Poole Harbour attach, Dec 42

[Adam]

Gentlemen,NA AIR 16/540 notes that in December 1942 Poole Harbour was attacked and 2 ships were sunk and 15 others damaged.Does anyone know:a) the night of this attack?b) the units and/or a/c that participated?c) shipping losses incurred?Thanks in advanceAdam T

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Only reference I found in 'The Blitz then and now vol 3' for Poole on December 1942 is the following:

"By day on the 16th eleven aircraft using cannon fire, machine guns and bombs, attacked a number of places including Bognor Regis, Bexhill, Pulborough, Bridport, Poole, Wareham, Bramley, Effingham, Portsmouth and Tonbridge. Fourteen people died in these attacks and variable amounts of damage was done over a wide area. A Do 217 E-4 of 4./KG 40 (F8+FM, WNr 4382) was chased at low level in bad visibility by Flg Off Cook and Flt Sgt Warner in a Beaufighter of 141 Sqn RAF and crashed into a gasometer at Bognor Regis, Susex, 2.45 p.m. Uffz E. Diettrich, Obergefr. E. Berger, Obergefer. J. Gester and Obergefr. G. Dehnke all killed. Aircraft disintegrated."

My first guess while reading the the first sentence was that it was a Jabo attack, but the KG 40 loss shows that bombers also flew probably under heavy cloud cover, as the Luftwaffe did occasionnaly over England.

Chris Goss' book "Luftwaffe fighter-bombers over Britain" lists only one Jabo sortie over England this day, by 4 Fw 190s of II./JG 26 that carried a Störangriff between Hastings and Bexhill, attacking buildings in Hastings and a farm and a castle near Winchelsea.

No idea about the ships sunk and hit, the best place to ask IMOO is the warsailors forum: http://www.warsailors.com/phorum/list.php?f=1

[Chris Goss]

Adam: This sounds like a Piraten Einsatz flown by blind-flying experienced crews from KG 2 and KG 40 using pale painted Do 217s and using bad weather as a defence. The attack on Wareham on this day was carried out by Oblt Karl Von Manowarda of 3/KG 2 and I think that perhaps the Poole attack was by Oblt Ernst Schneiderbauer of ther same unit. I have reports on both-what is your interest?

[Adam]

Thank you both for your repsonse. Much appreciated.

Chris,
Interest concerns my university research. Was tabulating 'enemy attacks on shipping' for Feb 41 - May 43 from NA AIR 16 files. My notes from the aforementioned mentioned Poole and was interested in further specifics of the raid as no other month details raids to such specifics.

Thanks again

Adam

[Chris Goss]

Suggest you also get hold of my book on jabo attacks then which lists every one from Mar 42-6 Jun 43

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo all,

Concerning the supposed shipping losses at Poole in December 1942 I have just looked at the HMSO publication BRITISH VESSELS LOST AT SEA 1939-1945. I can find nothing resembling the above in the sections covering Royal Navy vessels lost, landing craft lost, fishing vessels lost and merchant ships lost. Similarly for the section listing merchant and fishing vessels damaged by enemy action.

Regards,

Martin Gleeson.

[Adam]

Martin,

That's interesting considering the file is a British one and therefore (I suppose) less inclined to 'guess' at such losses.

Thanks all the same everyone

Adam T

[Chris Goss]

Found it! There were 3 coordinated attacks this day but only one was against shipping. At 1323 hrs, a Do 217 flying NE to SW MG's and dropped 4 x 500 kg bombs in the harbour area at Poole. A number of workshops and stores were demolished/partly demolised, one naval vessel sunk and others damaged. 2 killed, 3 VSI and 23 injured

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo Chris,

Do you have the names and types of the naval vessels sunk and damaged in Poole ? I suspect these must have been quite small.

Regards,

Martin Gleeson.

[Chris Goss]

Martin-My sources are German/Dorset Police so I have nothing more than this