Who sunk Dutch trawler Protinus 19.03.1940

[Andrei Demjanko]

Robert, thanks!

I have a fresh re-think of the whole of this today's morning. Actually I worked out what was the map reference you provided in your previous post with use of the excellent LUMA converter. It gives the position of this map reference roughly 57.14N 4.11 E (ie eastern North Sea between Denmark and Norway but far from the coast of both). And this position to the north even of Dogger Bank, but also far to the east from Moray Firth - Kinnaird Head area where Windermere was attacked.

Many thanks to Leendert for providing information regarding attack on another Dutch trawler in April. It became clear, that for some reason trawlers from Ijmuiden regularly sailed in those waters (both attacks in March and April were not far from each other). And this area is right on the way of inbound/outbound He 111H's of KG 26, attacking the convoy on 20 March. And it also explains why the crew of Protinus, was not rescued for so long, as this position is pretty far from land and shipping routes.

And so the puzzle is complete. Protinus was almost certainly sunk on 20 March 1940 by He 111H of II./KG 26