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Re: Why did 10./JG 2 bomb a school in Catford?
But please, Austin, don't conclude that the Combat Report that you quote is consistent with all of the information available from the German - let alone the British - side.
Schumann, according to Brian, claimed he targetted and hit a school, and not a block of flats;
"Schumann is reported to have made the speech over Paris radio the next day and its content was taken to mean that the school was bombed deliberately as a school."
Einzelmeldung Nummer 1 (Combat Report) makes no mention of a school either targetted or hit, but rather blocks of flats, houses and buildings.
But we know Sandhurst Road School was hit, and we know Schumann went on the radio to advertise the fact.
Schumann was following orders when he made his radio report, which was certainly scripted.
Why did he do it?
Most likely Schumann was telling the German 'agent' in London that the GAF had acted on his information.
Indeed the 'agent', ie JC Masterman, probably asked for such a statement to be made on Paris radio.
Whatever the truth, the radio report presents a big problem to your hypothesis that "this was a straightforward random Jabo terror raid".
JC Masterman's XX file would allow us to know the truth of this strange incident.
Our hypothesis is that this file is among the dozen that were redacted.
Tony
Last edited by tcolvin; 8th September 2009 at 22:07.
Reason: Paragraphing.
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