29/7/44 Normandy
 

On that date the minesweeping trawler Lord Wakefield was sunk off Omaha Beach in an air attack. My research so far points to a Ju88 of Kg77 being the most likely candidate: can anyone tell me for sure?

Re: 29/7/44 Normandy
 

From Bletchley Park's Air Operations Watch summary for 28/29 July (National Archives HW13/39):

"British sources report a ship in OMAHA anchorage attacked and sunk by bomb at 0125/29. Nothing available yet to tie up with this."

If that's your vessel and it was a bomb then KG 77 seem less likely as they were equipped for torpedoes at the time.

P.S. times in the report are "M.S.T." which I think is GMT+2.

Re: 29/7/44 Normandy
 

Nick is right-KG 77 was torpedo ops. 155 aircraft were airborne that night on both bombing and mining missions from all available bomber units. For example, KG 6 attacked the St Lo area whilst KG 2 dropped mines

Re: 29/7/44 Normandy
 

Thank you both. It looks as though I'm on a loser unless someone has detailed aircraft by aircraft ops information.

Re: 29/7/44 Normandy
 

The intended targets that night (all at 2250) were Camisy (LG 1), La Folie (KG 30) and Cametours (KG 6). I./KG 66 was due to place markers on La Folie at 2247.

The Fw 190s of I./SKG 10 and the Me 410s of II./KG 51 were to attack the area Banneville - Sannerville - Touffreville and west of there at 2245.

Fliegerkorps IX also laid 80 mines "in 15 W 1051, position in somecases approximate". so the itention was to mine at 49º 27' 30" N, 0º 55' 0" W (which is about 8.5 km and 38º off Pointe du Hoc, so in the general area of Omaha Beach).

Fliegerkorps IX's appreciation of the night's operations is attached (National Archives HW5/546), also their intentions for the night 28/29 July (HW5/544).

Re: 29/7/44 Normandy
 

Thank you again, Nick. Given that information, I wonder if she was mined rather than bombed. We may never know. What is thought to be the wreck has been located but not investigated as far as I know and it's not listed on wrecksite.