15/16 April 1941 and "Cat's Eyes" Cunningham

[Adriano Baumgartner]

George,
Some info about his claims can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_C...m_(RAF_officer)

There are other sources as well and you certainly have read his Combat Reports, at NARA KEW (Files AIR 50)

I acquired this book, believing to find more about his wartime and combat claims as well, but was disapointed. > Golley, John (1999). John "Cat's-Eyes" Cunningham: The Aviation Legend. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84037-059-1.

However, you may know or have read his RO or Navigator's memoirs:
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...-srp1-_-title1

As FILE AIR 27 confirm, Gomm was the first to take-off on the night you are researching. On that particular night, I also only managed to find G1+ES being credited to Cunningham's crew.

A.

[Chris Goss]

The 3 crew that baled out were captured in the Lydney/Coleford area around 2255hrs according to the K report. Cunningham's claims were 0200, 0235, 0240 hrs according to Foreman's books but these are wrong. He first took off at 2030 hrs, landing 2330hrs claiming a He 111 destroyed near Monmouth at 2255hrs (did not see it crash) so this is now a possibility. He then took off again at 0110hrs landing 0325 hrs claiming a He 111 over Southampton at 0143 hrs and south of Lymington at 0235hrs (did not see the latter crash). According to the book on KG 55, Wk Nr was 2812

[George 118]

Good morning,

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

so this is now a possibility.

I am very glad.

Now, the third one that crashed south of Lymington (Cunningham did not see the crash).

We don’t have a crash site S off Lymington so I assume that the He111 returned to France damaged or its another ac that Cunningham misidentified (probably from Aufklärungsgruppe ObdL)

Regards
George

[Chris Goss]

Note I say possibility. The Aufkl.Ob.dL loss was a Do 215 not a He 111 and is unlikely it was operating at night. Its cause for loss is not known.

As to other aircrfat damaged you can discount III./KG 40 (convoy attacks). a III./KG 27 He 111 crash-landed at Orleans suffering 35% damage, another suffered 40% damage due to technical problem while one from 6./KG 27 landed at Caen 0327hrs having been damaged by a night fighter. I wonder if this was Cunningham's 3rd success? No damage just a wounded crewman and shot out port engine