Death of Fedor von Bock: RAF Unit?
 

Field Marshall Fedor von Bock was the highest ranking German officer to be killed by enemy action in WW2. The consensus seems to be that he was mortally wounded by a strafing RAF fighter on 3 May 1945 and died the next day. Is there any idea of the RAF unit that was responsible?

I should say that I hope this isn't either already well-established, or a complete needle in the haystack request.

It seems that Bock stayed overnight in a private property at Petersdorf, then left early on the morning of 3 May to travel (most unwisely) by road to Flensburg, looking for a role with the Doenitz government. Not surprisingly, the vehicle was strafed and Bock died the next day at the Oldenburg Naval Hospital.

Presumably a 2 TAF unit was responsible. Quite a significant engagement, given Bock's standing as a field commander.

Thank you

Don W

Re: Death of Fedor von Bock: RAF Unit?
 

Good evening Don !

Unfortunately, I don't know if your request is a needle in the haystack case.

But here some aids.

The incident took place in the community of Lensahn, today Kreis Ostholstein, Germany. There is a Petersdorf at the nearby Island of Fehmarn. From this Petersdorf to Lensahn is today a driving-distance of 45 km (by Google maps).

The village of Lensahn covers on the "Nord de Guerre" grid the coordinates (appx) rN 9530 to rO 1035. The next larger towns are Heiligenhafen, Oldenburg/Holstein, Eutin and Plön, but with some more distance, Lübeck and Kiel.

Good luck !

Horst Weber

Re: Death of Fedor von Bock: RAF Unit?
 

May 3 was the date that the Thielbak, Deutschland and Cap Arcona were sunk in the Bay of Lubeck by a series of attacks by RAF Typhoons from No. 184 Squadron, No. 193 Squadron, No. 263 Squadron, No. 197 Squadron RAF, and No. 198 Squadron.

That incident is discussed here for example but without much detail.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Cap_Arcona_(1927)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Deutschland_(1923)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Thielbek_(1940)

I wonder if any planes from these attacks, perhaps on their return to their bases, carried out any strafing runs on targets on land? They seem to have been in the area.

Re: Death of Fedor von Bock: RAF Unit?
 

Good idea !

The vessels were shot up in the afternoon that day at about 15:00 - 16:00 hrs GMT.

When Fedor v. Bock and his entourage started their yourney to Flensburg early in the morning this May, 3rd, 1945, and the incident took place in Lehsahn, about 45 km away from his starting point Petersberg, I would hardly assume, that the strafing attack took place prior or around midday this day.

Do you have any information about missions from 2nd TAF ORB's for the morning of this day ?

Horst Weber

Re: Death of Fedor von Bock: RAF Unit?
 

IMHO very difficult undertaking, according to Shores & Thomas, 2nd Tactical Air Force Volume Three "3 May 1945 ...In the final five days of the war...claims for vehicles of all types exceeded even those at Falaise the previous August, some 4,500 being claimed destroyed..." "3 Squadron undertook four operations during the day, the first at 0545when Flt Lt H.K.Hughes led an attack on Plon..." The book concentrates on the a/c destroyed, so not much help on finding a straffer.

Re: Death of Fedor von Bock: RAF Unit?
 

Gentleman:

Thank you so much for the information you have provided!

After some further searching, I located a site that claims that von Bock was shot up early on the 3 May, so perhaps not an afternoon 2 TAF mission?

https://ww2gravestone.com/people/boc...iedrich-fedor/

Obviously it is frustrating to be citing an online source of unknown reliability, but there doesn't seem to be much hard information about von Bock's death (hardly surprising, given the end of war chaos).

The website also claims to show the residence where von Bock stayed before his fatal journey and the place where his car was strafed: might be of some interest.

Don W

Re: Death of Fedor von Bock: RAF Unit?
 

Hi Don,

from a US IX TAC SITREP (AFHRA Microfilm A0803):

"2 TAF:

Day, 3 May: 523 A/C were on armed recce in the Kiel (C-53), Lubeck (S-98), Neustadt area. 312 A/C on pre-arranged cooperation, rail interdiction and anti-shipping strike. 175 A/C on fighter operations and 107 on recce. 13 aircraft were lost, mostly due to Flak. Claims: E-A (AIR), 14-0-0; E/A (GROUND), 36-0-29; M/T, 382-888; A/V, 1-5; Locos 3-21; RR cars, 34-60; and ships, 23-115 (ALL TYPES). H/D Veh, 2-3 and rail cuts 26."

Thus, you are, unfortunately, potentially looking for a needle in a haystack...

Cheers

Rod

Re: Death of Fedor von Bock: RAF Unit?
 

Rod !

it seems like a needle in a haystack, but, if we would know the time of the incident, we could exclude a lot of the tremendous air activities that day over the general area.

Is there any chance to find out the time of the straffing ?. The exact location is well known.

Horst Weber

Re: Death of Fedor von Bock: RAF Unit?
 

Gentlemen, you probably have to look at these squadrons to find the planes that killed Bock

Carsten

Re: Death of Fedor von Bock: RAF Unit?
 

Hello Carsten,
very interesting info, thanks a lot!

Juha