[Juha]

Hello
according to Whitley’s German Destroyers of World War Two and Brice’s Axis Blockade Runners of World War II four Kriegsmarine destroyers (Z23, Z24, Z32 and Z37) shot down 5 British aircraft while beating off attacks by Coastal Command’s Beauforts and Beaufighters while escorting Italian blockade runner Pietro Orseolo to Gironde Estuary on 30 Mar – 1 Apr 1943. On the other hand while Rohwer’s and Hummelchen’s Chronology of the War at Sea 1939 – 1945 acknowledge this combat according to it the 5 a/c were lost on 9 – 10 Apr 43 while the DDs were covering a break out attempt of the blockade runner Himalaya. On which day CC lost 5 a/c over Biscay or maybe it lost 5 planes on both occasions and what were the identities of the lost planes? According to Whitley the latter attacks were made by the Hampdens of No. 416 RCAF Sqn (this is typo for 415 Sqn RCAF) and Wimpies of the No. 311 (Czech) Sqn.


TIA
Juha