On this day 9 March 1945 the Luftwaffe was was involved in the clashes over the rapidly expanding bridgehead at Remagen.

At 16.20 hours 24 Fe 190 Doras from the second Gruppe of JG 26 took of from Northern heading for the Remagen to support of the German ground forces there.

South of the town Wesel at 2 000 meters height the Gruppe made a head-on attack on P-47 from the 366 FG. The JG 26 pilots was able to claiming four of the Thunderbolts for an own loss of three machines. One of the pilots who file a claim during this encounter was, Uffz. Fritz Hanusch.

However Hanusch who a few moments later was unfortunate to be downed by the 366 AA Battalion while flying at at low level. He was however lucky to survive the bailout, although with severe injuries.

His machine "Black 3" although pilot-less manage to make a perfect belly landing in a field at Wallach near Wesel, with its only noticeable damage was a broken fuselage behind the cockpit.

The total losses this day for the II./JG 26 beside that of Uffz. Fritz Hanusch, was that of Lt. Helmut Wirth who was KIA and Uffz. Walther Stumpf who after being shot down landed safe together with one of the downed P-47 pilots, just behind the German lines.

When the USAAF P-47 pilots returned they filed claims for a total of six enemy fighters for an own loss of two P-47 and one force landed machine and two more with major combat damage.

Unteroffizier Fritz Hanusch is know to have claimed a total of three abschusse as a fighter pilot, his first, a Spitfire was filed on 23 August 1944, and two P-47 Thunderbolts, both from the 366 FG, the first one on 1 March and as the second, eight days later, on 9 March 1945.