JG 27 raid on Egypt, 11 September 1942
 

Start of my search is an extract of WAR CABINET WEEKLY RESUME (No. 159) of the NAVAL, MILITARY AND AIR SITUATION from 0700 September 10th, to 0700 September 17th, 1942 (available at http://filestore.nationalarchives.go.../cab-66-28.pdf)
"Six Me. 109s made a low-flying attack on landing grounds between Cairo and Fayoum and destroyed two "bombers; damaged four other aircraft and shot down a training aircraft; one Me. 109 was destroyed and another probably destroyed by A.A. fire."

MAW volume 2 describes this attack on pages 344-345 and 594. It took place on 11 September 1942.

The shot down Bf 109 is identified (F-4 WNr 7421 of 7./JG 27, Fw Walter Fink POW) but none of the Allied losses is: the text says a Boston and a Wellington were destroyed on the ground, and a Harvard "with a Sqn Ldr in it" was shot at and made a crash-landing (claimed as a NAA 64 by Uffz Viktor Gruber of 8./JG 27).

RAF Bomber Losses in the Middle East & Medierranean has only one loss that day, the Boston III AL797 of 12 Sqn SAAF with the following comment: "nosewheel collapsed on landing, Hurghada. DBR in an air raid while under repair at 113 MU".

Can someone:
1) identify the destroyed Wellingon ?
2) identify the force-landed Harvard and/or its pilot ? Was the aircraft destroyed ?
3) confirm that the Boston destroyed that day was AL797 ? In this case, the nosewheel incident probably took place earlier, and I would like to have the date. If the nosewheel collapsed on 11 September, then the destruction in an air raid should have been at a latter date and I will be interested to know it, and which Boston was destroyed on 11 September.

Thanks in advance

Re: JG 27 raid on Egypt, 11 September 1942
 

Laurent

"Hurricanes Over the Sands" has three photos relating to this event, and until the Air 81 casualty file indexes are listed I dont think we will know much more about the Harvard. They are just beginning to list losses in September 42 on the RAF Commands site.

Russell

Re: JG 27 raid on Egypt, 11 September 1942
 

Hello,

A possibility for the Harvard claimed shot down on 11 September, 1942:

Harvard II AJ775.
Middle East: no record of service.
Lost 11.9.42 (N.F.D.).

See:
The Harvard File
Hamlin,John F.
Tonbridge:Air-Britain (Historians),1988.
p.51.

Col.