Airfield of II./KG 51 june 1944 ?

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Hi,
It was Saint-Andre de l'Eure.

Regards,
Norbert

[Larry deZeng]

Sorry to take the role of a Devil's Advocate here, but how do we know this particular Me 410 was operating from St.-Andre de l'Eure? The II. Gruppe base on that date was Soesterberg as Nick stated. Do we have some documentation, such as a Flugbuch, an ADI(K) P/W interrogation report or an A.I.4 wireless intercept to or from the pilot that places it at St.-Andre?

This scenario is said to have played out "in the first hours of June 6". Since II./51 was in Holland tasked with flying evening intruder missions over Allied bomber airfields in eastern England, I am not at all sure what it would be doing with one or more aircraft in Normandy at just the very moment the Germans were beginning to realize that something was developing in the Normandy area. At that moment in history, confusion on the German side was overwhelming and they had not yet taken measures to being calling in reinforcing air assets from afar, such as from Holland.

So I think some sourcing might be appropriate for this one.

Just my two tuppence worth,

L.

[Chris Goss]

2 FBs I have say 4/KG 51 was operating from Eindhoven and then Gilze but forwarded based at St Andre. In this case, Ofw Hermann Bolten & Fw Willhelm Lohf got airborne from Ste Andre at 0130 hrs (CET) in 9K+AM only to be shot down by a nightfighter on their return to Ste Andre. Le Long attacked a Me 410 on approach to Ste Andre at 1000'; Bolten baled out at 100m. Time 0148 hrs UK time.

I am sure this clears this up!

[Nick Beale]

The attached from 7 June has the II. Gruppe being addressed at Soesterberg but that wouldn't preclude one or more elements being temporarily based elsewhere.