19th February 1941
 

At 9.40am on Wednesday 19th Feb 1941, a lone Ju 88 bombed and strafed Portknockie in NE Scotland. So it would have had to set off from GErmany / Norway approx 2-3 hrs before the bombing

The Ju88 is reported to have had an aerial torpedo and a 500KG bomb which both we dropped on the village.

Fraserburgh and Montrose were also bombed same day.

I'm looking to see if anybody would know where the Ju88 came from and who it was flown by.

Bit of a longshot, so asking anyway

Re: 19th February 1941
 

I have a ship being attacked off Peterhead at 1050 hrs and a factory near Fraserburgh at 1030 hrs. More attacks by lone aircraft occurred that evening. There were very few offensive assets in Norway (where no doubt the aircraft came from) apart from elements of KG 26 in Denmark. If indeed a Ju 88, this appears to be the sort of thing that the recce unit 1.(F)/120 would do but this is only supposition. Would love to know what an aerial torpedo was apart from a torpedo dropped by an aircraft against a ship (which would not have been done against a land target).

Re: 19th February 1941
 

Hi Chris

This was quotes for a number of village newsletters over the years..It was definitely a morning raid.

Having been through the Air dropped Weapons to 1945 of the Luftwaffe, couldn't quote find what they were on about - Aerial torpedo, to quote "Most of us boys were well-acquainted with the identification of aircraft - our own and the enemy's - and I recognized the German aircraft as a JU-88. During one of hisoverhead passes, 'Jerry' had dropped an aerial torpedo, which went through a shed


They only mention 2 bombs, so either dropped some already or carrying two larger bombs.

Re: 19th February 1941
 

the other query I have is

"It made several passes, firing its machine guns, which were located in the aircraft's nose."

The Ju 88 had backward facing lower machine gun, and other machine guns was at pilot level and another at same level backward facing for above?

perhaps it wasn't a Ju 88?

Re: 19th February 1941
 

Look at the nose

Re: 19th February 1941
 

Excellent, that answers that!

so Ju 88, bomb load is at least 1 x 500kg Bomb (UXB) unsure what the other bomb is!

Re: 19th February 1941
 

Found RE war Diary

one of the two bombs was a 500KG bomb with 2 x 38 Fuzes, these were typically used for anti-shipping. This was the UXB

a Ju88 could carry "Bombs: Up to 1,400 kilograms (3,100 lb) of ordnance in two bomb bays rated at 900 kg (2,000 lb) and 500 kg (1,100 lb)"

What would have been the other bomb(s) carried? another 500 Kg or perhaps a 900Kg piece of Ordnance related to anti-shipping?