Allied bombing of german airfield in greece

[Larry deZeng]

Here are the bombings of Eleusis through the end of 1943 with the aircraft losses taken from the 6.Abt.(Gen.Qu.) Verlustmeldungen:

Eleusis (GR) (a.k.a. Athens-Eleusis; Elevsis) (38 03 N – 23 33 E)
General: Fliegerhorst 18 km WNW Athens in S Greece; airfield 3 km NNE of the town. Taken over by the Luftwaffe 27-30 Apr 41. Played a major role in the air war over the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. Had a satellite or dispersal field designated Eleusis/Ost.
Remarks:
8 Jul 41: bombed – 1 x Ju 88 A-5 from 5./LG 1 damaged on the ground.
17 Aug 41: bombed – 5 x Ju 88 A-5s from I. and II./LG 1 destroyed (3) or damaged (2) on the ground.
27 Jun 43: bombed by 24 B-24 Liberators – 2 x Ju 88 A-4s and 1 x He 111 from I. and II./LG 1, 2 x Ju 88 C-6s from 11./ZG 26, 1 x He 111 H-6 from Erg.St./KG 100 and 1 x Kl 35 from Stab/St.G. 3 destroyed (5) or badly damaged (2), and some 23 other aircraft lightly damaged; 2 hangars set on fire and 2 barracks damaged.
22 Sep 43: bombed – 1 x He 111 H-11 from Erg.St./KG 100 slightly damaged on the ground.
8 Oct 43: attacked by 48 B-25 Mitchells dropping fragmentation bombs – 3 x He 111Hs from Erg.St./KG 100 damaged (incomplete German sources). The Mitchell crews claimed the destruction of many dispersed aircraft and base infrastructure set on fire.
15 Nov 43: bombed by B-24s – 11 x Ju 88As from Einsatz-Kampfgruppe Ju 88/Chef Ausbildungswesens destroyed (1) or damaged (10) on the ground.
16 Nov 43: bombed by 84 B-25 Mitchells from NATAF, mainly dropping fragmentation bombs – claimed direct hits on hangars and runways, with at least 5 aircraft including a large transport destroyed on the ground.
17 Nov 43: bombed by B-17s - 1 x Ju 88 A-14 from II./KG 51 and 4 x He 111Hs from Erg.St./KG 100 destroyed (3) or damaged (2) on the ground.
18 Nov 43: bombed by B-17s - 2 x He 111 H-6s from Erg.St./KG 100 damaged on the ground plus most of the remaining aircraft belonging to Einsatz-Kampfgruppe Ju 88/Chef Ausbildungswesens were destroyed which in the Gruppe being disbanded two days later.
6 Dec 43: bombed by 45 B-24s – 4 x Ju 88 A-4s from I./LG 1 destroyed or damaged on the ground.
8 Dec 43: (by B-17s);
14 Dec 43: (by B-17s);
20 Dec 43: (by B-17s);
15 Sep 44: (by B-24s).
12-13 Oct 44: evacuated by the Luftwaffe.

The LG 1 KTB agrees with the above stating: "Der Flugplatz Eleusis wird um 11:05 Uhr von 48 Bombern B-24 in zwei Wellen angegriffen, wodurch erhebliche Schäden entstehen. Von der Chef-AW-Gruppe wird eine Ju 88 total zerstört, 10 weitere Ju 88 werden beschädigt. Es gibt einige Verwundete, darunter ist auch der Kommandeur der Chef-Aw-Gruppe, Hptm. v.d. Fecht, der ins Lazarett gebracht werden muss. Die Gruppe ist an diesem Tag nicht mehr einsatzbereit."

[Source:
Taghon, Peter. Die Geschichte des Lehrgeschwaders 1: Dokumentation über Aufstellung, Ausrüstung, Einsatz und Ende eines Kampfgeschwaders der Luftwaffe, Zusammengestellt aus Kriegstagebüchern, Dokumenten und Berichten.
Band 2: 1942 – 1945. VDM Heinz Nickel, 2004. ISBN: 3-925480-88-9. Pb with laminated cover. Oversize. 571p. Well illustrated. 11 appendices. Page 269.]


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