1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Hi gents!

I am trying to find all possible info about action, wich took place at ~5:30-5:45 over Dunkirk.

As far I I've found, a number of Bf110C (12? report of Sgt. Potter of 19 Sqdn) of I./ZG1 appear as a fighter sweep over Dunkirk, and then came some Bf109E's of I./JG26.

They met Spitfires of 19, 222 and 616 Sqdn. Aircombat resulted:

Spitfire Mk.I, K9836, 19 Sqdn, Sgt.J.A.Potter, damaged by Bf110 fire and ditched on Channel at 5:30. A/c lost, pilot resqued.
Spitfire Mk.I, P9377, ZD*U write-off, 222 Sqdn, P/O L.Morant unhurt, a/c fired by pilot after forcelanding at Bray-Dunes at 5:30.
Spitfire Mk.I, P9317, ZD*A write-off, 222 Sqdn, P/O Falkust captured after forcelanding at Le Toquet at 5:40
Spitfire Mk.I, P9339, ZD*J write-off, 222 Sqdn, P/O Massey-Sharp killed, failed to return from combat with Bf109 of I./JG26 and Bf110 of I./ZG1. Beleived to be crashed at Pihen-les-Guines at 5:40. Possibly one wich collided with Bf110C of Oblt. Moeller of 2./ZG1.
Spitfire Mk.I, N3232, 222 Sqdn, Sgt. White killed when shot down at 5:35 over Dunkirk, possibly a victim of Uffz. Wolf of 3./JG26.
Spitfire Mk.I, 616 Sqdn, shot down and ditched into Channel at 5:45, beleived to be a victim of Oblt. Losigkeit of 2./JG26. Pilot F/O Bell resqued, a/c lost.
Spitfire Mk.I, 616 Sqdn, crashlanded at Rochester out of fuel following combat with I./JG26 (and with I./ZG1?). P/O Holden beleived unhurt, a/c damaged but repairable.

Bf109E-3, I./JG26, shot down by Spitfires of 19, 222 and 616 Sqdn over Dunkirk at 5:45, pilot unhurt, a/c write-off.
Bf109E-1, 3./JG26, shot down by Spitfires of 19, 222 and 616 Sqdn over Dunkirk and crashed at Pervijze at 5:45, Lt. S.Gruel killed, a/c write-off.
Bf109E-3, 3./JG26, shot down by Spitfires of 19, 222 and 616 Sqdn over Dunkirk and crashlanded near Furnes at 5:45, Oblt. R. Germeroth wounded, a/c a write-off.
Bf110C, 1./ZG1, shot down in combat with Spitfires of 19 and 222 Sqdn over Nieuport and crashed alongside a road from Koksijde to Oostdunkirke at 5:30. Beleived to be a victim of P/O Sinclair of 19 Sqdn. Pilot Fw. Donsing unhurt, b/f Uffz. Rotz killed. A/c a write-off.
Bf110C, 1./ZG1, shot up in combat with Spitfires of 19 and 222 Sqdn over Dunkirk at 5:30, pilot unhurt, b/f Uffz. Richter slightly wounded. A/c damaged but repairable.
Bf110C, 2./ZG1, collided in head-on with Spitfire of 222 Sqdn losing starboard wing and crashed. Oblt. J. Moeller and Uffz. Schieferstein bailed out and captured unhurt. A/c a write-off.
Bf110C, 3./ZG1, shot down in combat with Spitfires of 19 and 222 Sqdn at 5:30, Uffz. R.Mueller and Uffz. Dietch killed, a/c a write-off.

I have no details on RAF pilots claims.

But about Luftwaffe I have following:
Uffz. Heinz Wolf of 3./JG 26 claimed Spitfire over Dunkirk at 5:36 (conf.)
Oblt. Fritz Losigkeit of 2./JG26 claimed Spitfire over Dunkirk at 5:40 (conf.)
Lt. Eduard Tratt of 3./ZG1 claimed Spitfire over Dunkirk at 5:45 (conf.)
Lt. Eduard Tratt of 3./ZG1 claimed Spitfire over Dunkirk at 5:45 (conf.)

