30th/31st July 1942 Raids

[Brian Bines]

Details I have are Ju88 A-4 IT+CR ( variations of a/c code appear on different records) of 7/KG 26 with:-

Ff. Ofw Valentin Bechtold age 25
B. Fw. Ludwig Drees age 28
Bf. Ogef Karl Heberling age 22
Bs. Gef Heinrich Friedermeier age 22

The aircraft flew into power cables and as the pilot tried to regain control a/c was hit by Bren gun fire from an Army NCO of a Searchlight unit. the Junkers then crashed at Thorney ( 6 miles ENE of Peterborough) at 0208 hrs on 30th July, with crew all killed. It was also reported that the Junkers flew into the cables after first being hit by light AA. So I assume it was hit by AA lost height hit the cables and then fired on with the Bren ?
According to the book 'Air Raid' it was one of 16 bombers of III/KG 26 that took off from Rennes to attack Birmingham and was planned to land at Soesterberg.
Most of this is from hand written notes so I hope spellings are correct,and that this is of help,

[Chris Goss]

I have the German loss report which confirms the Bechtold ac was an A-4, Wk Nr 142086. Hit by LAA, climbed, banked to port and crashed through 25000 volt cable into field; 2 crew tried to bale out

[philip turland]

thanks guys

not sure if this is the plane i am looking for or not

report i have indicates enemy bomber crashing between glatton and sawtry.....couild this be one and the same....details of searchlight battery engaging the bomber does seem to fit though

philip

[philip turland]

thinking about it, there were power lines on the map where i believe this (maybe) a/c crashed.

[DDT]

Hello,

I know I know !! This thread is more then a year old, but I just read it and still have a question about this quote :

"3.Ju 88 1556 emergency landing at Coxyde crew of Ofw.Elsner all injured"

Does anyone knows to which staffel this crew belonged. The loss list in Rudy Schmidt's book (Achtung - Torpedo Loss !) doesn't mention these.
Also no mention at all in the rest of the text !
Many thx in advance,

Dirk

[_Mike_]

I realise that this thread is very old but....

...I have been given a copy of a map of Thorney marked with various wartime features such as searchlight sites, park of the GHQ line and some "crashed planes".

Does anyone know in anymore detail where Ju88 Wk Nr 142086 came down? It would be good to try and match it up with this map.

Cheers,

Mike