Vaagso 27 December 1941

[BrianC]

Hi guys

I've been requesting information on the Allied Forum - and have been advised to try my luck here.

Basically, (A) two He111s (WkNrs. 3755 and 4319) of Stab and I/KG26 were damaged by Beaufighters - one ditched (with one crewman wounded) and the other force-landed with 30% damage. The crews are not known (to me). May I ask - has anyone a copy of Alex Steenbeck's book, and if so, any chance of a photocopy of his reference to the actions, please?

(B) A Ju88 of 1.(F)/120 was apparently attacked in error and damaged by a Bf109 of 13./JG77. Any identities? I believe this occurred at about 16:20 hours.

(C) A total of four Blenheims/Beaufighters were claimed by Bf109s of 13./JG77 (Kalweit, Habermann, Senoner, Hartwein). Another may have been credited to a Bf110 crew. Any further information, please?

(D) Blenheims attacked a small convoy of ships but suffered four losses to ships' AA fire. What damage, if any, was inflicted on the ships?

Any snippet of information may prove invaluable.

Much appreciated
Stay safe
Brian

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by BrianC

(D) Blenheims attacked a small convoy of ships but suffered four losses to ships' AA fire. What damage, if any, was inflicted on the ships?

Any snippet of information may prove invaluable.

Much appreciated
Stay safe
Brian

Why not try the German Naval War Diary?: https://opus4.kobv.de/opus4-zmsbw/so...s/id/1/rows/10

Translated version (American English) here: https://archive.org/details/wardiarygermann281941germ

And the ULTRA decrypts from the period are downloadable free from the National Archives. The files to try would be DEFE 3/75 (decrypts 27–30 December) and DEFE 3/76 (decrypts 31 December–4 January).

[SteveR]

I don't have Steenbeck's book (unfortunately - wish I did!). I took a quick look through Schmidt's Achtung-Torpedos Los! and all I could find is Uffz. Hugo Schanke of I./JG 26 wounded on 27 December 1941 in a/c SZ+N. No details in the text.

Sorry, it's not much.

[Rottler]

Hello Brian,

in the GQM loss returns are listed:
to (A)
27.12.41 I./KG 26 Feindflug, bei Bergen, Absturz in See nach Feindbeschuss, Bs Uffz Hugo Schenke verletzt (Schanke according to Schmidt's Achtung-Torpedos Los!), restliche Besatzung unverletzt, He 111 H-5 WNr. 3755 100%
27.12.41 St.St./KG 26 Feindflug, bei Bergen, Feindbeschuss, He 111 H-6 WNr. 4319, 30%.
to (B)
27.12.41 1.(F)/120 Feindflug, Flugplatz Vernes, Bruchlandung infolge Beschuss durch eigene Jäger, Ju 88 D-1 WNr. 1047, 25%.

Regards
Leo

[Larry deZeng]

The German Naval War Diary, cited above by Nick B., covers the Vaagso raid in considerable detail: see KTB for 27.12.41 (pages 413-416), KTB for 28.12.41 (pages 426-428) and KTB for 29.12.41 (pages 441-443).

To your (D): on page 442, it states that 6 Blenheims attacked a convoy consisting of the steamer Magdelena Vinnen and escort vessels on 27 December. The U-Jäger 1404 and the MS (motorship? minesweeper?) 23 together shot down 3 of the 6 Blenheims with their Bordwaffen. There is no mention of any damage to the steamer or the escorts.

L.

[flyvrak]

This is what I have on Operation Archery:
https://flyvrak.info/oldeide.html


Rgds. Flyvrak

[igorrB]

Long time ago i've write article about this operation. Kriegsmarine has plenty of documents about this case.
Small convoy attacked by Blenheims of 110 sqn. attacks convoy consisted from just one merchant ship MAGDALENA VINNEN, escorted by V-boot NS.23 and subchaser UJ.1404. Steamship was hit by one bomb and was towed by escorts in Egersund. Germans claimed 3 Blenheims shot down by ship's Flak and one by Hartwein..
I can't find any references about KG 26 involvement in Vaagso fighting in Steenbeck's book.

[focusfocus]

There is a good description of the raid (including land and sea claims) in "Sea Eagles" (the messerschmitt Bf 109T) by Francis L.Marshall.
Michel

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Larry deZeng

The German Naval War Diary, cited above by Nick B., covers the Vaagso raid in considerable detail … the MS (motorship? minesweeper?) 23 …

L.

Larry, there's a "hidden extra" online with the German version of the KTB, an appendix which explains the abbreviations, code names and map squares mentioned in the diaries themselves. It's helped me a lot in making sense of things.

And you're right, MS = Motorschiff (so I guess the equivalent of the English MV for motor vessel).

[richdlc]

Originally Posted by focusfocus

There is a good description of the raid (including land and sea claims) in "Sea Eagles" (the messerschmitt Bf 109T) by Francis L.Marshall.
Michel

As I mentioned in the other thread, my publishing company's forthcoming book (due in around 10-12 weeks) is a revised version of Francis's 'Sea Eagles' and has extensive details of the Raid

Graf Zeppelin's Eagles: An Operational History of the Messerschmitt Bf 109T - Francis L. Marshall - Chandos Publications