RAF recon operation 24/25 October 1940 over Cottbus?

[ChristianK]

Gentlemen,

I am looking for info about a reconaissance operation carried out by the RAF in the night of 24/25 October 1940 in the vicinity of Cottbus (air warnings and alert in the city between 1:45 and about 4:00 am o'clock). Was there really a British recon flight during that night and if so, who did it?

Regards,
Christian

[Andy Fletcher]

Nothing by the PRU.

RAF had no dedicated operational night photo recce capability until Feb 41.

Perhaps it was a standard bomber aircraft?

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

[ChristianK]

Thanks Andy, that's a valuable information! Do we have anything in BC's war diary about operations between Berlin and Dresden during that night?

[Andy Fletcher]

Hi Christian,

I'm not really very knowledgeable on Bomber Command ops but a quick look at Bomber Command Losses 1939-1940 shows that 102 Sqn lost a Whitley on a operation to Berlin (target was apparently the RLM building on Leipzigstrasse - very optimistic!!!) so this proves that bombers were in the air that night.

Cottbus is only about 60 miles from Berlin so it is very feasible that an aircraft on the Berlin raid could be over Cottbus by mistake.

Hope that helps.

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

[Jaap Woortman]

From The Bomber Command War Diaries, page 98:

24/25 October 1940.
Germany, Holland.
113 Aircraft to many targets.

Jaap

[ChristianK]

Ok, thanks guys!

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Christian,

Hamburg was bombed, as well Berlin and Emdem, etc...
Found only 4 bombers lost, one of them NOT recovered ( I mean NO traces found )...so maybe a good start to check your supositions:
Wellington P9292 Information

TypeWellingtonSerial NumberP9292Squadron75X1DAA-?OperationBerlinDate 123rd October 1940Date 224th October 1940

Further Information

"Serial Range P9265 - P9300. 36 Wellington Mk.1C. Part of a batch of 82 Wellington Mk.1A/1C, built at Weybridge by Vickers. P9205-P9236 (32) Mk.1A delivered by Vickers (Weybridge) between Jan39 and Apr39. P9237-P9250; P9265-P9300 (50) Mk.1C delivered by Vickers (Weybridge) in March and April 1940. P9223 produced as D.W.1. P9238 as Mk.111 Prototype. P9209; P9222 converted to Mk.XV. P9829 converted to XV1, Airborne from Mildenhall. Lost without trace, but believed to have crashed in the sea off the Danish coast. NFD. P/O R.M.Sanderson KIA P/O W.J.Finlayson RNZAF KIA P/O F.B.Cleak KIA Sgt J.Gibbs DFM KIA Sgt W.G.Hitchmough KIA Sgt R.W.B.White KIA "

All the BEST, Adriano

http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/results...&submit=Search

[ChristianK]

Thanks for the additional hint, Adriano - Is there any detailed list of targets allocated to squadrons for the night of either 24/25 October or 25/26 October? Was there only 102 Squadron over Berlin during this time?
I am not even a hundred percent sure which of these two nights is meant. I think we can exclude a previous or later date, though. My source ("Als für Cottbus der 2. Weltkrieg endete" by Heinz Petzold) claims "in the night of 25 October"...

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Will check "Bomber Command War Diaries" at home for you, ok?
All the best
Adriano