9./JG27 under Fritz Gromotka over Kos Island in 1943

[bavgan]

Hello Harry,

I have been reading your post with interest. This is just because I am living very close to the place where your father in law was shot down.

This morning I climbed up to the hill behind my house. Though there was some mist, I took a panoramic view of the channel located between Turkey and Kos. Photo shows the northern side of the Kos while the bare island on the far right is Pserimos. This can not give much info about the events happened in September 1943, but at least here is how the channel looks like now.

This image was made of several photos and I have a larger version of it. So, if you are intersted in a better copy, let me know your e-mail address.

Blue skies,

Batur

[HarryB]

Bavgan,

thank you very much for the picture. I'll contact you separately.

Harry

[VtwinVince]

I know this area quite well, and there was also heavy fighting in September 1943 between German and Italian units at the southern end of Rhodes, at Plimiri.

[teixo_gr]

Bavgan, a little bit off topic,

The 74Sqn. RAF Spitfires used Lampi and Harry mentioned a Ju88 bombing run on the Lampi airfield escorted by Me109s.

Can you (or somone else) point out the co-ordinates of this strip (i.e. google earth)? From a picture of a K registered spit, possibly taken on the strip, this may now be the costal road. Unlike Rhodes, there is no visible sign of the old airstrip in Lambi

Gia
Richard

[HarryB]

teixo_gr,

an extremely belated response.

I think that bombing run was on tye Antimachia airfield, not the rough and ready thing at Lampi. I'm not sure precisely and exactly where this second field was...but the day my father-in-law was shot down, he flew out of that field with squadron leader Corrie Van Vliet.

Harry
Vancouver
CANADA

[jiri]

More first-hand details about German action against Kos Island (incl. airfields Antimachia a Tingachi, where Spitfires of No 74 (Tiger) Sqdn RAF and No 7 Sqdn SAAF were stationed) during October 1943:

Bundesarchiv-Militärarchiv (BA-MA), Freiburg i.Br., RH 26-22/55. KTB über den Einsatz der Kampfgruppe Müller im Dodekanes 1. 10. 1943-3. 2. 1944.

[Brian]

Hi Jiri

Is this a publication? If so, how does one obtain a copy?

Cheers
Brian

[VtwinVince]

Fascinating story, Harry. I spent time on Kos as well as Kalymnos. Seems we share the same address as well, Vancouver.