Lent papers - a question

[Franek Grabowski]

Hello
Anyone having the book? I cannot check it personally. Is there anything concerning combat and subsequent crash of Lent on 9 September 1939?
Thanks

[lritger]

I can check tonight when I get home.

Lynn

[Franek Grabowski]

OK, no hurry.
TIA

[George Hopp]

No. For the 9th the author mentions that "on the 9th came the destruction of his 3rd a/c on the ground, a PZL 24, the 8th by the Staffel overall." He does mention being forced down on the 12th, however.

[Franek Grabowski]

Thanks! Are there any details concerning his landing on 12 September? I am curious if it is misdated or another incident.

[Marius]

The 12th September is a mistake done by the author. It only seems to be an author`s try of date conclusion.
The 9th is right (is confirmed by many original documents). According to page 41 Lent wrote in a letter that on Sunday (could only be the 10th September) Führer cogratulated him on his succesful emergency landing. Indeed Hitler was on 10.9.1939 in Kielce-Maslow at appr. 14.30 hours.

The interesting thing for you could be the fact that the starboard engine of Lent`s Bf 110C was shot out by a Polish fighter (surely 152 eskadra). So you can eventually count this aircraft as one further Polish fighter victory.

By the way the book does not contain any appendixes with sources used by the author - books, documents or whatever. So the question is how many errors were made. For example starting with the first 1th September 1939 mission against the airfield in Krakau (Krakow) Hinchcliff wrote about escorting for He 111`s of KG 4. Everybody writing about this bombing attack is making the same error coping each others false informations.
The bombers were in fact Do 17E`s of KG 77.

Marius