Details of Le0 451 loss on 12 February 1944

[Laurent Rizzotti]

I have the following about this incident, from Allied and German sources:

"Cheval Lallemant, whom Paul Richey had persuaded to fly again after his collision in 609 Squadron, was now a flight commander in 198 Squadron RAF. On 12 February 1944, he flew a Ranger sortie to Reims and chased a Leo 451 but lost it near Laon airfield. Lallemant led the Typhoons against the German base and two aircraft were destroyed on the ground. On the return flight he set fire to a barge, Flying Officer Harry Freeman RCAF shot down a Leo 451 in flames into Arras town centre, while Pilot Officer Jimmy Allen damaged two barges nearby. Flight Lieutenant John Niblett, who had destroyed one of the aircraft on the airfield, later found another Leo 451 which he forced to crash-land on fire near Doullens.

Apparently both pilots claimed their victories as "Potez 630", another former French aircraft. Both aircraft shot down were Leo 451 of 13./TG 4 while in-flight from Étampes-Mondésir to Venlo/Holland. At this time IV./TG 4 was based in Le Bourget, near Paris, and using captured LeO 451 bombers as transport aircraft."

Source:
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7227
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtop...861eaf0ba979b4

I would like to complete the above account with the usual details of the German losses: crew, WNr and so on.

Thanks in advance

Laurent