I./KG 66 operating base(s) during 'Steinbock' London raid Sunday 20 February 1944?

[Simon Trew]

I’m trying to clarify the base(s) used by I./KG 66 during the ‘Steinbock’ raid against London on the evening of Sunday 20 February 1944 (the sixth of the major London raids, and one of the more successful).

According to Unteroffizier Thomale, wireless operator from 2./KG 66 Ju 188 Z6+HK (works number 260185), shot down on 24 February, on 20 February about ten aircraft from I./KG 66 operated from Châteaudun against London (TNA AIR 40/2416, ADI(K) 109, London raid report dated 12 March 1944, paragraph 37). However, in another interrogation report the same prisoner seemed to suggest that the Gruppe was based at Montdidier, which is quite a distance further north (TNA AIR 40/2416, ADI(K) 108, report dated 9 March 1944, paragraph 7).

As far as I can tell, although almost all bombers involved in the 20 February raid operated from NW Germany, the Netherlands or Belgium, and were identified by British signals interception and radar as approaching London from the east (departure point over the Dutch coast being M/F Beacon 2 ‘Nora’ at Noordwijk), ADGB plotted approximately 30 aircraft at 2103 hrs in the Le Touquet area of France flying north and north-west (TNA HW 13/38, CX/MSS/OPD. 1089 of 22 February) and another source confirms enemy aircraft plotted in the St. Omer – Amiens region (not terribly far from Le Touquet) at 2105 hrs (TNA WO 166/14234, HQ AA Comd Intell. Summary No.52/44). The first raider made landfall at Dover at 2128 hrs (Dover HAA opened fire at 2126 hrs, and Ashford HAA five minutes later). Presumably, these were I./KG 66 aircraft, plus at least some planes from II./KG 51 (Jan Horn, Das Flurschaden-Geschwader, pp.10-11 identifies at least six 6./KG 51 Me 410s flying from Vitry-en-Artois, and this may be an incomplete list).

I’m trying to map this raid for the Osprey book (much interrupted for reasons I won’t bore TOCH forum users with) and I’d like to get the I./KG 66 departure airfield(s) correct if I can. Please can anybody help by confirming whether it was Châteaudun or Montdidier, or possibly both?

On an associated matter, various sources identify 2./KG 66 Ju 188E-1 Z6+DK (Wn.260369) as crashing at 2120 hrs on 20 February at ‘Sailly-Loretto’, France; all five men on board were killed. If that timing is accurate, one might infer that the plane took off but subsequently turned back before crossing the Channel and then crashed. I understand from http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=21558 that the crew members were buried at Montdidier, which might imply that Sailly-Loretto is near there, and that Montdidier was the aircraft’s departure airfield. Unfortunately, I cannot find any location in France with the name of ‘Sailly-Loretto’. There is a Sailly commune NE of Mantes (west of Paris), but that’s quite a long way from Montdidier. So, does anybody know exactly where ‘Sailly-Loretto’ actually is?

Many thanks, Simon