Folks
I'm researching the RAF raid on Frankfurt AM on 22 March 1944.
I trying to untangle the nightfighter claims and need some expert help.
Just to start the ball rolling can you help with the location of Martin "Tino" Becker's claims.
Here is the raw data:
22.03.44, Oblt. Martin Becker, 2./NJG 6, 4-mot Flzg, Hamm-Paderborn 5.200m, 21.42, 2025/I, Anerk Nr.16
22.03.44, Oblt. Martin Becker, 2./NJG 6, v. Halifax, Raum Paderborn 5.000m, 21.53, 2025/I, Anerk Nr.17
22.03.44, Oblt. Martin Becker, 2./NJG 6, 4-mot Flzg, 130 ° Frankfurt-Main 5.000m, 22.10, 2025/I, Anerk Nr.13
22.03.44, Oblt. Martin Becker, 2./NJG 6, 4-mot Flzg, N.W. Frankfurt-Main 5.200m, 22.29, 2025/I, Anerk Nr.15
22.03.44, Oblt. Martin Becker, 2./NJG 6, v. Halifax, N.W. Frankfurt-Main 5.200m, 22.38, 2025/I, Anerk Nr.20
22.03.44, Oblt. Martin Becker, 2./NJG 6, v. Halifax, ca. 150 km. N.W. Frankfurt-Main 5.200m, 22.39, 2025/I, Anerk Nr.21
Here are the locations:
1. 21:42 between Hamm and Paderborn
2. 21:53 around Paderborn
3. 22:10 130° Frankfurt-Main [I assume 130° is the bearing to FF i.e. WNW to NW from FF]
4. 22:29 N.W. Frankfurt-Main
5. 22:38 N.W. Frankfurt-Main [Since this is 1 min before the next claim I assume this is also somewhere near Bonn too]
6. 22:39 ca. 150 km. N.W. Frankfurt-Main [150km NW of FF is somewhere near Bonn]
And now the questions:
Raum/around - what sort of radius might this cover? 5,10,20km?
Bearing from a location - we can see from claim 6 this sort of location can be a long way from the reference point e.g. Frankfurt.
So how do I interpret a simple NW from a location?
Are these the locations of the attacks or the confirmed crash site of the claim?
How do I reconcile these locations with the locations of crashed a/c that are attributed to Becker?
Crash sites:
Candidates for claims 1 and 2 are:
ND672 at Beckum (17km NE Hamm) - I estimate crash at 21:32
JB151 at Welver (12km SE Hamm) - I estimated crash time at 21:36
DV384 at Obermelbecke (70km SE of Dortmund) - I estimated crash time at 21:45
Claim 3:
22:10-15 LL717 crashes Hausen nr Usingen 30km NNW Frankfurt - this is a close match with 3
Claim 4:
22:29 ND358 crashes Brauneberg 140km WSW Frankfurt - this is not a close match. What could the explanation be?
Claims 5 & 6:
There were diversion raids on Bonn but no reported losses.
I cannot find any matches for these claims. What should I conclude?
Sorry for such a long post.
regards
Robert