Fleet Air Arm claim 2nd September 1940

[phasselgren]

Hi Brian,

First of all thanks for taking your time with this question

You can be right but I would prefer confirmation from another source because A Clasp For ´The Few´ includes some incorrect information. Furthermore there is no information about this claim in No.485 ((N,Z.) Squadron 1941-1945 by and Paul Sortehaug and Phil Listemann (known claims are mentioned in the Squadron Roster). It would be interesting to know what infomation Paul has.

Cheers
Peter

[Hans Nauta]

Hello everybody,

Thanks for all efforts to add details.

Phil,
You’re right about the killed occupant. I fact two were killed and as far as I know still missing:
FF: Fw Dietrich CHRISTENSEN, ErkM 73044/188
BO: Lt zur See Dietrich LOGIER, ErkM 73044/150
Two others were rescued.

Peter,
I’ve filed the events on September 11th 1940 as following:
At 09.05 hrs Blenheim LA-B took off from Bircham Newton for a recce of Texel harbour (perhaps meant streets of Den Helder). The crew consisted of:

Pilot: Sgt Basil Herbert QUELCH, 741801 RAF
Observer: Kenneth Leslie Owen BLOW, 751684 RAF
Wireless Operator: Sgt Colin CHRYSTALL, 614569 RAF

They reached De Kooy airfield at 8,000 ft and turned N and NW over Willemsoord (docks and harbour of Den Helder) using cloud cover from 10.10 till 10.20 hrs. Three Bf.109’s took off from De Kooy and chased the Blenheim, but lost contact in a cloud at 10.15 hrs. There was no cloud cover over Texel, so the Blenheim crew turned South and made a recce 10 miles off IJmuiden. Although there was good visibility, no shipping was seen and they landed at 12.20 hrs.

Remarkably this Blenheim was claimed by Lt Waldermar Anton Karl Wübke, 9./JG54. He claimed a Blenheim at 11.10 hrs local time off the Dutch coast near Den Helder. Continental time was in fact one hour advance of British time.

Brian,
Thanks for checking the ORB. I’m aware of those dreadful ORB’s and additional info may be listed in the ORB of 16 Group or ORB of Bircham Newton. I’ll check this next month when I’m in the National Archives again. I’ll check AIR50 too for a combat report, if this one has survived the war (and post war cannibalism of the combat reports).

Regarding the loss of Do.18 K6+KL Wnr 0874 on September 5th I’m not quite sure if this one operated from Schellingwoude, just like K6+DL. According to The Battle of Britain Then and Now, this Do.18 returned to Calais, France. I’ve limited my research to operations from Schellingwoude, The Netherlands. This matter is a bit difficult as 3./KFlGr406 had detachments on other seaplane bases.

To be continued…

Hans Nauta