JG 27 - Africa, july 1941

[Daniele Gatti]

Dear Guys,

on july 7 or 8 (?), 1941 Jagdgeschwader 27 involved in a fighting near Bardia and Halfaya pass.

Hpt Neumann and Lt Schroer claim two Hurricanes.

Can you tell me a description of these fighting?

Thanks, Daniele.

[Daniele Gatti]

None?

[GuerraCivil]

I have a biography on Marseille, it may contain something on those combats. Probably not much. If You are interested about the combat reports of Allied side on that day - this meaning the Desert Air Force (DAF), there should be good books available. There is also something available on JG 27 (Osprey has published a book "Jagdgeschwader 27 Afrika"). I tried to see what could be found auf Deutsch, but a quick look did not give much. There has been a German JG 27 -site, but it looks deserted with broken links.

[Daniele Gatti]

Thanks a lot for the answer.

In "Jagdgeschwader 27 - Afrika" there is nothing.

I haven't Prien's book... unfortunately.

[RolandF]

Did you take a look into Hans Ring/Christopher Shores: "Luftkampf zwischen Sand und Sonne" by Motorbuch Verlag 1974?

Regards

Roland

[Gianandrea Bussi]

Nothing in the Prien-Rodeike-Stemmer book about Stab and I./JG 27: only the two claims on 8.7 in the claim list. No combat related losses in the loss list (only a Bf.109E-7 6208 damaged 30% "Bedienungsfehler- Notlandung" place unknown).
Nothing more in the Ring/Girbig "Jagdgeschwader 27".

ciao

Gianandrea

[ruspren]

There's an account of the 7th July actions (if we accept that the two Luftwaffe claims were for two of the five 73 Squadron Hurricanes lost that day) in Shore and Massimelo's Mediterranean Air War, volume 1.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Daniele

Looking in Shores' and Massimello's book A History of the Med Air War 1940-45 Vol 1 notes that the two claims made by Neumann and Schroer on the 8th most certainly was in fact made on the 7th. The RAF losses on the 7th correspond very well with the German claims on the 8th.

If your interests are in the Desert war I strongly suggest you get this book and also Vol 2 just published!

Cheers
Stig

[Daniele Gatti]

Dear Guys,

thanks a lot for your help!

This is exactly what I thought.

D.

[Andrei Demjanko]

I've just spotted this thread and I have something to add to this

CWGC lists two pilots of 73 Sqn - P/O S.J.Leach and Sgt G.A.Jupp, as killed on 8 July 1941. MAW lists them as lost on 7 July. Is it possible that these two pilots force-landed away from base in the desert or at the other LG (Tobruk?) after combat on 7 July and were returning back to base on the morning of 8 July when they were shot down?

To complicate matters to some extent also on 8 July P/O K.E.Whalley of 451 Sqn was shot down, reportedly by flak, over Halfaya, and force-landed. He was downed in the general area were Hptm. Neumann made his claim