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Old 26th August 2023, 16:39
Pierre Renier Pierre Renier is offline
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Re: Plea for help from the Channel Islands

The only Me109s that I'm aware of up until the summer of 1944 that were still operational in the vicinity of the Channel Islands were those of Nahaufklärungsgruppe 13 operating out of areas like Dinard and St. Brieuc ( https://www.ww2.dk/air/recon/nagr13.htm ).

The following is an extract from Channel Islands Occupation Review 1974 in an article by Robert Le Page, pp.19-20; "On Saturday, 11 May 1968, the Luftwaffe returned to Jersey in force. The invasion consisted of seventeen Messerschmitt Me109s (Hispano HA-1112-MIL Buchons ; equipped with Rolls Royce Merlin engines!); two Heinkel He111s (C.A.S.A.2.111Bs also with Merlin engines); one solitary Spitfire and a Nord 262 of Rousseau Aviation as an escort aircraft. The Me109s and the He111s were all built in Spain under licence and used by the Spanish Air Force.

The aircraft flew in from the south in two formations, each arriving over Jersey Airport at 1400 hours and 1430 hours respectively. The first consisted of eight Mel09s and one He111 and the second of nine Mel09s and one He111, the solitary Spitfire and the Nord 262 arriving a few minutes later.

As each formation arrived over the Airport with a heavy drone from the Merlin engines, the aircraft split up into groups of three and, flying down low over the runway, peeled off one by one before making a circuit and coming into land using the full length of the runway. The aircraft then taxied to an area south of the terminal buildings and parked in lines on the grass."

A possible candidate for the scene witnessed?

Kind regards
Pierre
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