[Chris Goss]

Would this be 0004 hrs on 13th if so the combats were on 12th? This from my forthcoming book:


On 12 April 1940, 36 Vickers Wellingtons, 24 Handley Page Hampdens and 23 Bristol Blenheims were tasked to attack shipping off Stavanger throughout the day. As a result, six Hampdens and three Wellingtons were lost. The Hampdens, which attacked earlier in the day, were lost to Bf 109s of II./JG 77 which claimed eight but later, the Wellingtons were intercepted by I./ZG 76 and Z.St./KG 30. Lt Helmut Woltersdorf, Oblt Heinz Gresens and Fw Leo Schumacher of 2./ZG 76 and Ofw Georg Fleischmann of 3./ZG 76 claimed five Wellingtons (Woltersdorf claiming two) south-west of Stavanger between 1651 and 1735hrs whilst Ofw Martin Jeschke and Uffz Peters Laufs of Z.St./KG 30 claimed another two at 1645 and 1650hrs respectively. Sqn Ldr Maurice Nolan of 38 Sqn reported being under attack by enemy fighters and that they were about to crash in the sea whilst Sgt Horace Wheller and Sgt Geoff Goad of 149 Sqn made it as far as the Norwegian coast, the latter last being seen at 1610hrs being chased by a Bf 110. These three Wellingtons failed to return and there were no survivors. A number of other Wellingtons were slightly damaged and two crews from 149 Sqn claimed to have shot down two Bf 110s. However, no Bf 110s were lost but a Ju 88C-1 believed flown by Lt Paul Semrau was damaged, force-landing back at Stavanger and another flown by Uffz Erich Maus crashed what is believed to be Ju 88C-1 Wk Nr 0136 whilst coming in to land at Stavanger after combat, killing him, Bordfunker Gefr Michael Hoch and gunner Flg Hans Rack; the following day would have been Hoch's 20th birthday.