Claims and losses of NJG 2 in Mediterranean 16-17 Feb 1942

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello, I would like to try the claims and losses of NJG 2 in Mediterranean 16 and 17 Feb 1942. I will list what I know below.

According to both MAW2 and Bomber losses in the Middle East and Mediterranean, during these two days, 6 Wellingtons were lost in the Mediterranean, DV539 of 458 Sqn shot down by Ju88s on 16th, 2 of 1 OADU in the night of 16-17 (AD591 sho down by AA fire over Sicily and AD635 crashed in Algeria) and 3 of 1 OADU on the 17th (DV458 hit by fighters and crashed in Tunisia, DV497 shot down by a German fighter (Lt R von keudall) off Sicily and AD649 crashed at Malta).

MAW2 also say the following about NJG 2:
_ it claimed 2 Wellingtons south of Malta on the 16th, by Obfw Hermann Jung of 2./NJG 2 and Uffz Gerhard Wolter of 4./NJG 2 (unknown times for both).
_ during the night of 16-17, Lt Robert von Keudell of 4./NJG 2 claimed a Wellington S Modica, but Lt Robert von Keudell of I./NJG 2 went MIA with his two crew when their Ju 88 C-2 WNr 125 was lost over sea E Syracuse.
_ on the 17th, Lt Robert von Keudell of 4./NJG 2 claimed a Wellington at 0845 hrs S of Malta, with the following note: "Apparently claimed by the radio operator Uffz Gerhard Wolter with the rear gun." Uffz Johannes Lompa of 4./JG 53 also claimed a Wellington at 0825 hrs.

Foreman's book on NJG claims has only one claim listed, by Uffz Wolter of 4./NJG 2 at 0805 hrs on the 16th.

In the Lufwaffe loss list, the Ju 88 C-1 WNr 0125 of I./NJG 2 is listed in the file of 19 Feb 1942, entry 30, to have been lost near Syracuse for an unknown reason. Crew (all missing): L Robert v.Keudell, Obgfr. Josef Bensitinger and Obgfr. Georg Schrüfer. Please note there is no Wolter.

Book "Malta the Spitfire year" says that during the night of 16-17 February 1942, a number of Wellingtons, including 17 of 458 Sqn RAAF, flew from Gibraltar to Malta but five aircraft failed to arrive and a 6h (Wellington AD649) crashed on landing: 2 Wellingtons were shot down by NJG 2, AD539 of 458 Sqn by Oblt Jung and DV497 by Lt Robert von Keudell, who failed to return and was presumed shot down by return fire. Wellington DV458 crashed in Tunisia and a 4th (no serial given) was shot down by AA fire over Sicily. But the 5th loss is not a Wellington like above, but the Hudson AE603 of OADU...

Unit history of 458 Squadron available online in the website of the Australian Archives say nothing about this move, passing directly from the details of raids on Europe from UK in January 1942 to ... October 1942, with only two pages for February 1942 giving the daily weather for the month at Holme on Spanding Moor, and noting the reception of a message saying an aircraft was missing.
Casualty files for Australian on this date exist for one crew of DV539 (Mulholland), two of AD635 (Sandilands and Strang) and one for Hudson AF603 (Sellars), but none has been digitalized.
Please note the serial AF603, that is not a valid Hudson one, but is the one listed in AIR81/12262, probably a typo for AE603;

By the way here are the entries of the AIR 81 catalogue for the above aircraft: there is none for DV539 AFAIK:
AIR81/12273 Wellington IC AD635 Sergeant J D Sandilands (RAAF), Pilot Officer A O'Brien (RNZAF), Sergeant C J Foote, Sergeant W R Wren, Sergeant W B Stehr (RNZAF), Sergeant A I Strang (RAAF): killed; Wellington AD635, Ferry Flight; aircraft in transit from UK to Middle East; crashed at Kef Djezair, Algeria, 16 February 1942.
AIR81/12267 Wellington IC AD591 Sergeant M Molyneaux: died of injuries; Pilot Officer R W King (RNZAF), Sergeant R Bowling (RNZAF), Sergeant T A Pavely, Sergeant G T Elliott, Sergeant E Ackroyd (RNZAF), Lieutenant T N Catlow (Royal Navy): prisoners of war; Wellington AD591, 11 Operational Training Unit; aircraft ditched at sea off the coast of Sicily, Italy during a transit flight to the Middle East, 17 February 1942.
AIR81/12323 Wellington IC DV458 Sergeant G McIntyre: killed; Sergeant W W Morton: missing believed killed; Pilot Officer J C Hardy (RCAF), Pilot Officer F H Phillips, Pilot Officer R A Green (RCAF), Pilot Officer R T Bromwich: interned; Wellington DV458, 21 Operational Training Unit; aircraft crashed at Garaet Ackel Lake near Ferryville, Tunisia during a ferry flight from Gibraltar to Malta, 17 February 1942.
AIR81/12258 Wellington IC DV497 Flight Sergeant C Dancer, Flight Sergeant R Clark, Sergeant R O R Morgan, Sergeant C A Pacey, Sergeant Sackfield, Sergeant F C Sergeant (RNZAF): prisoners of war; Wellington DV497, Overseas Air Delivery Unit; aircraft ditched at sea off the coast of Sicily, Italy during a transit flight to the Middle East, 17 February 1942.
AIR81/12262 Lightning II AF603 (sic) Pilot Officer D D Cowland-Cooper, Sergeant L A Corby, Sergeant (RAAF) J P Sellars, Sergeant S V King: prisoners of war; Hudson AF603, Coastal Command Flight; aircraft missing during transit to Middle East, 17 February 1942.