[Pieter H]

Hi, back from holidays.
Have been thinking how we can close this discussion.

The most shaky part of it all is the so-called report by de Scitivaux, because it is at best 2nd-hand and (much) later after the event. Essentially there are 4 statements:
A= timing = 10.00 French time (11.00 German, 09.20 Dutch time).
B= location = IJmuiden
C= 3-engines German aircraft
D = Arado-style = interpreted as a float plane

Scenario 1: A+B+C are correct.
In that case we talk a bout a Ju52. At 09.30 I./KGzbV.1 started massive landings on and around Valkenburg, so that could match. However, there is no report of any of the Ju52's being shot out of the air by enemy fighters. Furthermore at the time of air landings the sky was infested with at least one, often two Staffels of Bf109's. So difficult to imagine a Potez could make 5 successive passes on a Ju52. I therefore score this scenario as unlikely.

Scenario 2: A+B+D are correct.
This could only have been a Dutch float plane, there were no German floatplanes over the Dutch coast after 06.00. Most likely is then the Fokker T8W, which was indeed attacked. But most reports state attacked by German fighters while just landed on the beach. Unfortunately both crew members died, so no detailed witness reports.
I score this scenario as possible, but unproven.

Scenario 3: B is not correct
IJmuiden is quite far to the north (the harbour entrance of Amsterdam) so easily 60-75 minutes flying, assuming de Scitivaux was not flying full throttle. Not very likely, and there is a fair change he mixed it up with especially Hoek van Holland, the harbour entrance to Rotterdam. However, at 10.00 French/09.20 Dutch time I have no activity in this area, let alone a loss.

Scenario 4: A is not correct
At least in the sense that 10.00 (French time) was not the time of encounter, but more likely the time of departure. French authorities took hours to react to the dawn attacks, and only towards 10.00 the first recon flights were dispatched towards Belgian and Dutch coastal waters. At 10.30 e.g. a Potez started from St Omer towards the Schelde estuary. This would mean over the IJmuiden area towards 11.15 French time, 10.30 Dutch time, but at this timing a match is again very difficult. The only candidate is then a No.40 Sqn Blenheim that flew a recon over Den Haag (the L8833) and returned heavily damaged after the encounter with a "Ju88".
I consider this latter match pretty far-fetched, because factually all assumptions A-D are then false or at least different.

Looking back at all this I can't get away from the feeling that de Scitivauxs "facts" are by far the weakest link in the whole story, where especially the timing is critical. So main question: what is meant with the "10.00" in the story?

Until more clarity on that I'm afraid this remains unsolved with no logical solution.

Cheers, Pieter