199 Sqn Stirling 12 Mar 44?

[Chris Goss]

For some time I have had a photo from a crewman from I/ZG 1 said to show the wreckage of a B-17 shot down near Bordeaux in 1944. The trouble is, the only recognisable item is a close up of the mission tally which shows 3 gardening sorties amidst bomb symbols. Gardening would not make it a B-17 and I am wondering if it is from LJ480/EK-S lost near Naujac-sur-Mer on the above date. Targets readable on the middle two rows of 4 bomb symbols are:
Baltic (mines), Duisberg, Dortmund, Dusseldorf, Wuppertal, Dusseldorf, gardening
Cologne, Aachen, Hamburg, Essen, Hamburg, Hamburg, Hamburg
The only readable ones on the lower line are La Rochell (mines), La Rochelle (mines), Mannheim, Montlucon

[Steve Smith]

I have the ORB for 199 Squadron and the Form 78, happy to check out if required.

[Col Bruggy]

Hi Chris/Steve,

I believe the scoreboard indicates raids in 1943. The 3 Hamburg Raids give it away:-

Baltic (mines) - ?
Duisburg - 12/13 May 1943
Dortmund - 23/24 May 1943
Dusseldorf - 25/26 May 1943
Wuppertal - 29/30 May 1943 -
Dusseldorf - 11/12 June 1943
Mining - ?
Cologne - 16/17 June 1943
Aachen - 13/14 July 1943
Hamburg - 24/25 July 1943
Hamburg - 27/28 July 1943
Hamburg - 29/30 July 1943


La Rochelle - ?
La Rochelle - ?
Mannheim/Ludwigshafen - 5/6 Sept 1943
Montlucon - 15/16 Sept 1943.

Col.

Don't tell him, Pike !

[Chris Goss]

Steve

Yes please

Col

It would appear that the crash would therefore be post-Sep 43 and there is another row (at least) of bomb symbols. The way to check would be looking at the ORB as Steve suggests and logging the ops flown by LJ480?

Chris

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

l have my doubts about LJ480. It crashed and was virtually obliterated. There were two large craters and an unexploded mine.

LJ480 was delivered to 623 Sqn from 10 MU on 13 Dec 1943, moving to 214 on 15 Dec, then on to 199 Sqn on 30 Jan 1944.

You can view the 1 MR&EU Report here:

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp?B=1073835

See: p.12 of 44

Col.

[Chris Goss]

Thanks Col. If that is the operational history of this aircraft, it cannot be the same one which then begs the question what aircraft was it. I wonder if it was photographed when the German was on leave if so why no other photos. I know it says obliterated but they managed to identify all the crew and if the operational history matched, it could be possible that this panel was part of the wreckage. I guess it will remain a mystery photo unless there was another crash post Sep 43 to mid 44 in the Bordeaux area