Re: What German bombers were used against Hinckley, Leicestershire
 

No idea - if there's a moderator's operating manual, I've never seen it - but since he's now passed the magic five approvals there shouldn't be a problem.

Re: What German bombers were used against Hinckley, Leicestershire
 

Earliest aircraft over the target was 0015 hrs; latest 0320 hrs. As to numbers I will have to get the document, open it up, find the date and count the aircraft numbers! BTW Ac=aircraft

Re: What German bombers were used against Hinckley, Leicestershire
 

I do have the TO times for the 75 aircraft tasked. Four aircraft were lost two of which came down on land-one came down at Plymtree at 0012 hrs on the way to the target, another at Worthing at 0002 hrs on the way in

Re: What German bombers were used against Hinckley, Leicestershire
 

Thank you very much for this, the aircraft numbers/amount would be great, it does sound like they were all bound for Birmingham but some had a navigation issue and some of the formations ended mistaking Nuneaton for Birmingham.

Do you think they would have taken different flight paths to Birmingham or a direct route form the airfield that they took of from. It am trying to picture what group of JU88s/HE111 would have bombed Hinckley.

Re: What German bombers were used against Hinckley, Leicestershire
 

I gave you the aircraft numbers-75. Maybe the Knickebein beams used for target were slightly off-weather could have been a factor. It looks as if there were a number of routes in to the target hence the losses at Worthing & Plymtree. Targets were within Birmingham no mention of anywhere else.

Re: What German bombers were used against Hinckley, Leicestershire
 

75 aircraft don’t seem to be very many considering they have come from 9 different airfields across France. Would this have been normal for May 1941?

Re: What German bombers were used against Hinckley, Leicestershire
 

This is what the Luftwaffe reported the day after the operation. So the answer is yes

Re: What German bombers were used against Hinckley, Leicestershire
 

Hi Graham,

From Luftwaffe Lagebericht Nr. 616:

From 00:45 to 03:57 111 bombers attacked industrial targets in Birmingham from altitudes between 1,900 and 6,500 metres, dropping the following bomb types: 62 SC 1000, 20 SC 500, 158 SC 250, 24 SD 250, 14 Flambo 250, 2 LZZ 250, 92 SC 50, 134 SD 50 and 27 Bomben B, and also 2,076 Brandbomben.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

Re: What German bombers were used against Hinckley, Leicestershire
 

What Andrew is quoting obviously includes Luftflotte 2; my report refers just to Luftflotte 3

Re: What German bombers were used against Hinckley, Leicestershire
 

Thanks guys,

Where would the bombers from Luftflotte 2 have flown from, would there have been any losses?

Where these bomber have been HE111 and JU88?