Raid on Bournemouth

[Kutscha]

23 May 1943

What Luftwaffe units participated in this raid?

I ask because the unit is said to be SKG 10 but Luftwaffe units in France where SKG 10 was based is said have had flight restrictions due to the weather.

Were the pilots of SKG 10 competent enough to fly in bad weather?

[Chris Goss]

Suggest you get hold of my book covering this and other attacks "Luftwaffe Fighter Bombers over Britain". The unit involved was IV./SKG 10 whilst II./SKG 10 attacked Hastings. IV Gruppe was based at Caen and II Gruppe at Amiens and the attacks relied on good visibility with aircraft attacking at low level

[Kutscha]

Thank you Chris. Your book was mentioned in the discussion.

On the bases, http://www.ww2.dk/air/attack/skg10.htm, has IV Gruppe at Cognac and II Gruppe at Caen-Carpiquet.

In your research, you didn't come across any mention of flight restrictions due to weather on this date?

[Chris Goss]

Cognac was the base for Erg./SKG 10-too far from the Front Line. II Gruppe was further east, IV Gruppe further west hence the bases I mentioned. Not sure what you are asking about flight restrictions as both attacks took place successfully

[Kutscha]

Definitely Cognac is too far away. So there is an error on http://www.ww2.dk/air/attack/skg10.htm.

Sorry made an error regarding II./SKG 10 at Caen-Carpiquet.

II./SKG 10 (Apr-Jun 43) at Rennes/1, a satellite field of Rennes-St Jacques http://www.ww2.dk/Airfields%20-%20France.pdf and from http://www.ww2.dk/air/attack/skg10.htm, Rennes-St. Jacques

Could Amiens have been used as a forward base for II./SKG 10 for the attack on Hastings as Rennes would be too far away (~350km one way)?

A participant in the discussion said: "The German data shows daylight missions were socked in due to weather on the 23 May 1943." He said he got this from a Jafu2 document he never produced.

[Chris Goss]

II Gruppe was forming at Rennes Feb-Apr 43. 2 aircraft from II Gruppe damaged in the 23 May 43 report Amiens and St Pierre and it looks like they were back in western France at the end of May before moving to Coxyde in Belgium. For the nocturnal missions in April 43 they were flying out of Rennes before moving to Amiens Glissy. Bottom line is they would not have been flying from Rennes to attack Hastings but a forward base