Ghostbombers updates

[gaupe75]

Originally Posted by Nick Beale

I have been so busy for a long time with operations in France that now I feel guilty that I did not pay more attention to Norway! Most of what I have noticed has been about movements of aircraft between bases and sorties flown on particular days, especially reconnaissance and convoy escort. From memory I am sure that you will find some reports of lost or damaged aircraft but I don't remember any long lists. That I./JG 4 material I found is unusual because you do not usually get so many reports from one unit. Such information can appear suddenly and vanish just as fast (for example when they move to somewhere with a good landline and stop communicating by radio).

So that probably means that communication between luftwaffe units in Norway, was mostly by landline, and was never picked up by ULTRA?

Then what we have left, is communication with ship traffic?

[TormodChristiansen]

Thanks anyway for the reply and information on the matter Nick.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by gaupe75

So that probably means that communication between luftwaffe units in Norway, was mostly by landline, and was never picked up by ULTRA?

Then what we have left, is communication with ship traffic?

Quite a lot of what I have seen could be explained by liaison between the Luftwaffe and the Kriegsmarine. Given the geography of Norway, I guess that very few flights would take place that would completely avoid the sea.

[Nick Beale]

Today's additions and updates to Ghost Bombers are:

• A new article: ULTRA and Unternehmen »PAULA«: 3 June 1940.
• Kommando Götz: details of a mission flown on 1 March 1945 (thanks to Chris Going).
• Staffel Kaatsch: the homeward flight of a damaged aircraft on 28 August 1944 (thanks to “Xerumbe” of the 12 o’clock high forum).
• Nachtjagdstaffel Norwegen: a British Intelligence appreciation of October 1944; identification of a shot down Lancaster (thanks to Theo Boiten).
• Jagdgeschwader Recognition Bands: more about the general notification to commands that German fighters would carry coloured bands (thanks to “Seaplanes” of the 12 o’clock high forum).
• Kommando Olga: activity by two aircraft of 6.(F)/123 on the night of 22/23 August 1944.
• Kommando Rastedter: addition of a strength return for 4./FAGr. 5 on 6 July 1944.
• Geschwader Bongart: something about I./LLG 1's departure from France plus some small additions regarding Bongart's operations on 5, 6 , 8 and 9 July 1944 (thanks to Jochen Prien); an additional note about 13 July; and a comment from a Maquis veteran about an action on 20 July.
• Kampfflieger Vol. IV: an addition about II./KG 6's part in the attack on Soissons on 30/31 August 1944.
• Adlertag: added an operation by I./KG 27 against airfields in England on the night of 6/7 June 1940.
• 1940 loss reports: six additional reports for the month of May and one for 11 June.
• A clarification about Kommando Schenck's target on 28 August 1944.

[gaupe75]

"On the 25th, Uffz. Heinrich Semmelrogge (pilot), Uffz. Werner Dörries (radio operator), Uffz. Rudolf Lang (Bordwart) died in a crash attributed to pilot error (Ju 88 G-6, W.Nr. 621284, B4+NA). Petrick places this crash 20 km south west of Gardermoen aerodrome. Another G-6 was 30% damaged in a crash the following day but this time none of the crew was injured."

The location of this crash is correct, it went down about 1000 m from the house where I live now, in Gjerdrum. There are still people remembering the crash, they did however say that it was no doubt engine malfunction coming in. This day the plane had a completly different sound, and then it went down.

The germans cleaned up the wreck, so there is only metal parts showing up these days.

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by gaupe75

"On the 25th, Uffz. Heinrich Semmelrogge (pilot), Uffz. Werner Dörries (radio operator), Uffz. Rudolf Lang (Bordwart) died in a crash attributed to pilot error (Ju 88 G-6, W.Nr. 621284, B4+NA). Petrick places this crash 20 km south west of Gardermoen aerodrome. Another G-6 was 30% damaged in a crash the following day but this time none of the crew was injured."

The location of this crash is correct, it went down about 1000 m from the house where I live now, in Gjerdrum. There are still people remembering the crash, they did however say that it was no doubt engine malfunction coming in. This day the plane had a completly different sound, and then it went down.

The germans cleaned up the wreck, so there is only metal parts showing up these days.

Thanks very much for that information, I'll include it the next time I update the site.

[Chris Going]

For the record (Unternehmen Paula etc update)
10 17 is Biggin Hill; 10 118 is Kenley; 10 99 is Hawkinge; 10 136 is Lympne
and finally 10 281 is Detling.

ATB

ChrisG

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Chris Going

For the record (Unternehmen Paula etc update)
10 17 is Biggin Hill; 10 118 is Kenley; 10 99 is Hawkinge; 10 136 is Lympne
and finally 10 281 is Detling.

ATB

ChrisG

Thanks, Chris.

Quite a lot of these target numbers appear in the messages and the British gradually understood more of them as time went on, I suppose because they could compare them with what had actually been bombed.