Re: FW 200 in Lapland war
 

Is KG 200 either with Condors or Ju 290s a possibility for these attacks ?

Re: FW 200 in Lapland war
 

There are no Fw 200's mentioned in the Air Operations Watch reports for 30 September and 1 October 1944 (indicating that nothing showed up in ULTRA or Y-service intercepts).

I've seen ULTRAs mentioning stocks of Hs 293 at various places during 1944, especially as things fell apart in France, but I didn't keep notes of these and can't remember now if Norway was included.

Re: FW 200 in Lapland war
 

Hello!

My understanding is that there was 4 Hs 239s launched from 2 Fw 200s.

According this article in Finnish (which incorrectly claims Finnish AAA unit diaries do not mention the launching) one of the missiles exploded on land and one missile was found and destroyed in 1990's:

Ilmatorjunta -magazine (Anti Aircraft) 2/2016, page 28/64:
Precision bombs in Tornio 1944 by Ahti Lappi
https://asiakas.kotisivukone.com/fil...det/it0216.pdf

One can copy and paste the text on translator.


Cheers,
Kari

Re: FW 200 in Lapland war
 

Hello again!

Of the Fw 200 in North

According Hannu Valtonen's 1996 book Pohjoinen ilmasota ISBN 951-95688-4-0

III/KG 40 had 2 Fw 200 C-6 and 13 Fw 200 C-8 (and 20 Fw 200 other models) in 30.9.1944
So availability of Fw 200 missile carriers was not an issue.

According the book 8./KG 40 was turned to 4./TGr 20 only at the end of October 1944.

The book has photo of Fw 200 C-8 F8+HT at Kemi (Finland) and side profile of the same with date Kemi 7.9.1944.


For 6.10.1944 Valtonen quotes situation report (not digitized AFAIK) of Air Surveillance troops:

"... Klo 16.10-16.25 kaksi FW 200 -konetta laski kumpikin Torniossa ohjattavan pommin, joka sivuilta muistutti V-1:tä. Ilmatorjuntakonekivääri ja etäisyysmittari tuhoutuivat."

two FW 200 planes launched each steerable bomb which reminded V-1 from side. AA machine gun and range finder were destroyed.

Thus the number of Hs 239 is not clearly stated in the documents I have referred this far. May be two, may be four. The implication is more on the two in my opinion. Why only one per aircraft, I do not know. Perhaps there was no more and the planes came with the missiles from far away before the attack?

The type of the aircraft is not unclear. Fw 200s were in the area and two independent AAA unit diaries identify them. Lacking the German documents these are the best documentary evidence. Tornio is right on the Swedish border, so something could be found in the Riksarkivet?


Cheers,
Kari

Re: FW 200 in Lapland war
 

Thank you Kari I think you are right

Happy new year

Alain

Re: FW 200 in Lapland war
 

There is a bit of confusion still. 8./KG 40 would not have 35 aircraft on its establishment but III./KG 40 would have:

http://www.ww2.dk/oob/bestand/kampf/biiikg40.html

Capable of operations is another matter!. Some records state that 8./KG 40 became Transportfliegerstaffel Condor in November 1944 but as early as 11 Oct 44 were losses being recorded as this unit. It operated aircraft formerly from 7 & 8 Staffel. It did not become 4./TGr 20. Sonderkdo Condor was formed within 14./TG 4 in Jan 45 but operated in the Med. It appears that 7./KG 40 became non-operational in July/August 1944. Fascinating nonetheless

Re: FW 200 in Lapland war
 

Hello!

Perhaps I did write it confusingly. Of the III/KG 40 only 8. Staffel remained in Norway late October 1944. The Hs 239 attack took place early October.

Others were transferred as III/KG 40 was ordered 20.10.1944 to be equipped with Me 262. So early October all three Staffeln were in Norway according Valtonen's book. I edited my earlier message.

BTW Valtonen gives reference as BA-MA RL 2 III/733

Cheers,
Kari

Re: FW 200 in Lapland war
 

Hello Kari,

Thank you for sharing very interesting information!

The files BArch RL 2-III/733a and BArch RL 2-III/733b are volumes 61 and 62 of the 64-volume series of Luftwaffe strength reports at the German military archives in Freiburg. The order of 20 October 1944 will be contained within RL 2-III/733b.

May I contact you by e-mail?

Regards,

Dan

Re: FW 200 in Lapland war
 

There were four Hs-293 launched from two different Fw-200 Condors. One missle was not reached harbour area and exploded on the field about one kilometer from Röyttä harbour. Then may be the second missle from that plane who shot that mentioned above, the second missle hit in shallow water at the harbour coastline and was not exploded.

Possible the second Fw-200 shot following two missles which they were targeting to ships who were waiting little bit farther off from harbour. One was missed a ship and exploded in the sea and the other also missed other ship and went to sea without exploding.

There were some claims where the amount of the missles shot is little bit different in different sources. The fact that only two of four missles exploded may caused a confusion among witnessess? Some says two were shot, some says three and some four.

https://www.bildtagg.se/file/thumb/3...ck639n5r8dl2y5

Here is a photo little bit farther from Röyttä harbour taken three days earlier from that Hs-293 attack.

Re: FW 200 in Lapland war
 

A very interesting account, Lentomestari! The Finnish vessels were quite lucky, given that they did not have radio countermeasures against the glide bombs.

Regards,

Dan