19th March 1945 is noted in the Duxford Fighter Group’s History as being a day that would never be forgotten. On that day one of the most intense and successful air battles of WW2 was fought by Duxford’s 78th Fighter Group. Consequently detailed records and combat reports are preserved. 1st Lt E.O. Schneider was flying with Duxford’s 82nd fighter squadron.



The aerial battle of March 19 [1945] was the toughest and at the same time most successful the group has ever fought. It lasted for an hour, with waves of German fighters joining the battle until the group, numbering 46 Mustangs, was engaging a force almost three times its size. The fighting was so confused that when the three squadrons landed at Duxford they reported they had encountered the same group of Nazis, estimated at about 50. Later they compared notes and found the total number of enemy planes involved was around 125.

In the Osnabruck area at 1230 hours the 82nd Fighter Squadron engaged four Me 109’s. This was the beginning of the battle which engaged the entire group. There were roughly 45 Me 109’s in four gaggles at altitudes from 14,000 feet to 7,000 feet, and in addition at the beginning of the flight there were about 25 FW 190’s above a thin layer of cirrus which was at 14,000 feet. These came down and joined the battle some fifteen minutes after it started.

Combat Report 1230 hrs. 19th March 1945 1st Lt. E.O. Schneider 82nd FS (0555)

I was flying Surtax Blue 3 on March 19, 1945 on a fighter sweep to Berlin. We encountered Bandits near the Osnabruck area at 9,000 ft. We dropped our tanks and immediately started to climb. I started to climb into a Me-109 and he turned into me. I fired a short burst from approx.. 700 yds. In a head-on pass. I saw a white streak come from his plane. He flew straight and level, then rolled several times and went straight in, exploding on contact. No pilot was observed to have bailed out. I claim this plane destroyed.

1st Lt. E.O. Schneider 0-713584 82nd FS

On 17th April 1945 1st Lt Schneider was an eye witness to Lt A.A. Rosenblum's crash in Czechoslovakia. His account reads as follows:

"We were flying in Surtax Red flight, led by Lt Rosenblum, on a bomber escort to Dresden. After the target, we slew south to Czechoslovakia and hit the deck to strafe an airdrome north of Prague. Surtax Red leader tried to drop his tanks, but his left one would not come off. On the run toward the field, while on the deck, Lt. Schneider called him, but he never did get it off. As we neared the field, on the deck, flak began tocome at us. I saw it was being concentrated on Red Leader. We were line abreast and I saw Rosenblum’s prop and tank hit the ground before reaching the field as he was on the field. He then said “I got to belly in here, so long fellows.” We passed him just as he was bellying in and did not get another look at the aircraft.” (1st Lt Edwin O Schneider O-713584 / 2nd Lt Harry L Roe Jr O-830318)