Attack on German airfield,12-13 August 1940

[bill norman]

Anyone have any information on the bombing of a German airfield in the Salzbergen (NE of Enschede) area by a Hampden on the night of 12-13 August 1940? Not much to go on but...

[Spurensucher]

hello bill,

do you habe more information about the airfield, damage and time of bombing?

I think I have the information you searching for.

gruß
spurensucher

[bill norman]

Spurensucher,
Are you Nils, Heinz Möllenbrok's friend? I am in contact with the Hampden pilot. He does not know the airfield and he does not know the time. He had been briefed to attack Salzbergen but failed to find it because of bad weather. He discoved the unnamed airfield by accident on the way home. The airfield was showing all of its lights so that a German aircraft could land there. He followed that aircraft to the airfield - then the lights went out! The Hampden pilot then flashed the recognition code that the German aircraft had used - and the lights came on. He made a very low level attack and dropped a line of bombs along a line of hangars. He hit them. As the Hampden flew away, the crew reported fires and explosions where their bombs had dropped. I guess that the airfield must have been somewhere along the Dutch border?

[Spurensucher]

yes,

I am searching for the airfield too, but it is very difficult. Until now no German record about airfield bombing available.

Possible airfields:

Rheine-Bentlage
Münster-Handorf
Münster-Loddenheide
Achmer
Twente

gruß
spurensucher

[Jaap Woortman]

At that time Twente was not operational.
The Germans just have started the construction of Fliegerhorst Twente at that time. So you can skip Twente.

Jaap