Re: Russian use of Handley Page Hampdens
 

Hello Paul
thanks for the summary of the Hampden achievements from Morozov's book.
It is also my impression that Leesee was the only success of the VVS SF Hampdens even if according to Hans Jürgen WITTHÖFT’s Die deutsche Handelsflotte 1939 – 1945. Band II (1971) it was sunk by bombs. I forgot to mention that the map in the RAAF in WWII Ch11 War at Sea Jan-Sept 42 p. 296 shows also the search patterns of the Catalinas of the 210 Sqn from 11th to 18th Sept 42.

Juha

Re: Russian use of Handley Page Hampdens
 

Hello Juha,

I can translate the description of the sinking of the Leesee, it is fairly definitive. Miroslav Morozov's book was published in 2011, so it has the advantage of 40 years of accumulated additional research over the Handelsflotte book.

The digitised Australian official histories are an interesting reference source, here is a link to the volume that you mentioned - https://www.awm.gov.au/histories/sec...HWW2/Air/Vol3/

I have found quite a bit of information about RAF Catalina operations related to convoy PQ 18, links are listed below for reference:

The Norwegian Catalina Mk.III FP525 (RAF Sqdn 330/Z, pilot Lt C.J.A. Stansburg) was shot down – this was not directly related to Catalina operations in Russia
http://uboat.net/boats/patrols/patrol_1699.html

U-255 was heavily damaged by a 210 Squadron Catalina flown by Norm Langdon on 23 September
http://uboat.net/boats/u255.htm

Obituary for Les Langdon, Catalina pilot in the Pacific and Norm Langdon's brother
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/obitua...423-zqy2i.html

Military service details of 210 Squadron Catalina pilot F/Lt Dennis Edward Healy DSO
http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/07732.php

Mention of Healy's success against a He 111 earlier in 1942, as well as his death in air combat in September. The crew shot down the reconnaisance Ju 88D-1 which attacked them.
http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/adventdalen.html

Obituary for Flight Lieutenant Ernest Schofield, Healy's navigator
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obit...Schofield.html

Book about the operations, co-written by Schofield and Roy Nesbit
Arctic Airmen: The RAF in Spitsbergen and North Russia, 1942 by Ernest Schofield, Roy Conyers Nesbit

Obituary for Air Commodore Jack Holmes, another pilot who served with 210 Squadron during Operation Orator
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obit...-obituary.html

Book about the convoy, PQ 18
Arctic victory: the story of convoy PQ 18 by Peter C. Smith

Book which mentions later operations in 1943
Catalina over Arctic Oceans: Anti-Submarine and Rescue Flying in World War II by John French

Regards,

Paul

Re: Russian use of Handley Page Hampdens
 

Hello Paul
Thanks for the interesting links and sources. The translation of the description of the sinking of the Leesee by Morozov would be nice.
I'm familiar with the Healy's story and his tragic end. Partly because of Bjørn HAFSTEN et al. Flyalarm Luftkrigen over Norge 1939 – 1945 (1991) , which had description of the Spitzbergen op and Healy's last flight. It is a good source on the airwar over and off Norway given also info on the Soviet actions. Only Norwegian text made regrettably its use difficult for most of us.

Juha

Re: Russian use of Handley Page Hampdens
 

Hello Juha,

You are welcome. I will translate the Morozov extract this weekend, whenI should have a moment to focus on it. Even though I have no knowledge of Norwegian, I will try to take a look at the book you mentioned when I can. It is available at 4 or more national libraries in Europe, so that will be easier than I expected!

Healy's story, as well as that of the Langdon brothers, is quite extraordinary. These stories emphasise how great a share of the burden of that war was carried by 'the few', whether flying fighters or other aircraft. The casualty rates that they suffered are also astonishing. So many of them, like Adrian Warburton and Healy, seem to have been exposed to danger more frequently than almost any other participants in the war.

