Airfield of II./KG 51 june 1944 ?

[happymeal]

During the very first hours of june 6, 1944, Flg Off Roy Lelong and Flt Sgt J A McLaren of 605 Squadron claimed a Me 410 shot down near Evreux, France. That it matches with Me 410 WNr 420428 of 4./KG 51 indicated in Stocker et Petrick's book as 100% Loss MIA Shot down near St. Andre Jun 6/44.


Could some knowledgeable KG 51 expert of this forum shed some light about the airfield that Me had taken off from ? I can not find anything on the web... Many thanks !

[Nick Beale]

Soesterberg perhaps?

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Hi,
It was Saint-Andre de l'Eure.

Regards,
Norbert

[Larry deZeng]

Sorry to take the role of a Devil's Advocate here, but how do we know this particular Me 410 was operating from St.-Andre de l'Eure? The II. Gruppe base on that date was Soesterberg as Nick stated. Do we have some documentation, such as a Flugbuch, an ADI(K) P/W interrogation report or an A.I.4 wireless intercept to or from the pilot that places it at St.-Andre?

This scenario is said to have played out "in the first hours of June 6". Since II./51 was in Holland tasked with flying evening intruder missions over Allied bomber airfields in eastern England, I am not at all sure what it would be doing with one or more aircraft in Normandy at just the very moment the Germans were beginning to realize that something was developing in the Normandy area. At that moment in history, confusion on the German side was overwhelming and they had not yet taken measures to being calling in reinforcing air assets from afar, such as from Holland.

So I think some sourcing might be appropriate for this one.

Just my two tuppence worth,

L.

[Chris Goss]

2 FBs I have say 4/KG 51 was operating from Eindhoven and then Gilze but forwarded based at St Andre. In this case, Ofw Hermann Bolten & Fw Willhelm Lohf got airborne from Ste Andre at 0130 hrs (CET) in 9K+AM only to be shot down by a nightfighter on their return to Ste Andre. Le Long attacked a Me 410 on approach to Ste Andre at 1000'; Bolten baled out at 100m. Time 0148 hrs UK time.

I am sure this clears this up!

[Nick Beale]

The attached from 7 June has the II. Gruppe being addressed at Soesterberg but that wouldn't preclude one or more elements being temporarily based elsewhere.

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Thank you Chris,
this is what I have as well. The only difference is that Bolten did not bail out. The aircraft crashed from 100m and he was rescued but Lohf fell victim to the burning aircraft. Lohf was buried in Champigny-St. Andre Block 4, grave 162. 6./KG51 operated from Soesterberg. No losses from them.

Regards,
Norbert

[Larry deZeng]

Yes, that cements it. As was very common, II./KG 51 appears to have had detachments (Kommandos) or elements (Teilen) scattered about at other airfields for short periods as dictated by some tactical necessity. The short-term deployments by one or a few aircraft are virtually impossible to trace except through the 3 sources I noted in my earlier post.

II./51's crews seem to have been pressed into service as night fighters. I know 6. Staffel was designated a Fernnachtjägerstaffel in early April, so it seems logical that the rest of the Gruppe would be doing the same sooner or later.

[happymeal]

Gentlemen, many thanks for your very instructive discussion. It does help a lot.

Now, are any of you aware of some more KG 51 activity during D-Day ?

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by happymeal

Now, are any of you aware of some more KG 51 activity during D-Day ?

You could try this book: http://www.amazon.de/Das-Flurschaden.../dp/3000315659