The
Messerschmitt was shot down by Russian fighters only a few days before the Russian
army liberated Kirkenes. The 19 years old pilot managed a succesful forced landing
on the bog Sagmyra, 30km south of Kirkenes. He returned to Høybugtmoen
airbase the same day.
The
retreating German forces shot up the Messerschmitt from their positions at Storfjellet.
A lot of the wreckage was scrapped by local farmers after the war, but the main
section of the fuselage and landing gear were taken care of. The aircraft is
now being restored at Norwegian Aviation Museum in Bodø. The name of
the pilot is still unknown. This aircraft was also involved in a crash landing
(80% damage) at Soldatskalja 3. October 1942 and was repaired at Kjeller.
