Quote:
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Originally Posted by Boomerang
According to Joel Hayward's Stopped at Stalingrad: 'On 16 July twenty-four bombers of I./KG 100 and II./ KG 26 launched a joint raid on the bulk of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet...in Poti Harbour... They hit several warships, including a heavy cruiser with a massive 1,400 kg bomb, but...failed to sink a single vessel. They lost two He11s in the attempt, however.' (page 154)
The reference is to 16 July 1942. According to Hayward, the abovementioned units were based on Crimean airfields.
Cheers
Boomerang
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Hello,
Thank you, this is just what I needed. I have this book, but am clearly not very good at finding things in it. II./KG 26 was indeed based at Saki, but Hayward's information on Soviet losses leaves much to be desired. The "heavy cruiser' was the obsolete light cruiser "Komintern" of 7838 t displacement, which had been converted into a minelayer in 1941. It was disarmed and expended as a breakwater after being damaged in this raid. The destroyer "Bodry" was also badly damaged, re-entering service only in December 1944, while the guard ship "Shtorm" sustained light splinter damage.
Regards,
Jack Sanders