Schiphol Aerodrome

[James Farrimond]

Afternoon

Anyone have any information on an attack on Schiphol by Wellingtons in mid-November 1940?

Also does anyone have any photos of the aerodrome at or about the time?

James

[Revi16]

http://www.dutch-aviation.nl/index3/...1940-1944.html

http://www.urbannebula.nl/?datatype=...ediaset&id=509

[Hans Nauta]

Hi James,

During November 1940 at least 17 different individual attacks were carried out by Wellingtons on Schiphol.

Are you after a specific date, unit or involved crew member?

Regards,
Hans

[James Farrimond]

Hello Hans

Were all those attacks made after 14th-15th November and in retaliation for the Coventry raid?

I'm trying to track down a raid on Schiphol during November which destroyed hangers and led to KG30's having to use other airfields in Zwischenahn. Presumably it must have been the combined damage of these various raids.

James

[Larry deZeng]

The answer, among other sources, would be in the ADI(K) P/W interrogation reports for KG 30 air crew for around Nov-Dec 40. I recall seeing mention of this in some of the reports. These reports may be accessible on-line at the PRO/BNA website.

L.

[Hans Nauta]

Hi again James,

Unfortunately not much is known about inflicted damage as the KTB of Schiphol during that time frame hasn't survived the war. From other sources like some private diaries and the KTB of the Führungsstab Luftwaffe the next incidents can be extracted:

15/16th November 1940: 18 bombs and 60 incediaries at Schiphol
(at least 1 Wellington of 214 Squadron involved)

17/18th November 1940: incendiaries at Schiphol.
(1 Wellington of 214 Squadron involved)

Remarkably, some other damage that month was caused on the same night as the Coventry Raid:

14/15th November 1940: bombs near the flare path, 1 building minor damage.
(at least 2 Wellingtons of 115 Squadron and 1 of 75 Squadron involved)

I've consulted Dutch book Fliegerhorst Schiphol by Ab Jansen, but nothing had been mentioned about a temporary movement of III/KG30 to other airfields. Unless this was the very same night of the Coventry Raid. Back from the attack the returning Ju 88's found Schiphol covered in haze and they landed at Eindhoven airfield. As the circumstances weren't much better the next morning, the Ju 88's couldn't return earlier than 12.50 hrs.

That's all I'm afraid...

Regards,
Hans

[Nick Beale]

I've got a paragraph about the 14/15 November attack on Schiphol in my website article on the Coventry bombing: http://www.ghostbombers.com/1940/Coventry/cov_7.html

[James Farrimond]

Hi Nick

your web site was the source of my enquiry. Thank you

Hans

how can I get access to the KTB? Sounds like I'm missing out on an important source of information

James

[Hans Nauta]

Hello James,

The Anlagen (appendices) KTB Führungsstab Luftwaffe are held by the Bundes/Militär Archiv at Freiburg, Germany.

It is less spectecular as you presume, I think. It's merely a list of dropped bombs and locations in the German occupied territories. Although the Wellington crews reported good results and huge damage, most of the bomb loads came down near dummy airfields around Schiphol. The actual damage at Schiphol is mentioned in my previous message.

Regards,
Hans

[James Farrimond]

Thank you Hans. Do you have a source reference for the info you supplied above?

Cheers