Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

On a recent visit to Middle Wallop, I saw in an exhibition a painting of 238 Sqn Hurricanes attacking a mixed formation of He111 and Fw200 aircraft!

Was the Fw200 used in this way during the BoB or is this complete fiction?

See attached photo - if it attaches OK!

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

In this respect, total and utter fiction

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

Thanks Chris,

It makes you wonder why the artist, Edmund Miller, went to such trouble to paint a subject that's historically incorrect, and why the Museum of Army Flying show it!

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

Hello Larry
On a slightly different note, 238 Squadron during the Battle of Britain probably rate as one of the most un-photographed squadrons even though they served in the "fighting" zone throughout the Battle.
Whilst at Middle Wallop did you see many Squadron pictures from the summer of 1940?
I am especially interested in any with Sgt Eric Bann shown.

Look forward to your response

Jon

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

Page 34 in Wing Commander Mackenzie's excellent book "Huricane Combat"
mentions Bob Doe of 238 Squadron definatley spottng a FW200 in with some other Luftwaffe bombers, also in his book he claims it was later confirmed?
Looking at the date order of the book this looks to have been early october.

I am not saying it happened just that the artist could be forgiven as it was claimed by 238 Squadron on combat reports.

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

I recall at least one other reference to 4-engined German aircraft over Britain during the BoB, possibly in the letter column of a 60s Airfix magazine, but identified as a Ju.90.

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

Guys

Thanks for your replies. I'm sure the odd Fw 200 would have over flown the UK on occasions and what I have read this occured in areas around the Irish Sea - ie Northern Ireland and Liverpool area.

I'm sure we would have heard of it by now if Fw 200 aircraft of KG40 had joined formation attacks over Southern England by day or night.

BTW the codes on the Fw200 in the painting are B8+AV, though I could not get a match for a Fw200 unit!

I still think it is fiction.

BTW- Jon, there were not many photos I remember that showed 238 Sqn aircraft at Middle Wallop. Most I remember were of people or damage to the Station.

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

hi, yes and no, it was used by the atalantic shiping lanes and recon,but not as a land bomber,it was too large, and slow ,
gary,

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

Larry...

Couldn't find any reference to Condors being used in daylight raids during Battle of Britain, but thought you might be interested to know they were used on night missions during the last four days of August, 1940, against the Liverpool/Birkenhead area. This information is contained in German Aircraft of the Second World War by J R Smith & Anthony Kay (Putnam) on page 203 of the original A5-sized publication (as opposed to the more recent A4-sized reprint), and also in Kampfflieger Volume 2 - Bombers of the Luftwaffe July 1940 - December 1941 by J Richard Smith and Eddie J Creek (Classic Publications) on page 121, where I.Gruppe/Kampfgeschwader 40 is listed in the attacking force sent against Liverpool on 28 August, 1940.

Regards

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

If Chris Goss is correct when he says that Miller's depiction of FW200s participating with He.111s in a raid over England is 'total and utter fiction', we must assume that Bob Doe, the pilot who helped repulse that attack and who provided Miller with the details, must be either lying or mistaken. I tend to believe Doe. I don't suggest that such a combination was a regular occurrence - but Doe's claim suggests that it did happen at least once, which is what Miller's painting is telling us.

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

Bill,

You must remember that in the BoB the Luftwaffe were claiming radial engined Curtisses, and the RAF pilots were filing claims for the Heinkel 112 single engined fighter. Many times Bf 110s were mistaken for Do 17s, the Croydon raid of 15th August 1940 being one example of such misidentification. Mistakes in identity did occur. What needs to be done is to check whether the Fw 200 aircraft were assigned to operational units, and missions, over the UK in the first place, and from extant records when and where they flew. Without that base information, everything will be forever conjecture.

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

John,
I take what you say - but would you expect a seasoned BoB pilot to confuse a four-engine enemy aircraft with a twin-engine one - especially when he sees it from very close quarters? At that time, the Fw200 was a relatively rare daylight visitor to Britain's coast, let alone over land.
We all tend to remember the unusual more than we do the commonplace - and I suspect that in that regard Bob Doe was no different from the rest of us. In this particular instance, I suggest that we should not be quite so dismissive about an artist's conversation with a veteran.

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

Bill,

I agree with you. That's why I put in the last two sentences of my post. If 200s were deployed over the UK at any time during the BoB, then it is likely that records will exist of the unit, etc..

But it is equally true that misidentification did occur. And at closing speeds of probably 400 mph upwards, that is understandable.

Re: Fw 200 in the Battle of Britain
 

This question never looks like it will go away. Personally i think Bob Doe might have been mistaken, did any other 238 pilots see a FW200?
However i am also a believer that FW200's could have perhaps over flown coastal areas and perhaps dropped bombs, its just we need the evidence.