Re: 30/31/5/1944 Last Bombs to fall on Britain
 

So, if the bombs hit Falmouth just after midnight on 30 May 1944, doesn't that mean that the raid took place during the night 29/30 May?

The police diary should give complete date and times, to confirm the date.

No, I./KG 6 did not lose any a/c. There were nothing in either book on numbers of a/c from the mentioned units, employed in the attack. You have the complete narrative from the KG 2 book, and are missing only a narrative on the evening's activities by the crew of one of the bombers.

Re: 30/31/5/1944 Last Bombs to fall on Britain
 

Hello George & Laurent,

George,
The date given as just after midnight on the 30th could equally have meant in the early hours of the 31st but I accept the date as the 30th to mean the early hours of the 30th.
Laurent,
I do not know if the US Serviceman/woman was Army,Navy or Air force or Marine. I will look at the ABMC.

Thank you Both,
Alex

Re: 30/31/5/1944 Last Bombs to fall on Britain
 

A number of Wrens were reported as killed/injured when one of the Hotels where they were billeted was hit.

At 0040hrs on the 30th F/O Kneath with W/O Kelsey in a Mosquito of 151 Sqd. claimed a He.111 shot down into the sea 10 miles south of Falmouth.
On 14th July 1944 the body of Uffz. Erich Schwartz was found in the sea 12 miles soth of the I.O.W.

Re: 30/31/5/1944 Last Bombs to fall on Britain
 

Thanks for the note, Brian. Should I assume that IOW is "Isle of Wight"? If so, our airman drifted quite a distance. It also means that the Ju 88 got out to sea, before ditching. Which, I guess is understood, since no wreckage is mentioned in "The Blitz Now and Then, vol. 3."

Thanks again,
George

Re: 30/31/5/1944 Last Bombs to fall on Britain
 

Yes IOW is the Isle of Wight, I am not up on tides etc. but I would not have thought impossible for the airman to drift some 120 miles in over 40 days. perhaps someone with the right knowledge could advise.

The combat report states ' Port engine of the He.111 blew up and the aircraft dived steeply, emitting flames and debris, hitting the sea in a large explosion.'
Hope this is of some help.

Re: 30/31/5/1944 Last Bombs to fall on Britain
 

Hello ALL,


Thank you for these interesting additions .

Uffz Erich Schwartz was one of the crew from the JU88 of 5/KG6.

It would seem that RAF crews were claiming several a/c as He111's when in fact they were Ju88's. Just bad recognition or perhaps these were at night and the advisary was twin engined.

Or was this the second aircraft said to have been shot down ? as see my earlier post, two Ju88's were claimed as being shot down.

Were He111's involved in the raid ? If so from which unit ?

Chris, I sent you private mail .

Looking forward to more on this story.

Alex

I/KG66 night 29/30 May 1944
 

Hi Alex,

From my own sources at least 1 Ju 188 of the Pathfinder unit I/KG66 was active as a "Beleuchter" over Falmouth.

Take off: 22:10 hrs on the 29th of May 1944 from Montdidier airfield.
Landing: 3:05 hrs on the 30th of May at Montdidier.

All times are iaw German time.

I/KG66 suffered no losses on this raid to my knowledge.

HTH,

Marcel

Re: 30/31/5/1944 Last Bombs to fall on Britain
 

Hello Alex,

I dont believe He 111's took part in the Steinbock attacks, not attacking Britain in 1944 untill the Air-launched V1 raids. If I remember correctly the German history of KG 55 lists a He 111 and crew missing at the end of May at Fastner wherever that is, but the aircraft was from 1V/KG 55.
To return to 29/30th May I thought there was only the loss of the Ju 88 of 5/KG 6 claimed as a He 111 by F/O Kneath. Following shooting down the enemy aircraft he was then vectored onto a slow flying bogey which turned out to be a Swordfish ( which he did not attack)
For the previous nights (28/29th) attack on Torquay I have the following :
1. A Mosquito crew claimed a Ju 188 and a Do 217 which unfortunately turned out to be Wellingstons of 82 OTU returning from a Nickel raid to Nantes.As they returned they were engaged by AA and the Mosquito both crashing with nine aircrew killed. Bomber Command Losses vol. 7 only refers to them being hit by AA. The Mosquito Squadron Record Book refers to a Court of Inquiry but I did get a copy.
2. W/C Wight-Boycott with F/L reid of 25 Sqd. claimed a Me 410 of Happisburgh, probaly 9K+KP of 6/KG 51 crew of Fw. Dietrich missing.
3.A 68 Sqd. crew claimed a Ju188 off Dartmouth, but the combat report is notated as ' Disallowed in findings of Court of Inquiry'. However 2/KG 6 reported the loss of a Ju 188 A2 crew of Hpt. Lissat missing.
On the 29th May two Me 410's of 5/KG 51 collided on take off from Gilze-Rijen with one crew killed and the other injured, non-operational flight.
On 30th May Ju188 A6+RH failed to return from a mission to Scapa Flow.
I dont know if any of the above fits in with the second loss you originally referred to, so I hope this lot is of some help.