[Theo Boiten]

Dear all,

For the NJWD 2nd ed., I have a few queries left on unclarified (Luftwaffe) Flak claims over Bomber Command aircraft in the Reichsverteidigung during 1942. Any help to identify both the Bomber Command aircraft in the Flak claims listed below, and details on Flak units involved in the unidentified Flak claims listed below, will be gratefully received. This will help filling the last remaining gaps in the NJWD 2nd ed.!:

30-31 May 1942
-unidentified Whitley V: coned by 12./III./Flak Rgt. 26, 11./III./Flak Rgt. 64, 1./Res. Flakscheinw. Abt. 250, 2./Res. Flakscheinw. Abt. 409 and 3./Res. Flakscheinw. Abt. 648, hit by 2./Res. Flak Abt. 394, 2./schw. Res. Flak Abt. 472, 1. & 2./Res. Flak Abt. 642, 1./schw. Flak Abt. 263 (Eisb.) and 3./lei. Flak Abt. 750, crashed at Mülheim-Heissen, time unknown.
-unidentified Hampden: coned by 11.-13./III./Flak Rgt. 26, hit by 3./Res. Flak Abt. 447 and crashed at Ober-Lohberg, time unknown.

1-2 June 1942
-unidentified Hampden: hit by 20.-23., 28. & 29. Sperrfeuerbattr., crashed at Nieder-Bocholt, time unknown.
-unidentified Wellington: hit by 1. & 3./Res. Flak Abt. 646, crashed at Im Grind, N. Rheinberg, time unknown.
-unidentified Stirling: hit by Flakgruppe Wuppertal and crashed at Solingen, time unknown.
-unidentified Halifax: hit by 1./schw. Res. Flak Abt. 233, crashed at Essen/Ruhr Schuir, time unknown.
-unidentified Wellington: hit by 5./Res. Flak Abt. 394, 2./Res. Flak Abt. 394 (lei. Flaktrupp) and 14./2.Lsp. 106, crashed at Moers, time unknown.

29-30 July 1942
-149 Sqn Stirling BF320: hit by unidentified Flak, crashed at Rodenhof, Saarbrücken, time unknown.

9-10 August 1942
-102 Sqn Halifax BB211: hit by unidentified Flak, crashed at Elbergen, south of Lingen-Ems, time unknown.

11-12 August 1942
-106 Sqn Lancaster W4109: hit by unidentified Flak, exploded violently in mid-air and crashed twixt Waldesch and Dausenau an der Lahn at 01.30 hrs.
-57 Sqn Wellington BJ830: hit by unidentified Flak and crashed at Hagen, Philipshöhe ca. 03.30 hrs.
-405 Sqn Halifax W7748: hit by unidentified Flak and crashed at Duisburg-Neuenkamp, time unknown.
-75 Sqn Wellington BJ625: hit by unidentified Flak and crashed into a hill side at Hagen, time unknown.

27-28 August 1942
Kassel raid, at least 2 Flak claims:
-142 Sqn Wellington Z1338: shot down by unspecified Flak of the 7. Flak Div., crashed in Engelbertstrasse at Köln, no time known.
-408 Sqn Hampden P1244: hit by unidentified Flak and crashed, exploding on impact, at Istham, west of Kassel, no time known.

28-29 August 1942
Nürnberg and Saarbrücken raids, 11 Flak Abschüsse?

16-17 September 1942
Essen raid, 8 Flak Abschüsse:
-106 Sqn Lancaster W4179, hit by 1./schw. Flak Abt. 514, crashed at Laurensberg (Aachen) at 23.45 hrs. Note: claimed as 'Halifax'.
-a Wellington, hit by unspecified Flak of 7. Flak Division, crashed at Heumar, Bottenbroich at 23.49 hrs.
-a Wellington, hit by unspecified Flak of 7. Flak Division, crashed at Wesseling at 00.00 hrs.
-a Wellington, hit by unspecified Flak of 7. Flak Division, crashed at Knapsack, no time known.
-an unspecified aircraft, hit by unspecified Flak of 7. Flak Division, crashed at Dünnwald, no time known.
-an unspecified aircraft, hit by unspecified Flak of 7. Flak Division, crashed at Ostheim/Brück, no time known.
-an unspecified aircraft, hit by unspecified Flak of 7. Flak Division, crashed at Zündorf, no time known. Note: seven of crew KIA.
-an unspecified aircraft, hit by unspecified Flak of 7. Flak Division, crashed at Overhetfeld near Erkelenz, no time known.

15-16 October 1942
-unidentified Stirling: hit by unspecified Flak of 7. Flak division, crashed at Stommeln between 21.30-23.00 hrs.


Cheers and thanks, Theo