Luftwaffe losses on the ground at Lyon-Bron on 30 April 1944

[Laurent Rizzotti]

On 30 April 44, Lyon-Bron airfield was bombed by 114 B-17 Fortresses causing the following losses to Luftnachrichtenschule 4: 9 Ju 86E, 1 He 72D, 1 Fw 44J, 2 Fw 58C and 5 Caudron C 445A totally destroyed except, 3 Ju 86E damaged.

Can someone give me details of these losses (especially WNr) and tell me if other aircraft were destroyed by this attack ?

Thanks in advance

Laurent

[Matti Salonen]

1944-04-30 Fallschirmschule 1 Bf 108B-1 2212 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Fallschirmschule 1 Ca 148 61155 SP+BN Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Fallschirmschule 1 Ca 148 61156 SP+BO Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Fallschirmschule 1 He 111B-2 2341 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Fallschirmschule 1 He 111H-3 6885 Tiefangriff. Bruch 20 %.
1944-04-30 Fallschirmschule 1 He 111J-1 5166 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Kdo.Fl.H.Ber. 3/XIII Fi 156C-3 1337 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Kdo.Fl.H.Ber. 3/XIII Fi 156C-3 110248 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 C 445A 54 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 C 445A 100 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 C 445A 357 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 C 445A 673 Bombenwurf. Bruch 95 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 C 445A 735 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 FW 44J 2542 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 FW 58C 1978 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 FW 58C 3160 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 He 72D 1252 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 Ju 86E 860044 Bombenwurf. Bruch 95 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 Ju 86E 860111 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 Ju 86E 860191 Bombenwurf. Bruch 95 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 Ju 86E 860193 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 Ju 86E 860312 Bombenwurf. Bruch 10 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 Ju 86E 863070 VA+GX Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 Ju 86E 864022 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 Ju 86E 864055 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 Ju 86E 865013 Bombenwurf. Bruch 30 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 Ju 86E 865067 Bombenwurf. Bruch 95 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 Ju 86E 865074 Bombenwurf. Bruch 15 %.
1944-04-30 Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4 Ju 86E 865075 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.
1944-04-30 SG 101 Ca 113 11934 Bombenwurf. Bruch 100 %.

Matti

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks a lot Matti, a lot more losses that what I knew before, and details I needed on the known ones

[Nick Beale]

When the Allies arrived in September there were three Ju 86 wrecks:

• W.Nr. 0865013, RO+CW
• DK+XP
• Another totally destroyed.

All were fitted out for transporting petrol.

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Interesting, Nick, thanks for the additional details. It seems then that the Ju 86E 0865013 that was damaged at 30% on 30 April 1944 was either never repaired and left in situ, or repaired, returned to Lyon-Bron and again damaged or rendered unserviceable before the German retreat.

Luftnachrichtenschule 4 left Bron on 18 August 1944 and flew to Alsace. The same day, the Stab and I Abteilung of the unit were disbanded, leaving only the II Abteilung that was itself disbanded on 10 September 1944.

By the way, I don't see how Ju 86 wrecks, especially one totally destroyed, can be "fitted out for transporting petrol." Or does it mean that they were used as "flying petrol transporters" before being wrecked ?

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Oups, I have forgotten to ask about a Ju 86 of the same unit (Luftnachrichtenschule 4) shot down this day at La Boisse, Ain, by 2nd Lt. Joseph Leo Long, Lt Monroe Shelton and Major Waclaw "Mike" Sobanski of 334th FS, 4th FG. Six men aboard were killed and one wounded.

One source identifies this aircraft as WNr 0245.

[Matti Salonen]

1944-04-30, Lfl.Nachr.Schule 4, Ju 86E, 860245, KJ+AK, La Boisse, Absturz infolge Jägerbeschuß. Bruch 100 %.
Flugzeugführer Stfw Hartmann, Siegfried, verletzt
Bordfunker Gefr Ingermann, Heinz, +
Bordfunkerschüler Fu Franzen, Johann, +
Bordfunkerschüler Fu Rehm, Walter, +
Bordfunkerschüler Gefr Rühl, Josef, +
Bordfunkerschüler Gefr Taubert, Fritz, +
Bordwart Fw Friese, Oskar, +

Matti

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Laurent Rizzotti

By the way, I don't see how Ju 86 wrecks, especially one totally destroyed, can be "fitted out for transporting petrol." Or does it mean that they were used as "flying petrol transporters" before being wrecked ?

My impression was that when they were still flyable they had been fitted so they could transport petrol — racks in the fuselage to hold 20-litre jerrycans perhaps?

[Mikael Olrog]

Hi Nick,

It was an interesting information you had on the Ju 86 being modified for transporting fuel. Could you share any additional details on when this was done, how many aircraft were involved and potentially the source for this information?

Best regards
Mikael

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Mikael Olrog

Hi Nick,

Could you share any additional details on when this was done, how many aircraft were involved and potentially the source for this information?

Best regards
Mikael

No, sorry. All I have is in my previous post. It was just a one-line comment on the (very short) report about wrecks at Lyon-Bron.