The Me 262 jet fighter finally became operational in the summer of 1944. The first unit to begin scoring kills with it was the Erprobungskommando of III/ZG 26, which claimed several successes against RAF reconnaissance Mosquitos and Spitfires beginning in late July. On the 15th of August, Helmut Lennartz was scrambled in an Me 262 to intercept a low-flying B-17 that was reported strafing barges along the Rhine river. The bomber, a straggler making its way home, was spotted by Lennartz and attacked. The B-17 crew managed to turn and avoid his first pass, but on his second attack, the bomber shed a wing and crashed killing all aboard. This was the first heavy credited to the new jets.
