[Chris Goss]

From my book:


As for II./KG 40, it continued to operate predominantly over the North Sea from Soesterburg in Holland against shipping and coastal targets. On 27 October 1941 a Do 217E-2 flown by Lt Helmut Röchl of 5./KG 40 was lost attacking convoy FN537 (consisting of 10 ships without escort which had sailed from Southend the previous day headed for Methil) while another aircraft from 4./KG 40 returned with Fw Heinrich Herrmann (BM) wounded. At around 1430 hrs that day Sgt John Slaney of 257 Sqn claimed an aircraft destroyed off Happisburgh which, at last, was correctly identified as a Do 217:

"A convoy was the main object of attention and an almost ceaseless patrol was maintained throughout the day. At 1314 hrs, Yellow and White Sections took off and at 1406 hrs they were informed that an unidentified bomber was in the vicinity of the convoy. Directly after they saw a Dornier and gave chase. As Yellow Section could not catch the e/a they returned to base. White Section (Sgt Slaney and Sgt Whitmill) saw the Do make a bombing run and attacked as it was about to make another bombing run and shot the e/a down. This was later claimed as a Do 217

However, later that day Sqn Ldr Charles Green of 266 Sqn assisted by Sgt Eric Dicks-Sherwood shot down another over the convoy at 1800 hrs, the aircraft, misidentified yet again as a Do 17Z, caught fire after being attacked, its starboard wing struck the sea after which it cart-wheeled into the water 10 miles off Happisburgh Light; there were no survivors. Lt Gerhard Blaschke of 5./KG 2 reported taking off from Evreux at 1359 hrs that afternoon on an armed reconnaissance off the English East Coast landing uneventfully at Schiphol two and a half hours later so it would appear that just II./KG 40 was responsible for sinking the 4,545 GRT SS Antiope and the Dutch Friesland (2,662 GRT) eight miles north-north-west of Cromer. The Luftwaffe reported II./KG 40 had sunk a 6,000 GRT ship off Great Yarmouth at 1501 hrs followed by another of 5,000 GRT two minutes later and that evening damaged another ship of 5,000 BRT east of Bridlington