Luftwaffe to Lincoln August 17th/18th, 1943

[Brian Bines]

From my notes from an old publication it states a raid by 88 German bombers on Lincoln with 3 Ju188's of 1/KG66 marking the Ruston and Hornsby Works. Ulf Balke gives the raid as 55 Do217's attacking Lincoln, with marking by 1/KG66 (Do217's) and 13 Me410's (V/KG2) attacking in the Colchester area ie 68 aircraft. The Home Office report states 44 hostiles plotted overland with 25 of these operating over the N/E. 16 over Coastal districts of Essex and 3 over Sussex (bombing incidents reported Birch Airfield Langham Airfield and Railway at Colchester = V/KG2) The KG6 history makes no mention of the raid and the losses that evening come from all the KG2 Gruppen and one Do217 of KG66. Does this indicate the original story of 88 bombers should have been 68 ?
A 'K' report from the 5 POW's from KG2 gives the marking as follows:-
LC50 yellow dropped at the turning point between 0007 and 0027hrs. Zielfinders to identify the target between 0055 to 0057 hrs. Zielmarkers to drop IB's between 0057 and 0059hrs and two illuminaters to drop flares between 0059 and 0109 hrs. Nav aids provided by Knickbeim 3 Den Helder and Sonne 5 and 6, target given as Rail Junction, Sheds, Sidings and other Military targets in the city. The K report notes that no bombs fell within 15 miles of Lincoln and the target was only identified from a German radio broadcast. KG2 crews were also told there would be a diversionary raid to Colchester by V/KG2 or SKG10.
This K report gives the impression much of the marking would be carried out as in the Portsmouth raid (15/16th) by KG2 itself. Is it posiible that turning point marking, Zielfinder, illuminating were carried out by KG2 with three aircraft of 1/KG66 (Ju188 or Do217) doing the Zielmarking. If anyone has a copy of Altrogges logbook that would perhaps sort the matter.