I have no additional info about claims of other I./ZG1 pilots, but anyway Gruppe lost two of its successfull pilots - Mueller and Moeller.

Does anybody have any additional info on that fight? Any RAF reports and claims? Any additional Luftwaffe claims?

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

I have Moeller's account

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Not sure what you are after - but do you have the detailed account of Jack Potter? I can post it if you wish. Also have his goggles (broken!) that he was wearing when shot down in this incident.

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Evgeny,
Fw. Donsing of 1./ZG 1 is probably Fw. Fritz Duensing (+ 5/10/40 with 1./Erpr. Gr. 210)

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Thx for replyes gents.

Chris - would be nice to see it.

Andy - it is published in "Battle of France"Then and Now". But if You have more detailed...

John - Yes, very possible. It must be a mistake in my files.

Any info about RAF claims? And Other I./ZG1 claims?

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Hello Evgeny,

The RAF claims in this encounter were as follows:

19 Squadron:
F/L B.J.E. Lane Bf 109 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
F/L B.J.E. Lane Bf 109 unconf Dunkirk 05.40
F/S G.C. Unwin Bf 109 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
F/S G.C. Unwin Bf 109 unconf Dunkirk 05.40
F/L W.G. Clouston Bf 109 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
F/L W.G. Clouston Bf 109 shared destroyed (with Steere) Dunkirk 05.40
F/S H. Steere Bf 109 shared destroyed (with Clouston) Dunkirk 05.40
F/O G.L. Sinclair Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
F/O G.L. Sinclair Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
P/O H.C. Baker Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
Sgt B.J. Jennings Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40
Sgt B.J. Jennings Bf 110 unconf Dunkirk 05.40
P/O L.A. Haines Bf 109 destroyed Dunkirk 05.40

222 Squadron
S/L H.W. Mermagen Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk dawn
F/L A.I. Robinson Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk dawn
P/O T.A. Vigors Bf 110 destroyed Dunkirk dawn
Sgt S. Baxter Bf 110 unconf Dunkirk dawn
F/L D.R.S. Bader Bf 109 destroyed Dunkirk dawn
3 pilots of 222 Squadron shared a destruction of a He 111, time not recorded

616 Squadron made no claims early in the morning, all their claims were made at 08.25 hrs.

Source: J. Foreman, RAF Fighter Command Victory Claims of World War 2, Part 1, 1939-1940

Hope this helps,

Ota

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Ota - THX a lot!

Ahhh AMZING! What a overclaim :)

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Just for everyone's edification, Spitfire I P9317 of 222 Squadron flown by PO Falkhurst was the first RAF spitfire captured in flyable condition.He apparently landed wheels down. There was a picture in an Expired E-Bay auction of this airplane after capture.

Carlos

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

Yep, and a photo of that a/c was published in "BoF:Then and Now".

Re: 1.6.40, Dunkirk, early morning fight
 

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=24
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=24
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=24
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=24
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=24
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d...resultcount=24

Found some reports of those claims. Not for free :)

Is it known, how many Spits were encountered in this combat in each Sqdn? I doubt it was not 3 x 12 a/c...

Also, in "Reach for the sky : the story of Douglas Bader" by Paul Brickhill there is a short details about that early morning mission, when Bader did shot his first german.
According a story:
Squadron of Spitfires flew to Dunkerk (no info - were there any other Sqdn's - 19 and 616), then they saw 12 Bf110's (same as Sgt. Potter of 19 Sqdn reported). Bf110's turned and run away from Dunkirk, and 222 Sqdn. chased them. Then appeared 4 Bf109's (probably from I./JG26), and Bader claimed one of them. Then he saw a spinning Bf110 without tail section. Then he returned to bace. There is a note: two Spitfires missed (in fact 4 of them failed to return).

Are there any other detailed descriptions of that combat?