th of March 1945. Famous among his comrades for his good fortune whenever he was going head-on against all odds in every chance he got, he met death in exactly this way two weeks after this battle. On 25 March 1945 he was leading four Tempests in an attack 30 km behind
enemy lines against a truck convoy situated in the midst of an area
well-known for its lethal defending flak, the Bocholt woods. No sooner
had the section begun its attack than his No 2 just exploded in mid-air.
Nos 3 and 4 refused to follow the Greek ace in such a suicidal attack,
so “Vass” decided to go in all on his own, regardless of
the odds. He made a perfect firing pass through a heavy and accurate
flak barrage emerging out of it scot-free. Looking back to check the
effects of his attack he realized he could have done better with one
more strafing pass. His two other comrades refused again to follow his
self-sacrificing example despite his orders, so he went in, alone once
more, despite their desperate warnings. Just like his No 2 a minute
ago, his Tempest, coded “JF-A" EJ755, was blown to smithereens
just as he was emerging out of the flak barrage. Two other known Tempests flown by him were “JF-X” JN807, and “JF-H” JN817, both wearing black-white “Invasion Stripes”, and duck-egg-blue fuselage band and spinner. John
Mansolas & Angelos Dalassenos are writers for the Greek magazines _________________________________________________ |
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Distinguished Flying Medal
5 SEPTEMBER, 1944, 3RD SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE (of 1 Sept.)
1388657, Flight Sergeant Basilios VASSILIADES, R.A.F.V.R., 19 Squadron
This airman has participated in many sorties over Northern France and has attacked many military targets with good results. He is a most capable section leader whose example of gallantry and determination has won much praise. Flight Sergeant Vassiliades has destroyed 4 enemy aircraft.
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Vass' P-51 QV-D
RECORD OF OPERATIONS
F/Lt B.M. Vassiliades, Nr. 3 Squadron RAF, Times are local Dutch (local)
times, From Operational Record Book, 3 Squadron, Public Record Office, Kew AIR
27/35
| 05-12-44 Sweep
Quachenbrück JN 815 up 14.10-15.55 10-12-44 Sweep Münster EJ 598 13.15-14.25 12-12-44 Armed Recce JN 807 10.30-11.05 weather unsat. 15-12-44 Wing Sweep EJ 777 10.05-11.10 17-12-44 Armed Recce Rheine JN 875 14.55-15.55 18-12-44 Patrol Aachen EJ 786 15.40-16.50 24-12-44 Patrol Aachen JN 803 08.25-09.30 Patrol Julich JN 868 14.50-16.40 25-12-44 Patrol Malmedy JN 803 11.10-13.00 27-12-44 Sweep Paderborn JN 803 13.15-15.00 29-12-44 Patrol Malmedy EJ 798 10.00-11.50 Patrol Nijmegen/Münster JN 875 14.45-16.20 31-12-44 Patrol Münster/Rheine JN 807 14.00-15.25 01-01-45 Armed Recce Paderborn EJ 827 14.15-15.25 16-01-45 Armed Recce JN 817 15.05-16.14 19-01-45 Armed Recce Rheine EJ 700 15.25-16.40 21-01-45 Armed Recce Paderborn EJ 660 12.30-13.50 22-01-45 Armed Recce Paderborn EJ 660 14.40-16.25 23-01-45 Armed Recce Paderborn EJ 660 09.50-11.45 2 FW 190 destroyed and 1 FW 190 damaged by Vassiliades 24-01-45 Armed R. Hamm/Münster EJ 807 12.25-14.25 28-01-45 Armed R. Nienburg/Celle EJ 647 14.20-16.00 fired on a train and gunposts without results observed 29-01-45 Armed R. Bremen/Werden JN 875 13.00-14.40 30-01-45 Armed Recce Hildesheim JN 875 08.10-09.00 02-02-45 Armed R. Bremen/Solten EJ 700 09.30-11.05 03-02-45 Armed Recce Paderborn EJ 827 14.45-16.35 06-02-45 Armed R. Zwolle/Groningen NV 676 15.45-17.00 08-02-45 Armed R. Rheine/Paderborn NV 707 12.45-14.50 11-02-45 Armed Recce Hildesheim EJ 690 13.05-15.10 21-02-45 Armed Recce Hildesheim EJ 755 13.10-15.20 22-02-45 Armed Recce Vienenburg EJ 649 10.00-12.05 23-02-45 Armed Recce Rheine EJ 755 07.50-08.50 One Ju 188 destroyed by F/O Vassiliades on Rheine satellite, DFM 24-02-45 Armed Recce Rheine EJ 690 15.00-16.50 25-02-45 Armed Recce Wolvenbitel EJ 699 13.30-15.00 03-03-45 Wing Sweep Osnabrück EJ 755 16.25-18.25 05-03-45 Wing Sweep Rheine NV 703 16.15-18.00 06-03-45 Scramble NV 767 18.05-18.30 07-03-45 Wing Sweep EJ 759 14.05-16.05 In the Rheine area about 12 FW 190 and Me 109's met. Vassiliades hacked down a FW 190 after ten minutes of hard fighting and found himself alone after the combat 13-03-45 Patrol Kempen EJ 829 12.50-14.20 Sweep EJ 829 16.00-17.45 14-03-45 Sweep Quackenbrück NV 936 13.10-14.45 Sweep Nienburg/Rheine NV 645 16.30-18.10 15-03-45 Sweep Gütersloh NV 645 11.20-12.45 18-03-45 Sweep NV 652 16.00-17.25 19-03-45 Escort Typhoons NV 655 09.20-10.45 Escort Typhoons NV 652 13.45-15.35 22-03-45 Sweep ? 13.15-14.50 Sweep EJ 755 15.50-17.20 23-03-45 Sweep Rheine/Paderborn EJ 755 13.00-14.45 Sweep Rheine/Paderborn EJ 755 16.30-18.10 24-03-45 Patrol Rheine EJ 755 08.15-09.25 Patrol Rheine EJ 755 14.15-15.20 25-03-45 Patrol Rheine EJ 758 10.45-12.00 Patrol rheine EJ 658 16.45-Not yet recorded (NYR) In this last patrol led by F/Lt Vassiliades, a heavily defended wood was attacked. Unfortunately, Vassiliades took a direct hit from flak and his plane blew up |
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His DFC was Gazetted in March 1945. I have no details.
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Vass' Tempest JF-E. Click it for a better look.
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Victories Include :
22 Apr 1944 28 Apr 1944 1 May 1944 21 Jun 1944 24 Jun 1944 8 Jul 1944 8 Aug 1944 23 Jan 1945 24 Feb 1945 7 Mar 1945 |
one Me109 1/3 Ar96 one Me109 one Me109 one FW190 one Me109 one He111 1/2 Me109 one Me109 one Me109 two FW190s one FW190 one Ju188 one FW190 |
destroyed destroyed damaged OTG destroyed destroyed, destroyed & damaged OTG destroyed destroyed & probable * destroyed & damaged destroyed OTG destroyed |
8.83 / 1 / 1
plus 1 / 0 / 2 On The Ground
* In his logbook he claimed 2 destroyed which would make his score 9.83 / 0 / 1
Score & note from Aces High [Shores & Williams] and Aces High Vol. 2 [Shores]
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Thanks go out to
John Mansolas & Angelos Dalassenos for the photos & infos !
On these pages I use Hugh Halliday's extensive research which includes info from numerous sources; newspaper articles via the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation (CMCC); the Google News Archives; the London Gazette Archives and other sources both published and private.
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