418 Sqn Ranger over Denmark, 14 April 1944

[Laurent Rizzotti]

In the afternoon of 14 April 1944 two Mosquitoes of 418 Sqn flown by Sqn Ldr R A Kipp and Flg Off J T Caine flew a Ranger to Denmark. They reported meeting four Ju 52s minesweeping over Kattegat and claimed all four shot down, then strafed the nearby airfield, claiming three aircraft in flames and two more damaged.

According to a Luftwaffe loss list (http://www.rafandluftwaffe.info/) actually two Ju 52s of MSGr 1 were shot down. Soren Flensted's website about the air war over Denmark describes them in detail.

The same loss list then says that the attacked airfield was Kastrup, near Kobenhavn, and there Blindflugschule 34 lost four aircraft destroyed (two Ju 52, a Ju 88 and a Si 204) and two damaged. But this list gives no Wnr and no damaged percentage for this loss.

The loss list for Luftwaffe school units still exist up to September 1944, so the details of these ground losses should be available. Can one of the forum members having extensive loss databases provide them to me ?

Thanks in advance

Laurent

[ju55dk]

"The loss list for Luftwaffe school units still exist up to September 1944, so the details of these ground losses should be available."

No they are not. In order to identify the losses in Kastrup that day, you have to combine the combat report, with a danish intelligence report. They do not reveal details such as Wnr and so on.

Junker

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks Junkers

I was thinking that these losses will be in "Flzg.-Unfälle und Verluste bei Schulen und usw." files, the files RL 2 III/778, RL 2 III/779 and RL 2 III/780 covering Spring 1944 are available AFAIK.

If they are not listed in these files, I assume that so the losses listed above are coming from secondary sources, the RAF combat report and the Danish intelligence report. Did you see/know the second one ?

[Khorat]

FFSB 34 listed 2 He 111 100% 2 Ju 52 1 Ju 88 and 1 Si 204 as damaged at airfield Kastrup.

source is SIG-Norway

khorat

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Khorat, my source is also coming from SIG-Norway and has the reverse of what you said in aircraft destroyed/damaged.

With no primary source about these losses, I still have a doubt about them.

[VtwinVince]

I remember having a drink with Johnny Caine, and discussing some of his more memorable ops. He talked about this one, and a couple involving Charlie Scherff which stood out in his memory. A first class gentleman.

[Delmenhorst]

With no primary source about these losses, I still have a doubt about them

The information comes from the firebrigade at Kastrup airfield and a German report from the following morning.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks,

Can you confirm if the Germans losses are 2 destroyed and 4 damaged, or 4 destroyed and 2 damaged ?

Best regards

[ju55dk]

Slight damage to one He 111 17 hits and one He 111 8 hits. Damaged one Si 204, damaged/destroyed two Ju 52 and totally destroyed one Ju 86.

Junker

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks for the latter details: it seems that the score was finally 3 destroyed and 3 damaged after all.