Ghostbombers updates

[Steve Coates]

Nick - Thanks for the piece on 3./NAG 13. The Fi 156 you mention Frank Stout as having shot down was almost certainly piloted by Heinz Lex of Transportstaffel 40.

[Nick Beale]

I've posted all kinds of updates to the site this morning:

• Luftwaffe loss reports, May–October 1940: the first part of a new article on Ultra reports mentioning lost, missing and damaged aircraft during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain.
• Geschwader Bongart: a mission by IV./KG 100 on 19 June 1944 (thanks to information in a new book by Jean-Louis Roba).
• Green's last kill: changes to the conclusions, based on new information about salvaged aircraft at Bonn-Hangelar; a new page about Ofw. Jürgen Campsen of NSG 1 (thanks to Dr. Steffen Daehn).
• Markings and camouflage: new page added with several items from 1940.
• ULTRA and the Battle of Britain: some changes to the introduction.
• Adlertag: additions about a proposal to bomb the RAF's home airfields during the Battle of France and German units ordering self-destruct charges for their aircraft.
• KGr. 100, first weeks in France: various minor amendments and corrections.
• KGr. 100, Ultra and the Coventry Blitz: more about the 2./KG 1 Heinkel that crashed on Johnson Road, Bromley in November 1940; various minor corrections.
• He 111 Torpedo Operations: a small addition about KGr. 126 aircraft at Marx.

[Martin388]

Nick, a big thank you for your enduring effort to research and share your results with us!

It is always a true pleasure to surf your ghostbomber site for example for my beloved recce units (e.g. German jet recce planes and missons) and any new Bf109 WNr out of the WNF production from losses PR strenght reports and your Welle researched Liftings. And not to forget the stories of the people mentioned, often as victims.

[Nick Beale]

I've posted the following updates to the site this morning:

• Luftwaffe loss reports, May–October 1940: the second instalment, four pages covering July.
• I./JG 4 leaves Belgium: a new page detailing 15 Bf 109 G-14 lost or damaged while the Gruppe was withdrawing to Germany.
• NSG 9: correction regarding Uffz. Karl Defele.
• Markings and camouflage: another reference to fighters' yellow nose markings in 1940.
• ULTRA and the Coventry Blitz: new information about fears that a proposed German transmitter would jam their own navigational beams.
• Geschwader Bongart: additions about Major von dem Bongart's first appearance in France in July 1940 and the bombing of Dortan, four years later.
• Addition of a page count to the home page (530 pages so far).
• More work on format and appearance of pages, plus minor corrections.

[Rasmussen]

"Bf 109G - 14, W.Nr.460382, blue 1, damage 15%, 05 September 1944
First reported as "apparently blown up by Aerodrome Command on account of damage to undercarriage and wings." On 18/9 confirmed as 15% damaged, not observed by the enemy, no personnel losses, turned over to Aerodrome Command, Antwerp-Deurne. [Found by the Allies: DB 605 A-1 No. 00205227. MW 50. “Badly looted.”]"

Antwerpen was liberated on September 4, 1944, the last lorries of Erla VII left Antwerpen on September 3, 1944, 05 pm, and the Geman Aerodrome Command was there on September 18, 1944? Quite strange!

[Matti Salonen]

Nick,

The name you have "corrected" is really Oefele. I have confirmed this from the EKM-list at WASt. You can make sure of this matter by checking for example the following:

http://www.library.yale.edu/catalogi...ic/fraktur.htm or
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraktur

There is some similarity between "D" and "O", but this case is very clear.

Matti

[Nick Beale]

Thanks for the comments.

Rasmussen: I think that the message implied only that the information from Deurne had arrived by 18 September. For example, the Fliegerhorst Kommandantur may have arrived back in Germany with its records and was informing units what had happened to their aircraft. I had more trouble with the losses at Beauvechain. Knowing that Leuven was liberated on 4 September, I was surprised that Beauvechain hadn't been evacuated sooner.

Matti: I went back to the NVM (typewritten, thankfully) and you're right, it is "Oefele."

[ouidjat]

Thank you Nick !

[Edward L. Hsiao]

Gentlemen,

I wonder how many sorties in total of Oberfeldwebel Jurgen Campsen that he flew before he lost his life on Feb. 24,1945? I know that Campsen made 450 sorties before he was shot down the first time on October 29,1944.

Sincerely,

Edward L. Hsiao

[Nick Beale]

The latest updates to Ghost Bombers are:

• Luftwaffe loss reports, May–October 1940: the third instalment, two pages covering August.
• Air raid damage: a new page on I./SKG 10's losses from 6–13 June 1944.
• Staffel Kaatsch: identification of "Tessains" as Tessens and update to map, thanks to Yves Michelet.
• Jagdgruppe 200: added information about Uffz. Gustav-Wilhem Ohmert's flying with the 1. Staffel in the period 3–25 July 1944. (My thanks to 12 o'clock High Forum member "Karl" for pointing me to this material).
• Kommando Olga: a small addition about the fitting of tail-warning radar on Ju 188 Z6+DL of 6.(F)/123