Who shot down 4 Lancasters over the Bay of Biscay on August 19-20, 1942

[sergey]

Colleagues.

I read in the 61 Squadron war log that on August 19, 1942, three Lancasters failed to return from a bombing mission against German blockade runners in the Bay of Biscay, and another Lancaster failed to return the following day. German anti-aircraft gunners claim only one aircraft shot down. Could you please tell me what air cover these ships had and which German pilots distinguished themselves?

sergey

[Chris Goss]

There were no nightfighters operating over the Bay at this time and day fighters were more involved with countering Operation Jubilee. The only fighter claim was by Zers.St/Ku.Fl.Gr 106 for the 61 Sqn ac on 20 Aug 42 at 1649hrs and which crashed at Pontedorna in Spain. It also shot down one of the attackers flown by Oblt Adolf Runge which crashed off Caion

[Stig Jarlevik]

The three aircraft were
R5563, R5605 and R5661

Was No 61Sq for some reason detached from Bomber Command during this raid?

Reason I ask is that these three losses are not included by Chorley in his loss book.

B Rgds
Stig

PS: The loss given by Chris should be R5543 which is also not in Chorley's book. How come?

[MW Giles]

61 Squadron

On 16/07/42 a detachment went to St Eval under Coastal Command control on anti-submarine patrols. It stayed there until 27/07/42.

The detachment returned to St Eval 03/08/42 Lost four aircraft attacking the ss Corunna off Spanish coast. Detachment returned to Syerston 22/08/42

As ever Chorley is correct

Martin

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Martin

My problem with that was nothing showed up in my Coastal Command unit book.
Twelve + 20 days, not worth recording obviously.

Were these detachments common practice, or was this a one off occurrance?

B Rgds
Stig

[Chris Goss]

10 OTU carried out a number of such missions as well suffering a number of losses

[sergey]

Hello, colleagues. The 61 Squadron war diary states that Lancasters flew anti-ship patrols daily from August 16th to 21st inclusive. On August 19th, the target of seven Lancasters was "a tanker off the northern coast of Spain," but in reality, they were the blockade runners WESERLAND and UKKERMARK attempting to break out into the ocean. They were sailing separately and unescorted, so the British attacked both ships, but until the next day they believed they were attacking only one. The SKL KTB the anti-aircraft gunners' claim for only "one Liberator shot down" (the Liberators did not participate in the attacks). Each blockade runner was armed with one 105mm and four 40mm or 20mm guns.

[Chris Goss]

Still just the one fighter claim so Flak or accident

[sergey]

Of the four Lancasters that returned on August 19, three reported attacking a target from 3,000 feet, and one of them was damaged by anti-aircraft fire. It's hard to imagine that three (!) four-engine bombers were shot down by small-arms anti-aircraft fire from merchant ships.

[sergey]

Aircraft R.5661 reported a target and intended to attack, after which contact was lost. It was likely shot down. But the other two...