15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

Hello,

On 15/16 April 1941 John "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham was to have his most successful night, shooting down three He 111s.

One of them was the He 111P-2 WrNr 2857 "G1 + ES" of 8./KG55.

Any idea about the others two ?
The damaged He 111P-2 WrNr 2832 "G1 + DS" of 8./KG55 piloted by Uffz Walter Költzsch is one of these ?

Thanks in advance

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

The initial signal on these combats state first one came down on land at Southampton, second two were last seen going down vertically. Cosme Gomm also claimed two. A number of He 111s returned damaged but only two actually failed to return. 5 claimed destroyed but only two from KG 55 lost

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

Hello,

Gomm shot down a Ju 88A-5 (4280 "B3 + DC") of Stab II./KG 54 and a He 111P-4 of StabII./KG 55 (3094 "GI + AC")

Also, Uffz Walter Költzsch remained at the controls of his damaged He 111P-2 WrNr 2832 "G1 + DS" of 8./KG55 , returning to Caen France. The incident took place over Gloucestershire (Cunningham engaged a He 111 over Monmouthshire - The distance between Gloucester and Monmouth is 21 miles) when he was attacked by a night fighter, and ordered the crew to bail out.
Remaining crew (POW): Gefr Hubert Häffner (B), Uffz Herbert Czaplinski (Bf), Ogefr Heinrich Schmidt (Bm)

If I am not wrong I believe that He 111P-2 WrNr 2832 "G1 + DS" of 8./KG55 damaged by Cunningham.

Regards
George

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

I have Fw Fritz Költsch (some records say Ofw) being damaged by Flak attacking Belfast and after 3 crew baled out, it crash-landed at Villacoublay with 35% damage? This was a very busy night with German bombers all over the place. The Belfast attackers noted heavy Flak but one night fighter (no attack), returning crews reporting being attacked by night fighters north and south of Birmingham, west of Bristol and south of Portland with no damage. The Villacoublay incident was not even mentioned

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

George, good afternoon.

What are you looking for more precisely?

As Gomm's biographer (at least one amongst several), I do have quite a lot of his side of the story.

https://clubedeautores.com.br/livro/...dfc-um-tributo

Are you looking particularly for Cunningham's claims, or general LW losses into your area in England?

Adriano

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

Adriano: Luftwaffe losses that night were a Ju 88 (Gomm's) and two He 111s over this part of UK 2 with Gomm and Cunningham claiming 5 between themselves. The difficulty is we know who Gomm got and one of Cunningham's but who were the other two he claimed as destroyed that night. Luftwaffe records do not throw any light on this

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

Losses for the night 15/16 April are given in this situation report: https://wwii.germandocsinrussia.org/...inspect/zoom/5

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

Exactly that is my problem as Mr Goss said.
From Kracker database the He 111P-2 "G1 + DS" mentioned as 2832 and not 2812 and that '' the incident took place over Gloucestershire when he was attacked by a night fighter''

Also, Mr Baumgartner I am interested to know more about Cunningham's claims.

Many thanks for the report Mr Beale

Regards
George

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

Kracker is a useful tool but contains errors and assumptions which is understandable due to its size

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

George,
Some info about his claims can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C...m_(RAF_officer)

There are other sources as well and you certainly have read his Combat Reports, at NARA KEW (Files AIR 50)

I acquired this book, believing to find more about his wartime and combat claims as well, but was disapointed. > Golley, John (1999). John "Cat's-Eyes" Cunningham: The Aviation Legend. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84037-059-1.

However, you may know or have read his RO or Navigator's memoirs:
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...-srp1-_-title1

As FILE AIR 27 confirm, Gomm was the first to take-off on the night you are researching. On that particular night, I also only managed to find G1+ES being credited to Cunningham's crew.

A.

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

The 3 crew that baled out were captured in the Lydney/Coleford area around 2255hrs according to the K report. Cunningham's claims were 0200, 0235, 0240 hrs according to Foreman's books but these are wrong. He first took off at 2030 hrs, landing 2330hrs claiming a He 111 destroyed near Monmouth at 2255hrs (did not see it crash) so this is now a possibility. He then took off again at 0110hrs landing 0325 hrs claiming a He 111 over Southampton at 0143 hrs and south of Lymington at 0235hrs (did not see the latter crash). According to the book on KG 55, Wk Nr was 2812

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

Good morning,

I am very glad.

Now, the third one that crashed south of Lymington (Cunningham did not see the crash). :)

We don’t have a crash site S off Lymington so I assume that the He111 returned to France damaged or its another ac that Cunningham misidentified (probably from Aufklärungsgruppe ObdL)

Regards
George

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

Note I say possibility. The Aufkl.Ob.dL loss was a Do 215 not a He 111 and is unlikely it was operating at night. Its cause for loss is not known.

As to other aircrfat damaged you can discount III./KG 40 (convoy attacks). a III./KG 27 He 111 crash-landed at Orleans suffering 35% damage, another suffered 40% damage due to technical problem while one from 6./KG 27 landed at Caen 0327hrs having been damaged by a night fighter. I wonder if this was Cunningham's 3rd success? No damage just a wounded crewman and shot out port engine

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

Yes I know it . Possibility is better than nothing.

The last one you mention it is the He 111H-2 "1G + HP" of 6/KG27, piloted by Oblt Josef Hülsmann suffered engine damage by a British night fighter and belly landed in shallow water in the vicinity of Caen-Carpiquet ??? Uffz. Karl Maron (Bm) WIA

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

Caen-Carpiquet is not located on the coast?

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

Lake or river, even a canal.
Or a Kracker mistake.

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

I am looking for the Werk-Nr. of a Heinkel He 111H-2 "1G + HP" of 6/KG27

Any idea ?

Re: 15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham
 

Not recorded in the history of KG 27