Bf 110 ZG 26 #3939

[Laurent Rizzotti]

This is what is reported about this fight in the book "Fighters over the desert" by Shores and co:

"In the evening 229 Squadron escorted Marylands of 24 SAAF Squadron to bomb Menistiv, near Gambut. Just before their arrival, eight Bf 110s of III/ZG 26 led by Oblt. Schulze-Dickow and nine Bf 109s of I/JG 27 had taken off. On learning of the bombers approach, the Bf 109s turned back to intercept them, while the Bf 110s continued on course for the Tobruk area. On arrival over the airfield, the British formation found the Bf 109s waiting 1,000 feet above. 229 Squadron formed a defensive circle, but PO Hormman was shot down as were two of the Marylands. Hpt. Redlich, Oblt. Schneider and Obfw. Espenlaub each claimed a Maryland, while during the course of the day, Hpt. Gerlitz and Lt. Kothmann each claimed a Tomahawk (probably Truter and Stephenson in the morning), Oblt. Maak, Obfw. Förster and Lt. Schroer all claiming Hurricanes. Three of these fighters were claimed during the morning.

In the meantime, seven Tomahawks of 2 SAAF Squadron had taken off at 1905 hours to cover the Hurricane of 1 SAAF Squadron on a shipping patrol over three destroyers near Tobruk, and this formation met the Bf 110s of III/ZG 26, which attacked the South Africans head-on, as the latter tried to form a defensive circle. Oblt. Schulze-Dickow shot down the leading fighter, which zoomed up at the last second to avoid a collision, and crashed into the sea beside a destroyer, the pilot being rescued. One Schwarmführer of 8/ZG 26 claimed to have shot down the leading aircraft of a flight, and this was reported to have also crashed near the warships. A third fighter was claimed by the Germans during this initial attack, this aircraft crashing on to one of the destroyers on fire. On a second pass, a fourth fighter, a Hurricane, was claimed, this losing a wing and crashing into the sea. Lt. Pennell of 2 SAAF Squadron shot down a Bf 110 flown by Lt. Heinz Plume, who was killed together with his gunner, Fw. Weist, and also claimed a second probably destroyed. Three other probables were claimed by the squadron, but Lt. Yeates baled out and was picked up by desttroyer. Two other fighters were reported lost, and it seems probable that these unrecorded losses were from 1 SAAF Squadron. Radio Cairo later reported that the formation leader shot down by Schulze-Dickow was one of the most successful South African fighter pilots. The Italians claimed that four Allied bombers and nine fighters were shot down during the day."

Jim Perry's claim list show four claims by III./ZG 26 this day (confirming the above), all by 8./ZG 26 pilots:
Oblt Franz Schulze: a Curtiss P-40 at 17.56
Ofw. Richard Heller: a Curtiss P-40 at 17.56
Oblt. Kurt Rosenkranz: a Curtiss P-40 at 17.56
Oblt. Kurt Rosenkranz: a Hurricane at 18.03
Notice the time difference between SAAF and German records, probably due to usage of different time zones.

As often when a pilot reported shooting down an opponent aircraft and seing it crash on an enemy position, there is no trace in Royal Navy records or casualty lists of a destroyed hit by a falling fighter.

The three destroyers covered by 1 SAAF near Tobruk were probably the HMS Kandahar, Griffin, and Jackal. They departed Alexandria for Tobruk on 21 August in the third series of the Treacle operation (the relief of 18th Australian Brigade, part of the Tobruk garrison, by the Polish brigade) and returned to Alexandria on the 22nd.