FW200 Condor claim by SS Inishtrahull

[Johann Palsson]

According to the mission report the time of the attack was 11:20 German time in Quadrat 25 West 2463 (53°N 11°W).
There are 2 photos of the attack in the mission report, that confirm that the ship F8+CL attacked was SS Inishtrahull.

Regards,
Johann Palsson

[Tony Kearns]

Thank you again Johann, the time you list approximates with the different time zones. Does the mission report list the take off time and the subsequent movement of the Condor following the attack? I have tried to do this from Irish sources but cannot get a line on it. As far as I can determine its first sighting off the Irish Coast was just prior to the attack and then no further sightings.
Regards
Tony K

[Martin Gleeson]

Thanks to Mark, Tony and Johann,

for sharing that information. I found no reference to that attack in the Military Archives of the Irish Defence Forces.

Regards,

Martin.

[Tony Kearns]

Hello Martin,
There is no file in Irish Military Archives most likely because it was a British registered vessel and more importantly it did not enter an irish port following the attack.
Kind regards
Tony K

[Johann Palsson]

The take off time is 4:23 from Bordeaux, landed 15:33 at Brest. Took off again 16:47 and landed at Bordeaux 18:38.

The mission was weather- and armed reconnaissance, Bordeaux - 25 West 1255 (about 100-150km west of Mizen Head) - 25West 6825 (about 5730N 15W) - 25 West 1255 - Bordeaux.

Tony, I think the reason that the F8+CL was just sighted from the Irish Coast this one place is that F8+CL was to fly with in sight of SW corner of Ireland to get a navigation fix for the flight home. But they were off course and were flying toward the coast to identify the coastline when they saw SS Inishrahull. And after the attack F8+CL flew out to see again since the mission was not coastal reconnaissance.

Regards,
Jóhann Pálsson

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo Johann,

Thank you again for that very precise information. All of us on this thread are very interested in Condor activities around the Irish coast.

Are the mission reports you quote from to be found in the Bundesarchiv, or possibly The National Archives in Kew, London ? I plan to visit the latter next month so a file reference would be of great value. Even a Bundesarchiv file number would be useful for future research.
Do you know if the Bundesarchiv hold much material on Condor missions, especially for 1940 and 1941 ?

Regards,

Martin.

[Tony Kearns]

Again many thanks Johann, during its transit on this occasion into the Atlantic it appears that it avoided passing near Mizen Head and the south west coast, so there are no sighting reports. The Bull Rock Lighthouse off the Cork Coast was a usual navigation point used by the Wekusta and the KG40 flights.
Thanks for your help.
Tony K

[Marc BENOIT]

Helo all,

Having myself done research and published about the Condor some years ago, I can tell you that the mission files of KG 40 can be found in the RM 7 series at the Bundesarchiv in Freiburg. As these files have been microfilmed by the Admirality, they should be in British archives too.
Best regards
Marc