I have finally found some information on the Russian part of the Catalina's Arctic operations. These Russian-language links have malfunctioned in this post, again, but pasting them into the browser search box will work normally:

Review of the Catalina's service in the USSR
http://www.almanacwhf.ru/index.php?o...=article&id=27

Transfer flights of Catalinas to the USSR in 1944
arh.mk.ru/article/2013/07/24/890618-mezhdu-nebom-i-morem.html

Catalinas on Novaya Zemlya in 1944
belushka.ru/site/istoriya-novoj-zemli/147-aviatsiya-novozemelskoj-bazy

Catalina activities on the White Sea in 1944
www.polarpost.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=622

Photograph of PBN-1 Nomad in service with 118 ORAP of the Northern Fleet
waralbum.ru/21393/

Strength of the aviation of the Soviet Northern Fleet at various dates during the war
blockhaus.ru/forum/topic/22924-nemnogo-o-morskih-konvojah-i-murmanske/page-13#entry251912

Modification of Soviet Catalinas with ASh-82FN engines after the war - the modified aircraft were renamed KM-2
alternathistory.org.ua/ispytano-v-sssr-vtoroe-dykhanie-kataliny

Regards,

Paul

Re: Russian use of Handley Page Hampdens
 

I had time earlier than I had expected, so here is the extract from Miroslav Morozov's book, concerning the sinking of the 'Leesee'. I have preserved the author's choice of words and style, as far as possible. It looks like this unique Soviet success was achieved primarily as a result of the courageous actions of Kapitan Kiselev and his crew, as opposed to the efforts of the Soviet air force command:

"The next large battle involving a convoy occurred on 25 April. At 10.55 on that day 5 torpedo-bombers escorted by 6 Pe-3s took-off on a mission to carry out a torpedo attack on a convoy which had been observed in the Gamvik area. The torpedo-bombers were led by Kapitan Kiselev, the Pe-3s by Kapitan Syrovatko. At 11.50 the group was ordered via radio to attack a different convoy, in the area of Kongs-fjord. At approximately this time, the convoy was unsuccessfully attacked by the submarine S-101. The convoy, which, according to the Soviet version of events, consisted of two groups (the first – 3 transports, 12 escorts, the second – 1 transport, 2 escorts), was observed by the strike group at 12.56. Two Bf 110s and 1 He 115 (in reality, a BV 138) were seen above the convoy.
On Kapitan Kiselev’s signal, the Pe-3 approached the convoy at maximum speed and attacked the enemy fighters. The torpedo-bombers attacked from the direction of the open sea, initially choosing the smaller group of ships as their target. However, the group leader then changed his changed his decision and led his aircraft between the shoreline and the convoy, with the intention of attacking the larger group of ships from the direction of the shore. This manoeuvre was not understood by all pilots. Starshina Mart’yanov decided of his own accord to launch his torpedo against the transport that had been the initial target of the attack. Starshiy serzhant Gutorov also did not follow the leader and attacked a patrol vessel instead. The three torpedo-bombers which had retained their torpedoes attacked the following targets: Kiselev – a transport, his two wingmen – (Starshiy Leytenant Zaychenko and Mladshiy Leytenant Makridin) – a minesweeper. The source of the leader’s error was that, having made the correct decision, he conducted the manoeuvre in view of the ships and the shore batteries, thereby exposing himself to heavy fire. Nevertheless, as a result of the uncoordinated actions of the strike group pilots the escort ships were forced to divide their fire, which considerably decreased its effectiveness. The AA gunners could not prevent the Soviet aviators from approaching within a minimal distance of the ships. The steamer 'Leesee' (2624 grt; was transporting 3622 tonnes of coal for the German XIX Mountain Corps in Petsamo)* appeared right in front of Kiselev’s torpedo-bomber, who dropped his weapon from a distance of just 300 m. The vessel, which was enroute to Kirkenes, was hit and sank within 6 minutes. 3 German sailors were killed. Unfortunately, Kiselev was destined not to have the opportunity to celebrate his victory – while disengaging his Hampden was essentially turned into a sieve by the fire of the outer line of escort ships and crashed into the sea. Its entire crew was killed. Kapitan Kiselev Vasiliy Nikolaevich and his navigator, Starshiy Leytenant Pokalo Mikhail Fedorovich, were both awarded the title Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously. The remaining torpedo-bombers descended to 10-15 m and disengaged in different directions. Enemy fighters, in spite of their numerical inferiority, attempted to pursue. At the critical moment, the Pe-3s of Kapitan Syrovatko and Starshiy Leytenant Kolontay essentially shielded the torpedo-bombers with their ‘bodies’. As a result, both Pe-3s were shot down by the enemy with impunity. The only achievement of the escorting Pe-3s was light damage to the BV 138 flying boat at the beginning of the battle, with one of the flying boat crewmen sustaining wounds.

