Me 109 attack Southwold 15th May 1943
 

Hello,
I'm trying to identify the aircraft that was shot down into the sea off Southwold 15th May 1943. I have a copy of the combat report from a Sgt R.A. Hough of 195 Squadron who claimed to have shot down a Me 109 off Southwold at around 2200 hrs. He was patrolling with Squadron Leader Taylor 2 miles Nth of Southwold when he saw an aircraft flying at zero feet out to sea from Southwold he dived down to the aircraft and recognised it as a Me 109. He fired at the E/A which was hit and he saw the aircraft bounce off the sea twice. A small naval vessel was also firing at the time. Sgt Hough then felt hits on his aircraft and found a second Me 109 on his tail firing at him so pulled up into a steep climbing turn and the second 109 passed underneath him and out to sea. While in the climb he saw the other 109 nose down in the sea. Sgt Hough landed his damaged Typhoon back at Ludham it had been hit in the fuselage, main plane and engine. The damage was first reported as A.A. fire but it was later thought that cannon shell damage was possible.

I thought that it was a Fw190 from Stab/SKG10 that was shot down.


Any help with this would be much appreciated,

Bill

Re: Me 109 attack Southwold 15th May 1943
 

According to Luftwaffe Crash Archive Vol 10, page 1212 the aircraft was Fw-190A-5 WerkNr 50842 from Stab/SKG-10.
Pilot was Feldwebel Hans Burkhard who was lost without trace. Reported as shot down by AA fire.

Re: Me 109 attack Southwold 15th May 1943
 

According to my book on the subject, Felixstowe/Southwold area was attacked by 26 Fw 190s of Stab, I & II./SKG 10 at 2200 hrs Hough claimed a 109 (not recorded as in the area) whilst Tarnowicz of 317 Sqn damaged a Fw 190 and Kirchner of 317 Sqn probably destroyed another. Burkhard was said to have been shot down by Flak whilst Fw Bernhard Maasen of 7./SKG 10 was injured when he crashed at Maaslouis

Re: Me 109 attack Southwold 15th May 1943
 

Yes I agree with you on the Fw190 down on the 15th and I believe that both aircraft were hit by A.A. fire it's just that I am doing research into Ludham airfield, which is near me, and was looking into the claims made by pilots who were stationed there and this was one of them.

You might be able to help me with 3 other claims. The first was on 12/12/42. Squadron Leader Edwards, P/O Sweeting, Sgt Cassidy and Flt Lt A R Hall of 167 squadron were on a Rhubarb to Ijmuiden an Flt Lt Hall claimed 2 Fw190's.

The next was 2/5/43 when 167 Squadron escorted Bostons to Ijmuiden Docks and W/C Blatchford claimed a Fw190 destroyed and Flt/Lt Hall damaged another.

The last claim was on the next day 3/5/43 when the Squadron escorted Venturas to bomb a power station in Amsterdam but they ran into about 50 Fw190's over Ijmuiden F/O Cody claimed one but W/C Blatchford was shot down and killed.

Many thanks for your help.


Bill

Re: Me 109 attack Southwold 15th May 1943
 

Grandypops: I have the following losses:
43-05-02
Uffz. Andreas Banz 2./JG 1 KIA North Sea
Ofw. Peter Eberhardt 5./JG 1 KIA Schelde (Holland)
Lt. Heinrich Völler 5./JG 1 KIA Huybergen (Holland)
43-05-03
Lt. Ernst Heesen 5./JG 1 KIA North Sea
Fw. Willi Pfeiffer 4./JG 1 KIA North Sea

Frans A

Re: Me 109 attack Southwold 15th May 1943
 

Frans A
Many thanks for the losses information