LG1 and 1/KG54 attack Leicester - please help!

[Bombphoon]

Hi Steve

Many thanks for your speedy reply!
Square this one! Leicester civil defence reports state that about 150 HE bombs were dropped on the city, yet Bundesarchiv records state that only one Ju88 of LG1 and one Ju88 of 1/KG54 attcked Leicester that night!

I know that bombs were often double reported on the ground by more than one person leading to exaggerated bomb reports, but even so, to get that number (150) the two aircraft would have to have dropped SD2 butterflies! But the damage was much more severe, SC50's and above.

Also, does anyone know if more than one German guidance beam could be used on a raid (i.e. one beam on Birmingham and one on Leicester?) or did they only use one beam per night/raid?

Thanks again

[steve sheridan]

Hi Bombphoon, glad i could help, albeit not giving you the info your seeking!
Perhaps maybe you could help me? From Radtke's book on KG54 do you have any information on losses for either 20.5.40 or 30.5.40. Looking to tie up scant information i have from another source.

Best regs,
Steve.

[Bombphoon]

Will look it up tonight Steve.

Any ideas about my beam question?

Cheers

[steve sheridan]

Hi Bpn! Many thanks for looking.
Sorry i cant help with searchlight querie, i have no information as such, on
searchlight beams etc. Perhaps you might have luck posting a separate thread.
Good luck with your querie.
Steve.

[Brian Bines]

In both Ulf Balke's books on KG 2 and KG 100 only Birmingham is mentioned as a target on 19/20-Nov.-1940 with 357 bombers attacking. ADI(K) report 914/1940 for a Ju 88 of 3/KG 54 shot down near Chichester that night has the target as factories in Birmingham. The two POW's gave their bombload as 4 x 50kg bombs internal and 2 x 250kg bombs under the wings. If the C.D. reports are correct that would seem to indicate 20+ aircraft attacking Leicester. Sorry not to have anything more definite,

Regards
Brian Bines

[Bombphoon]

Hi Brian

Thanks for your reply. That's an interesting persepective about the bombloads.

Sorry, I don't think I made myself clear regarding 'beams' - what I meant was, does anyone know if the Luftwaffe used more than one guidance (X or Y Gerat) beam during a raid i.e. would they have had one aimed at Birmingham for the main raiding force and another beam aimed at Leicester to guide the bombers to the city, or would the Leicester bombers just have to use regular navigation as Leicester was a secondary target?

Many thanks

Austin

[Brian Bines]

Hi Austin,

I am not certain but I am sure someone could correct me. I believe KGr100 would use X beams for targeting while the main force could use Knickebein and then home in on the KGr100 bombing. I do not know if the X transmitters at Cherbourg and Audembert would be able to direct onto two targets in the same period. The Y beams operated by 111/KG26 would operate independent of the other systems,

regards

Brian Bines

[Bombphoon]

Originally Posted by steve sheridan

Hi Bombphoon, glad i could help, albeit not giving you the info your seeking!
Perhaps maybe you could help me? From Radtke's book on KG54 do you have any information on losses for either 20.5.40 or 30.5.40. Looking to tie up scant information i have from another source.

Best regs,
Steve.

Hi Steve

According to Radtke, there were no losses on either 20th or 30th May 1940 (but there were 15 losses on 19/5 - all to fighters - looks like quite a battle!)

Hope this makes sense

Cheers

Austin

[steve sheridan]

Good morning Austin,
Thank you for checking the dates i asked for, it would seem i have been mis-lead with information, from another source.
I have had information from another member which confrms the same as yourself. Thanks for looking.
Steve.

Ps. the info i was given relates to losses from KG4 and not KG54!!