Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Can someone help with the following:

3 He 111 der II./KG. 27 (Start 22:12 - 22:40 Uhr)
Abgeworfen wurde:
00:09 Uhr westlich Birmingham 29 Taschen besonderer Art.
01:15 Uhr südostwärts Glasgow 29 Taschen besonderer Art.
00:45 Uhr bei Winchester 30 Taschen besonderer Art.
4 Taschen besonderer Art wurden angeleuchtet.

Specifically - what is being referred to as "Taschen besonderer
Art." and "Taschen besonderer Art wurden angeleuchtet".

Many thanks

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Bags of a special kind? Leaflets?

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Chris,

Many thanks - yes, I did wonder about leaflets.

Google Translate give back "bags of a special kind" and the other one comes out as "bags of a special kind were illuminated" ?

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Which is an accuate translation of the words, but doesn't explain what they mean in this context (pity!). I can't see why you'd light up/illuminate a packet, either. I'd have gone with packages of leaflets otherwise.

Then I wondered if it was something seen from the aircraft but in that case the numbers reported probably wouldn't be as consistent across three different locations (29, 29 and 30).

Tasche can also mean a pocket but that doesn't seem much help at the moment.

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

A late in the day drop of glow in the dark bags?

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Nick and Ed,

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions.

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Fascinating, this. The date range if fine for 'Last Appeal', and its abbreviation, and the Churchill 'Wanted' leaflet is around c 10-15 August I think. Psywar enthausiasts mention one other thing, though: occasional balloon launched leaflet finds at the time. Could those 4 Taschen be balloons? Not that you'd launch those from an aeroplane. But can 'angeleuchtet' mean fired up, or lit up, in he manner of a hot air balloon. Be interesting to see what the winds were doing that day.

Best
ChrisG

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Fascinating, indeed

Has anyone illustrations of the leaflets referred to - Churchill 'Wanted' and 'Last Appeal'? Genuine or facsimiles?

And were hot-air balloons really released to travel over UK? I've never heard of such measures - most interesting. More please! Any literature?

Stay safe
Brian

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Brian, try

Messages from the Sky Over Britain: The Fascinating Story of the Publicity and Propaganda Leaflets Disseminated Over Great Britain By Airship, Aeroplane, Balloon and Rocket, in Peacetime and in War
Auckland, R. G.; Moore, Keith B.
Published by The Psywar Society, Leeds (1998)
ISBN 10: 1873253095 ISBN 13: 9781873253090

I think there's one with AbeBooks just now

Best

ChrisG

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Also a little bit here with some details...

https://www.docdroid.net/xTTqmxp/col...ugust-2019-pdf

Best

ChrisG

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Chris Going,

Many thanks for the link and your thoughts on this.

I followed up on this and came across the following link on German Propaganda Balloons

The information also references parachute drops of leaflets -

"16. LEAFLET-CARRYING PARACHUTES

Prior to the use of balloons for this purpose, the Germans dropped leaflets by means of parachutes, the leaflets being carried in bundles and secured by a simple wire device which was broken open by a small explosive charge. It is possible this practice may be resumed."
I wonder if these are the "Taschen besonderer Art" from the Einzelmeldung.

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

That’s a useful piece on balloons. I’d not read that, I have to say. I think you’re right about the ‘Taschen besonderer Art’. In this context I think special parachute ‘packs’ is the best rendition. I guess local records offices will confirm leaflet finds.
On the topic of balloons, we can safely dump hot air as the balloons were closed envelopes. So, gas. Some refs in the docdroid leaflet to finds of balloons in East Anglia in October 1940. That’s local record office police files work unless there’s a collared file in TNA.
Stay well folks. Bout No 2 on the way.

ChrusG

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

I hate typos. But misspelling my Moniker is more annoying than most!
ChrisG

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Many thanks, guys, you've certainly opened my eyes to an area previously unknown to me.

Excellent

Stay safe
Brian

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Me too. I've just done a quick National Archives search for [all these words] "German Propaganda Leaflets" between 1939 and 1945. I got hits, for example, with KV 3/210 and KV 3/212 (which are MI5 files) as well as: AIR 20/4864 "German propaganda leaflet (July 1940)". There are others at the IWM, Army Medical Museum and several local archives.

On the IWM site there are many hits for a search for "Propaganda", applying filters for "Second World War" and "Souvenirs & Ephemera" — not many have preview images unfortunately.

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

That’s what I like about this site. You never know what you’re going to discover next.
The Essex Regiment Museum at Chelmsford has an original ‘Last appeal’ leaflet, and I think they also have a Churchill ‘Wanted’ one. Saw them there years ago.

Best
ChrisG

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

The Churchill leaflet:

https://www.peterharrington.co.uk/bl...n-s-churchill/

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Thanks Ed.

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

You're welcome Andy.

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Yes, Ed, many thanks for the details.

Stay safe

Brian

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

You're welcome Brian.

Stay well,
Ed

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Thanks, ChrisG, for providing so many leads.

We now know that M Balloon Unit was the main organisation this side of the Channel, but what was the German equivalent? And what do we know about this unit? I'm sure one or more of our experts will have some information.

Great stuff!

Stay safe
Brian

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Re the Parachute leaflet drop thing. I think, coincidentally, that we we have some strong ground evidence that on this night leaflets were dropped by parachute.

I have a reference to an Icelandic News leaflet The Daily Post, (Tölublað) dated August 15th 1940 (cost: 10 aurar) It’s a two column affair, 4 pages long.

Anyway, on the front page is the following:

Extensive manhunt in Britain.
London. Today. Troops in armoured cars, home guards and planes were engaged yesterday in an extensive search for German parachutists yesterday (sic), in the Midlands and the south west of Scotland, after about 30 parachutes had been found, most of them in the Midlands. No reports of captured parachutists have come in and in some quarters it is believed, that the parachutes were dropped empty, for the purpose of disturbing the people of Britain.

No mention of leaflets, but the fact that the reference is to about 30 parachutes chimes well with the Taschen numbers (29, 30).

So, I think we have here a link with the Einzelmeldung, and also, the kernel of the rumours of groups of German Parachutists dressed as Nuns or Vicars, or what knot, at large in the UK in the summer of 1940.

Lock-down fun, eh?

best

ChrisG

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Personally I like Ed West's 'Late in the day drop of glow in the dark bags' it has a kind of inspired lunacy about it which appeals to my warped sense of humour.

Best

ChrisG

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Chris,

Very interesting read. How did you manage to find this?

Many thanks

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Here you are

https://timarit.is/page/4644508#page/n0/mode/2up

Best

ChrisG

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

Chris,

Thanks for the link.

There was me thinking that it would be in Icelandic.....hence my curiosity as to how you came across this article.

Interesting article on page 3 - appears the RAF were bombing "Fagtories" in Milan - classic typo for a headline.

All the best

Re: Einzelmeldung Nr 3 vom 14.8.1940 (Luftflotte 3)
 

I assume that with c 1000 UK forces personnel on the island at the time, the Daily Post was primarily aimed at them. The story was immediately swamped by Eagle Day reports, and dropped from sight.

Mass Observation Reports from the time would certainly produce something. MOI records (wherever they are.

Best

ChrisG