LG1 and 1/KG54 attack Leicester - please help! - Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

Bombphoon · #1 27th June 2007, 15:10

Will look it up tonight Steve.

Any ideas about my beam question?

Cheers

steve sheridan · #2 27th June 2007, 15:42

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 · #3 27th June 2007, 17:07

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 · #4 27th June 2007, 18:02

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 · #5 27th June 2007, 19:01

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

Chris Goss · #6 27th June 2007, 20:28

It would appear that in addition to the major raid on Birmingham that night, a lone Ju 88 of I/LG 1 (IV Fliegerkorps) dropped 1 x SC500, 1 x SL 500 and 1 x LZ250 bombs at 2200 hrs whilst a Ju 88 from I/KG 54 (V Fliegerkorps) dropped at SC500, 5 x SC50 and 5 x SD 50s at 0050 hrs. There were many other German aircraft roaming the Midlands that night but none reported attacking Leicester