No. 68 Sqn - crew of W/O Bobek and F/Sgt Kovarik - eventual status of some of their claims

[Ota Jirovec]

Hello all,

According to their combat report, this Czech crew claimed 1 Do 217 destroyed and 1 Do 217 probable during the night of 27/28 July 1942 at 0040 and 0118 hours respectively. The hand-written remark on this combat report says that the destroyed one was admitted only as probably destroyed.
There are some indications in published sources that this downgraded claim was upgraded back to "destroyed", but unfortunately even the books of highly credible researchers (such as Shores, Foreman, Rajlich...) do not give an unambiguous answer about the final status of this claim. Can anybody (Mr. Olynyk?) clarify what was the final credit of this crew for the night of 27/28 July 1942 (was it one destroyed and one probable or two probables)?

There seems to be a similar uncertainty about this crew´s claim for another Do 217 during the night of 31 July/1 August 1942 (at 0330 hrs). The typed combat report states 1 Do 217 destroyed with a hand-written note "admitted probably destroyed". Again, John Foreman in his Fighter Command Victory Claims, Volume 2, states the crew was given a credit for 1 Do 217 destroyed and Shores/Williams in Aces High say that the "probable" may have later been upgraded to destroyed. Can anyone confirm that this happened?

Many thanks in advance for any help.

[Bruce Lander]

Hi,
from the 68 Squadron Website http://www.laarbruch museum.net/Source/RAF-68.SQD.pdf

The first three weeks of July were fairly quiet over the East Coast of England with only desultory enemy appearances at night, probably due to weather recorded as almost continuous wind and rain. It was cloudy on most days and 68 frequently scrambled for daylight sorties but with 'no joy'. However, in the four weeks commencing on the 23rd July, the Squadron was involved in an unprecedented period of operations, and during this time shot down 12 Ju 88's and Do 217's and an He 111 confirmed, and claimed five Do 217's probably destroyed and four damaged.
This period started, in the words of the Neatishead History, with "a grand night for the Squadron" when on the 23rd July, under the control of that GCI station, Wg Cdr Aitken/FgOff Higham shot down two,SgtTruscott/SgtHowarth, W/O Bobek/F/Sgt Kovarik and SqnLdr Vesely/Sgt Necas destroyed one each, and Sqn Ldr Howden/Fg Off Longdon claimed one damaged. There were combats on 11 nights of the next month with following scores:
W/O Bobek/F/Sgt Kovarik two confirmed and one probable;
Fg Off Raybould/F/Sgt Mullaly one confirmed;
Plt Off Ward/Sgt Wilson one confirmed;
Plt Off Welch/Plt Off Bennett one confirmed and one probable;
Fg Off Allen/Fg Off Wiseman two confirmed, one probable and
one damaged;
Sqn Ldr Howden/Fg Off Higham one damaged;
F/Sgt Adam/Sgt Gemrod one probable; Plt Off Cleaver/Sgt Nairn one confirmed; Flt Lt Winward/F/Sgt Wood one damaged; and Plt Off Gough/F/Sgt Tate one probable. At the end of July Wg Cdr Aitken
DFC, was awarded the DSO. A total of 79 operational sorties were flown in July by the
Squadron.

23.07.42 Sqn Ldr Howden Fg Off Longden 1 Do 217
Wg Cdr Aitken Fg Off Higham 1 Ju 88 1 Do 217
Sgt Truscott Sgt Howarth 1 Do 217
W/O Bobek F/Sgt Kovarik 1 Do 217

24.07.42 Sqn Ldr Vesely Sgt Necas 1 He 177

28.07.42 W/O Bobek F/Sgt Kovarik 1 Do 217 1 Do 217
Plt Off Welch Plt Off Bennett 1 Do 217 1 Do 217

30.07.42 Fg Off Raybould F/Sgt Mullaly 1 Do 217

31.07.42 Plt Off Ward Sgt Wilson 1 Do 217
Fg Off Allen Fg Off Wiseman 1 Ju 88 1 Do 217
W/O Bobek F/Sgt Kovarik 1 Do 217

Cheers

Bruce Lander

[Bruce Lander]

Hi,

68 Sq site is :-

www.laarbruch-museum.net/Source/RAF-68.SQD.pdf‎

hope that corrects previous

Bruce Lander

[Chris Goss]

The list of kills for 68 Sqn produced for the AHB after the war only states that Bobek got a probably damaged Do 217 28 Jul 42-I wonder if this should read one probable and one damaged. Just adds to the confusion. They are mentioned again 28-29 Mar 43 with a Ju 88 destroyed

[Ota Jirovec]

Dear Chris and Bruce,

Many thanks for your kind assitance. A certain confusion persists...

Ota