1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Hi gents!

I am trying to find all possible info about action, wich took place at ~5:30-5:45 over Dunkirk.

As far I I've found, a number of Bf110C (12? report of Sgt. Potter of 19 Sqdn) of I./ZG1 appear as a fighter sweep over Dunkirk, and then came some Bf109E's of I./JG26.

They met Spitfires of 19, 222 and 616 Sqdn. Aircombat resulted:

Spitfire Mk.I, K9836, 19 Sqdn, Sgt.J.A.Potter, damaged by Bf110 fire and ditched on Channel at 5:30. A/c lost, pilot resqued.
Spitfire Mk.I, P9377, ZD*U write-off, 222 Sqdn, P/O L.Morant unhurt, a/c fired by pilot after forcelanding at Bray-Dunes at 5:30.
Spitfire Mk.I, P9317, ZD*A write-off, 222 Sqdn, P/O Falkust captured after forcelanding at Le Toquet at 5:40
Spitfire Mk.I, P9339, ZD*J write-off, 222 Sqdn, P/O Massey-Sharp killed, failed to return from combat with Bf109 of I./JG26 and Bf110 of I./ZG1. Beleived to be crashed at Pihen-les-Guines at 5:40. Possibly one wich collided with Bf110C of Oblt. Moeller of 2./ZG1.
Spitfire Mk.I, N3232, 222 Sqdn, Sgt. White killed when shot down at 5:35 over Dunkirk, possibly a victim of Uffz. Wolf of 3./JG26.
Spitfire Mk.I, 616 Sqdn, shot down and ditched into Channel at 5:45, beleived to be a victim of Oblt. Losigkeit of 2./JG26. Pilot F/O Bell resqued, a/c lost.
Spitfire Mk.I, 616 Sqdn, crashlanded at Rochester out of fuel following combat with I./JG26 (and with I./ZG1?). P/O Holden beleived unhurt, a/c damaged but repairable.

Bf109E-3, I./JG26, shot down by Spitfires of 19, 222 and 616 Sqdn over Dunkirk at 5:45, pilot unhurt, a/c write-off.
Bf109E-1, 3./JG26, shot down by Spitfires of 19, 222 and 616 Sqdn over Dunkirk and crashed at Pervijze at 5:45, Lt. S.Gruel killed, a/c write-off.
Bf109E-3, 3./JG26, shot down by Spitfires of 19, 222 and 616 Sqdn over Dunkirk and crashlanded near Furnes at 5:45, Oblt. R. Germeroth wounded, a/c a write-off.
Bf110C, 1./ZG1, shot down in combat with Spitfires of 19 and 222 Sqdn over Nieuport and crashed alongside a road from Koksijde to Oostdunkirke at 5:30. Beleived to be a victim of P/O Sinclair of 19 Sqdn. Pilot Fw. Donsing unhurt, b/f Uffz. Rotz killed. A/c a write-off.
Bf110C, 1./ZG1, shot up in combat with Spitfires of 19 and 222 Sqdn over Dunkirk at 5:30, pilot unhurt, b/f Uffz. Richter slightly wounded. A/c damaged but repairable.
Bf110C, 2./ZG1, collided in head-on with Spitfire of 222 Sqdn losing starboard wing and crashed. Oblt. J. Moeller and Uffz. Schieferstein bailed out and captured unhurt. A/c a write-off.
Bf110C, 3./ZG1, shot down in combat with Spitfires of 19 and 222 Sqdn at 5:30, Uffz. R.Mueller and Uffz. Dietch killed, a/c a write-off.

I have no details on RAF pilots claims.

But about Luftwaffe I have following:
Uffz. Heinz Wolf of 3./JG 26 claimed Spitfire over Dunkirk at 5:36 (conf.)
Oblt. Fritz Losigkeit of 2./JG26 claimed Spitfire over Dunkirk at 5:40 (conf.)
Lt. Eduard Tratt of 3./ZG1 claimed Spitfire over Dunkirk at 5:45 (conf.)
Lt. Eduard Tratt of 3./ZG1 claimed Spitfire over Dunkirk at 5:45 (conf.)

I have no additional info about claims of other I./ZG1 pilots, but anyway Gruppe lost two of its successfull pilots - Mueller and Moeller.

Does anybody have any additional info on that fight? Any RAF reports and claims? Any additional Luftwaffe claims?

