Did KG27 bomb Dublin May 1941?

[Brian]

Hi guys

Any information, please?

Cheers
Brian

[Martin Gleeson]

Hi Brian,

Sorry, but I hav'nt a clue ! I would like to know too. Perhaps someone with the multi-volume Walter Waiss KG 27 history might be able to help ?

Martin Gleeson.

[obdl3945]

Hi, guys...

The undernoted link provided some information on this subject. Hope it is of interest to you.

http://www.irishfireservices.com/pages/afs.htm

History
In 1938 the threat of war across Europe was looming and Ireland even though choosing to remain neutral in military affairs, nevertheless began to make preparations for whatever was to come. In August 1939 the Department of Defence initiated the Auxiliary Fire Service and gave Major Comeford command. Third Officer Gorman of Dublin Fire Brigade was appointed as training Officer with acting district officer Leech, two instructors from the army and four newly made up leading firefighters also instructing.
With the Fire Brigades Act of 1940 The AFS was approved as a separate organization except in emergency conditions when it was to augment the regular brigades.
The AFS expanded quickly with numbers growing to over 700 officers and men with 3 self propelled pumps and 77 trailer pumps. These units were stationed in fifteen stations which were established across the county.

Cross Border Dash
On the 15th April 1941 the Luftwaffe started to bomb further afield and headed for Belfast Northern Ireland. The city suffered heavy bombing and all brigades were stretched to the limit to cope with the onslaught. The Auxiliary Fire Service and the Dublin Fire Brigade in defiance of neutrality raced across the border to help their weary colleagues. Other brigades from Dun Laoghaire, Drogheda and Dundalk also answered the call.

German Bombs land on Dublin
Although Ireland had declared its neutrality at the beginning of the war, in 1941 bombs landed on several areas of the city. The explosions occurred on the night of 30/31 May 1941 when bombers dropped there loads on the northern part of Dublin. The areas hit were the North Circular Road, Summerhill Parade and North Strand. 38 people died with 70 houses being destroyed. Serious fires were started as a result and the firefighters worked valiantly amidst the carnage.
The bombers which were following two radio beacons which were to form an x over the target are be believed to have veered off course when the British transmitted a third beam which moved the cross hairs to a different location.
Whether the raid was deliberate or accidental is not known. At the end of the war the AFS was disbanded for the time being.

Regards...

[Brian]

Hi Martin (nice to hear from you again) and '3945 (great stuff!)

Its strange that this incident hasn't been researched in that respect and feel sure 'someone' has the information. I will keep digging. I don't have a copy of the KG27 history unfortunately - let's hope 'someone' has!

Cheers
Brian

[Tony Kearns]

Like Martin, I too would like to know which unit was involved, but not sure if we will ever know.Two aircraft were involved in the Dublin bombing on the night of 30/31 st May. It is possible that KG27 was involved and I understand that three aircraft from I./KG.27 and nine from III./KG.27 were airborne that night as part of Approx 90 aircraft airborne with Bristol and Liverpool as the intended targets. The first wave was reported by the Irish Look Out Posts (LOPs) at 23.45 hrs crossing the South Wexford coast on a northerly course over Dublin and some as far noth as Co. Louth before turning east for Liverpool. Others followed with some as far west as Mullingar driven by strong easterly winds. The LOPs on the east coast reported many explosions as the bombers jettisioned their bombs in the Irish Sea to ensure a safe return to France. Perhaps someone with access to German records could help here. One possible candidate would be I./KG.55.
Keep hoping!
Tony K

[Brian Bines]

Looked up the Radio Intercepts which did not give any real clues they show the RAF identified attacks on 30/31st May by 8 a/c of III/KG1, 12 of III/KG26, 3 of I/KG27, 9 of III/KG27, 3 of KG28, 11 of II/KG53, 17 of I/KG54, 5 of I/KG55, 27 from II & III/KG76, 13 of II/KG77, 7 of KGr100, 3 of KFG606 and 5 of KFG806. An aircraft of II/KG53 reported dropping its bombs on target no.2 (where-ever that was) and at 0451 hrs aircraft ITIL (KG28?) was given a D/F location as 20 miles S/W of Dublin. Dublin does not seem to be mentioned in the books on KG26, KG53, KG54, KG55 or KG100, so unfotunately no answers at present.

[Doug Stankey]

Sirs:

Your questions could have been easily answered by consulting "Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe, A Reference Source", recently published by Midland/Ian Allan.

In fact the only raid by KG 27 on Ireland during the month of May 1941 was by all three gruppen on the night of 4/5 May 1941 against Belfast. Raids on any target anywhere can be found by using the placename index.

[Martin Gleeson]

Thanks Doug, but Dublin would not have been a target at any point and certainly would not have been listed as such in any official Luftwaffe documents. Capital of a neutral country, etc. and conspiricy theories notwithstanding.
Any attacks were almost certainly accidental. It is doubtful the crews responsible would have reported Dublin as their target even if they had realized their error.

A belated thanks to Brian Bines for that valuable information on the Kampfgruppen involved that night.

Regards,

Martin Gleeson.