Bombing of S/Ship Vestfos 1/3/1940 KG30 or KG26?

[ISLANDER]

Hi All,

Doing some research on a Norwegian Steamship which was bombed by Luftwaffe aircraft on 1st March 1940 12 miles SE of Copinsay,Orkney, the Luftwaffe crew gave plenty of warning to the crew and a bomb was dropped at her bows and a wide circle made to allow the ships crew to escape to their lifeboat before the ship was bombed again, she was on fire but not sunk, then taken in tow by another vessel Star of Liberty who also rescued the crew, however Vestfos took on so much water she sank 9 miles off copinsay.

Q.1. Would anyone happen to know the Luftwaffe unit that attacked this ship?

Q.2. The name of the Luftwaffe pilot and/or any crew?

Q.3. The ship`s captain`s name?

Any help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks
Dave

[Peter Cornwell]

Hello Dave,

The late Heinrich Weiss records this attack made around 07.00 hours (CET) by an He111H of the Korpsfuhrungskette Fl.Korps X during an armed reconnaissance mission but no further details I'm afraid.

[Chris Goss]

I wonder if this is Kowalewski and or Harlinghausen again?

[ISLANDER]

Thanks Peter/Chris,

Peter were Korpsfuhrungskette Fl.Korps X with KG26? Would there be an operations record book for KG26 which may mention such action with Vestfos?

Who were Kowalewski and Harlinghausen, are they pilots reknowned for this kind of action Chris?

Regards
Dave

[Peter Cornwell]

Dave,

It's the other way around. Fliegerkorps X comprised KG26, KG30, & KGr.100 along with many other units and were engaged in anti-shipping operations. Harlinghausen was their Operations Officer and a leading exponent of the anti-shipping war against Britain. I don't know if the KTB for KG26 survives from this period.

[Chris Goss]

Yes they were-both being RK-winners for anti-shipping ops

[ISLANDER]

Thanks Peter/Chris,

I understand `Vesfos` was either carrying coal to Norway, or on a return trip, would the fact that the Norwegian Campaign had not yet begun be the reason for not directly bombing the ship and allowing the crew to escape? Would there have been orders as such until occupation of Norway?

Regards
Dave