Ju W34's Lost in Action
 

Hi
Browsing the Hugo Junkers Webpage I noticed on the Ju W34 production list the following 3 Ju W34's shot down by Allied Aircraft :-
J 1377 shot down over Rovar Island ~ Norway. 9/9/40 by a Skua
J 1346 of 7.Seenotstaffel shot down over Sondor Tronden ~ Denmark. 24/3/44 by ?
J 68008 (DB+LB) of JG 108 shot down over Haderwijk ~ Holland on 29/2/44 by US Fighter
Has anyone any idea who the claimants were ?
Cheers
Bruce Lande

Re: Ju W34's Lost in Action
 

Bruce,

I have no reference to a claim by a Skua on Sept 9, 1940. I think it is far too late for Skuas to be operating over Norway.

The March 24, 1944 claim is probably that of W/C John Braham+S/L Robertson (does anyone have his full name?), of 2 Group, flying a 613 Sqn Mosquito VI LR374 SY-W. The claim was for a Me-109, later changed to a Ju W.34, at 1509 hours, 6 miles S of Aalborg.

The only American claim on Feb 29, 1944, at 1025 hours, is by Maj. Gerald Johnson of the 63rd FS, 56th FG, in P-47D-15RE 42-76249 UN-Z-. Noted as a Ju-52?, near Horderwijk.

Frank.

Re: Ju W34's Lost in Action
 

Hi
another one is Wn2751, shot down on roadstead 57, 14/4/43 off brest ( 263Sq and 65Sq ), think it was storrar & long 65Sq who actually shot it down.
cheers
Jerry

Re: Ju W34's Lost in Action
 

Hi Bruce

The W.34 shot down on 9/9/40 was BB+MG of Luftdienst 64 and fell off Roevar Island. The crew was rescued by a Norwegian fishing boat. It seems possible that it fell victim to Skua L2889 of 801 Squadron, crewed by PO(A) Henry Kimber and PO(A) Alfred Clayton, although this aircraft FTR and the crew were killed, presumably shot down by AA fire over Haugesund. As far as I am aware, none of the returning Skua crews reported combat, while the crew of the W.34 apparently reported being shot down by an RAF 'bomber'. The Skuas were after all acting in the dive-bomber role attacking shipping. Incidentally, Kimber had claimed a He111 damaged on 17/4/40 and another shared destroyed on 26/4/40

Hi Frank

I am afraid you are incorrect on this occasion - the Skuas continued a series of raids against Norwegian targets including 13/9/40 (oil tanks at Skaalevik); one Skua FTR; on 2/10/40 against shipping in Bjorne Fjiord (one Skua shot down by Bf109); and 27/12/40 against shipping in Haugesund.

It would be good if we can get some information from our Norwegian friends regarding these raids.

Cheers
Brian

Re: Ju W34's Lost in Action
 

Hi
thankyou gentlemen for the response , it seems like these were in fact the claimants.
As Brian notes it would be good to get some more info on the Skua ops over Norway in late 1940 - I am pretty sure they were all carried out by 801 Sq FAA operating from Hatston and also HMS Furious.
Thanks again
Bruce Lander

Re: Ju W34's Lost in Action
 

Hi Bruce

It appears that II/JG77 claimed two Skuas shot down on 13/9/40 - do we know who the claimants were?

Cheers
Brian

Re: Ju W34's Lost in Action
 

Hello
IIRC the last of Furious's carrier raids in 1940 against Norwegian targets was made on 16/10/40 and during that one Skua was interned in Sweden. I have no info on 9/9/40 claim, IIRC Furious made a raid from 6th to 8th Sept.

Juha

Re: Ju W34's Lost in Action
 

Hi
apologies to all.....
for my font in my earlier reply
seems I hit a wrong button somewhere.
cheers
jerry

Re: Ju W34's Lost in Action
 

Hello Frank,

The place Horderwijk has to be Harderwijk, Holland In fact this W.34 crashed near Nunspeet, some 5 miles NE of Harderwijk.

Not suprisingly that this W.34 was identified as Ju.52. In fact P/O Bethell of 268 Squadron made a similar claim on 26th November 1942 in that area and it turned out that his Ju.52 claim must have concerned a W.34 too, in fact Wnr 0175 of Feurst. Horst.

Regards,
Hans Nauta

Re: Ju W34's Lost in Action
 

See http://www.flensted.eu.com/g1944038.shtml