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

I have Moeller's account

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Not sure what you are after - but do you have the detailed account of Jack Potter? I can post it if you wish. Also have his goggles (broken!) that he was wearing when shot down in this incident.

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Evgeny,
Fw. Donsing of 1./ZG 1 is probably Fw. Fritz Duensing (+ 5/10/40 with 1./Erpr. Gr. 210)

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Thx for replyes gents.

Chris - would be nice to see it.

Andy - it is published in "Battle of France"Then and Now". But if You have more detailed...

John - Yes, very possible. It must be a mistake in my files.

Any info about RAF claims? And Other I./ZG1 claims?

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Hello Evgeny,

The RAF claims in this encounter were as follows:

19 Squadron:
F/L B.J.E. Lane Bf 109 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
F/L B.J.E. Lane Bf 109 unconf Dunkirk 05.40
F/S G.C. Unwin Bf 109 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
F/S G.C. Unwin Bf 109 unconf Dunkirk 05.40
F/L W.G. Clouston Bf 109 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
F/L W.G. Clouston Bf 109 shared destroyed (with Steere) Dunkirk 05.40
F/S H. Steere Bf 109 shared destroyed (with Clouston) Dunkirk 05.40
F/O G.L. Sinclair Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
F/O G.L. Sinclair Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
P/O H.C. Baker Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
Sgt B.J. Jennings Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
Sgt B.J. Jennings Bf 110 unconf Dunkirk 05.40
P/O L.A. Haines Bf 109 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40

222 Squadron
S/L H.W. Mermagen Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk dawn
F/L A.I. Robinson Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk dawn
P/O T.A. Vigors Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk dawn
Sgt S. Baxter Bf 110 unconf Dunkirk dawn
F/L D.R.S. Bader Bf 109 destroyed Dunkirk dawn
3 pilots of 222 Squadron shared a destruction of a He 111, time not recorded

616 Squadron made no claims early in the morning, all their claims were made at 08.25 hrs.

Source: J. Foreman, RAF Fighter Command Victory Claims of World War 2, Part 1, 1939-1940

Hope this helps,

Ota

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Ota - THX a lot!

Ahhh AMZING! What a overclaim :)

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Just for everyone's edification, Spitfire I P9317 of 222 Squadron flown by PO Falkhurst was the first RAF spitfire captured in flyable condition.He apparently landed wheels down. There was a picture in an Expired E-Bay auction of this airplane after capture.

Carlos

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Yep, and a photo of that a/c was published in "BoF:Then and Now".

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=24
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=24
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=24
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=24
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=24
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=24

Found some reports of those claims. Not for free :)

Is it known, how many Spits were encountered in this combat in each Sqdn? I doubt it was not 3 x 12 a/c...

Also, in "Reach for the sky : the story of Douglas Bader" by Paul Brickhill there is a short details about that early morning mission, when Bader did shot his first german.
According a story:
Squadron of Spitfires flew to Dunkerk (no info - were there any other Sqdn's - 19 and 616), then they saw 12 Bf110's (same as Sgt. Potter of 19 Sqdn reported). Bf110's turned and run away from Dunkirk, and 222 Sqdn. chased them. Then appeared 4 Bf109's (probably from I./JG26), and Bader claimed one of them. Then he saw a spinning Bf110 without tail section. Then he returned to bace. There is a note: two Spitfires missed (in fact 4 of them failed to return).

Are there any other detailed descriptions of that combat?

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Also, in addition:

Several Bf109's of II.(J)/Tr.Gr.186 participated in action, loosing 1 Bf109 without any claims:

01.06.40 Oblt. Otto Hintze 4./186 Luftkampf, Notlandung bei Dünkirchen, ?% Bf109E ? unverl.

Is it known how many Bf109 Of TragerGruppe flew on that mission?

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Otto Hintze always maintained to me that he was shot down by his over zealous wingman. Upon seeing enemy aircraft, and heading towards them, he said his wingman opened fire at too great a distance and managed to hit his Bf 109 and shoot him down. He was not best pleased about it at all. And that's putting it mildly!!! He said at the time of his baling out, his Staffel was not being attacked by any allied aircraft - they were heading towards them.

That's what the man told me.

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Thank You John, interesting recall. Does that mean, that Tr.Gr.186 didnt enter that fight? And what was a name of that unlucky wingman? ;)

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Gents:

Does I./ZG1 had any other claims (exclude those of Lt.Tratt) on that morning?