RAF Losses above Belgium betw.May 10 and May 28,1940.

[rob van den nieuwendijk]

Hello Alex,

Have been working on a book relating the air combats between the German dayfighters and RAF from May 40 till Aug 42 over Holland. Below you will find the engagement between 17 Sqdn and Luftwaffe over Holland on 11 May 40:

----------------------------------------------------
The following day (11 May) twelve Hurricanes of the same unit took off for a patrol between Delft and The Hague.(1) Near Rotterdam the Hurricanes met the Me 109's of Jagdgeschwader 27 and 51. In the dogfights 17 Squadron claimed two Me 109's destroyed, two Me 109's probably destroyed and two Hs 126's destroyed. (2)


Number 17 Squadron lost four aircraft near Dordrecht as well as commanding officer Squadron Leader G.C. Tomlinson, who made a successfull crash landing near Knokke. Two British pilots lost their lives, one returned to his unit and two were made POW. The German fighter pilots who claimed near Rotterdam were:


Pilot: Unit: Claim:
Oberleutnant Heinrich Krafft 3./JG 51 2 Hurricanes (3)
Leutnant Ernst Terry Stab I./JG 51 2 Hurricanes
Unteroffizier Fritz Schreiter 3./JG 51 1 Hurricane
Oberleutnant Hans- Christian Schäger 5./JG 27 1 Hurricane (4)


One of the German casualties was Unteroffizier Fritz Schreiter of the 3./JG 51. He crashed near Waalhaven. Schreiter was wounded and could return to his unit. (5) The second casualty was the 24 years old Unteroffizier Franz Schild of the same unit. He was shot down in air combat at 2 kilometres west of Zwijndrecht. (6) Besides the Luftwaffe also lost two He 126 in Nieuwe Tonge and Piershil.


(1) NA: AIR 27/234 Operational Record Book 17 Squadron; AIR 22/63 Daily secret bulletin of air operations no. 172 - 11 May 1940; AIR 25/219 Operational Record Book No. 12 Group
(2) NA: AIR 25/219 Operational Record Book No. 12 Group. According to AIR 27/234 Operational Record Book 17 Squadron: “Three Me 109 casualties are conclusively claimed and two Henschel 126 are also conclusively claimed as casualties.” In a brief history of No. 17 Squadron”:”...the squadron destroyed 3 Me 109s and 2 He 126s, but 5 pilots (including S/Ldr Tomlinson, the C.O.) failed to return.” ; AIR 16/960 Claims and Casualties Fighter Command: “2 Hs.126, 1 Me.109 cert; 4 Me.109 inconclusive.”
(3) Prien c.s., Teil 3, 274.
(4) Prien en Rodeike (II./JG 27), 26-27; Ring en Girbig, 24; Prien c.s., Teil 3, 258. Oberleutnant Schäfer was Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 27.
(5) Prien c.s., Teil 3, 274.
(6) Hans Onderwater, En nooit was het stil, 74-76; Prien c.s., Teil 3, 274.

-------------------------------------------

ORB 17 Sqdn states:

12 May 40:
Little activity today. B flight up a section on an operational call, but no enemy aircraft sighted. After yesterdays rather hard first experinece the piltos are feeling a trifle sober. F/Lt Toyne is temporarily running the Squadron. The most immediate demand is for more aircraft.

13 May 40:
Little activity today. S/Lt Tomlinson is reported safe. etc.

Alas I do not have the details on the pilots and aircraft of 17 Sqdn.

Best wishes
Rob