*Footnote – the War Diary of Admiral Norwegen noted that, in view of the average monthly coal consumption in Petsamo of 200 tonnes, the cargo lost with the Leesee would have lasted 18 months"

Regards,

Paul

Re: Russian use of Handley Page Hampdens
 

Thanks a lot, Paul!
Very interesting. I have only one question, have you info from German sources on the size of the main convoy? 12 escorts for 3 ships seems a bit high for a North Norway convoy in that stage of the war when compared what I know on those convoys. I admit that my knowledge on this is limited and much depend on what the ships were carrying. According to Jürgen Rohwer's and Gerhard Hümmelchen's Chronik des Seekrieges 1939-1945, see http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/43-04.htm, Leesee was escorted only by UJ 1207. The report of the Finnish AF liaison-officer at the HQ of the Lfl 5 doesn't give the composition of the convoy neither Flyalarm but the latter says that the convoy attacked on 14 April consisted of three ships escorted by eight Vps and UJs. According to Valtonen's Pohjoinen Ilmasota: Suomeen liittyvät sotatoimet syksystä 1944 kevääseen 1945 (1996) the convoy La 135 Ki which sailed 24 - 25 Sept 1944 to Kirkenes consisted of one 1,975 BRT steamship and a repair barge escorted by three Vps. And the convoy against which VVS SF attacked on 16 Oct 1944 consisted 4 ships and 3 cutters escorted by 4 minesweepers, 3 Vps and 7 R-boats and behind the convoy proper sailed one Vp towing a MFP protected by two R-boats. And these convoys sailed in the later part of 1944 when VVS SF was much more powerful than in early 1943.

Very much appreciated
Juha

Re: Russian use of Handley Page Hampdens
 

You are welcome, Juha!

I don't have information from German sources, but Morozov's book lists the convoy's composition as follows:
Transports Leesee, Neukuhren, Rauenthaler; Tanker Hermann Andersen; Minesweepers M 343, M 381; Patrol boats V 6109, V 5902, V 5907, NKi 10, NKi 11; Submarine chasers Uj 1207, Uj 1208

In my opinion, that constitutes a fairly large escort force, considering there were only 5 Hampdens and some of these were flown by inexperienced crews. It should be noted that the German navy defended its Arctic convoys quite succesfully for the duration of hostilities, so the heavy escort proved its worth. The escort forces for German convoys in Western Europe were much larger, but they also faced a much more experienced and well-equipped enemy in the strike wings.

Did you consult the reports of the Finnish AF liasion officer in the archives? I wonder whether these contain any information on German ship losses. Morozov's book does not cover attacks by aircraft other than torpedo-bombers, or indeed by other Soviet forces.

Regards,

Paul

Re: Russian use of Handley Page Hampdens
 

Thanks a lot again for your informative answer. So if it is true that only UJ 1207 escorted Leesee the other 3 ships had 8 escort vessels and the 3:8 relation is the same as that of the convoy attacked on 14 April.

Yes, I consulted the reports of the Finnish AF liasion officer in our then War Archives, now part of our National Archives. That was several years ago, but Leesee was mentioned in the report of that week. I took photos on all reports I came across, the dossiers were somewhat disorganized (between reports there were misplaced other interesting papers) but I can go through them if you want, are you interested in some special periods or the whole war period, I seems to have at least the periods 220741-271242 and 1943.

Juha

Re: Russian use of Handley Page Hampdens
 

You are welcome, as always. I cannot say anything definitive regarding the escorts, because I only have this one book as a source, but the text I translated would suggest that Leesee was part of the main body of the convoy, not the laggard ship which may have been escorted by Uj 1207 alone.

These Finnish reports are very interesting, I have sent you a private message describing how they may relate to the research that I am doing.

Paul