Biscay Action 28th December 1943

[Chris Goss]

I can add a little more on the attacks:

28 Dec: 4 Condors of III/KG 40 took off between 0636 & 0800 hrs. Hptm Dette's (9/KG 40) aircraft ditched following engine fire at 1100 hrs, another ac turned back with engine problems. 1305 hrs a cruiser and a "destroyer" spotted PlQ 24W/2737. Having avoided a Halifax and a Catalina, at 1315 hrs two attacks carried out.

1514-1545 hrs, 16 He 177s of II//KG 40 took off and between 1820-1850 hrs, 9 ac (6 couldn't find target in bad weather) attacked. Hptm Bernhard Eidhoff of 5/KG 40 had been intercepted by Sqn Ldr Taps Tappin of 157 Sqn & shot down whilst another (one of the 6 that couldn't find the targets) suffered engine failure and force-landed (still with its Hs 293) and Merignac (40% damage),

Quite a busy day with all sorts of aircraft operating over the Bay. The following day, 4 Condors took off between 0507-0523 hrs and spotted alll sorts of things including Hptm Dette's crew in a dinghy. Hptm Schabert of 7/KG 40 just went missing, no cause given

[Mark McShane]

Thanks all for the tremendous response, a great deal of information supplied by all. I was not aware that HE 177 were involved in this action, very interesting.

Chris,

The 4 Condors that were airborne on the 29th, have you any further information on these. It was probably one of these aircraft that signaled the Irish merchant ship Kerlogue to go rescue the Kreigsmarine survivors from the action againt the two RN cruisers.

Regards,

Mark

[Chris Goss]

No ideas of the crew but at 0930 hrs in 24W/1721, an Irish freighter was spotted but not attacked. At 1205 hrs, in 24W/3768, a dinghy was spotrted and they managed to get the Irish freighter to go to them. At 1230, they picked them up. There was quite a conversation between the Condor and the ship!

[Fairlop]

The ship, Alsterufer, was later sunk by Allied aircraft.

The blockade-runner Alsterufer was sunk by 311 Czechoslovak Squadron Liberator "H" BZ796. The captain P/O Oldrich Dolezal (155129) and navigator F/O Zdenek Hanus (127086) were both awarded immediate DFC´s.

Regards,
Michal

[Tony Kearns]

Originally Posted by Fairlop

The blockade-runner Alsterufer was sunk by 311 Czechoslovak Squadron Liberator "H" BZ796. The captain P/O Oldrich Dolezal (155129) and navigator F/O Zdenek Hanus (127086) were both awarded immediate DFC´s.

Regards,
Michal

Don't forget also 201 Squadron's involvement in the Alsterufer incident. Sunderland EJ137 "T" was the first to located it and immediately sent out sighting reports. It attacked it without results and was joined by Sunderland EK579 "U" which kept station on the blockade runner. In order to maximise endurance it jettisioned it ordnance and continually transmitted homing signals until ordered to return to base being advised to land at Foynes(Neutral Ireland) if necessary, hopefully not forgetting to claim that they were on a search and rescue mission. However, with just enough fuel, they landed at Lough Erne after eighteen and a half hours in the air.
Tony K

[Brian Bines]

Were Hpt. Dette's crew, less the 1st. Bf who was swept away in the ditching, transferred from the Irish Freighter to a British Trawler? The reason I ask is ADIK report 10/1944 dated 5th-Jan-1944 states'' Four days later the survivors were picked up by a British trawler and brought to this country ''

[Chris Goss]

The Irish ship picked up Kriegsmarine survivors and the Dette crew were picked up by Lord Nuffield 1 Jan 44 at 0200 hrs