11 April 1943 in the Bay of Biscay

[Jérémie Tarpon]

Hello,

On 11 April 1943, two Beaufighters of 248 Sqdn attacked Ju 88 D-1 WNr 430359 from 3.(F)/123 over the Bay of Biscay. The Ju 88 and one of the Beaufighters (WR-A, probably JL422) were shot down at about 1730. Afterwards, the crew of the remaining Beaufighter observed their two comrades climbing on a floating fuel tank and, one mile away, four German airmen in and around a dinghy. The Beaufighter apparently succeeded in alerting two (probably French) fishing boats nearby and then had to return to its base. During the following night, the Seenotdienst sent a boat and a plane that searched the area between 0115 and 0854 without success.

The CWGC website tells us the fate of the downed Beaufighter crew: F/O R G Stringer (Pilot) rests in the Bilbao British Cemetery, while P/O S Hunter (Nav W) is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Regarding the Ju 88 crew, Hptm Helmut Schuke (F) and Ogfr Robert Rössel (Bs) are listed as missing, but Lt Eberhard Sommer (B) and Fw Wilhelm Steffens (Bf) were wounded and saved.

Does someone knows what happens to these two crews after the departure of the surviving Beaufighter and by whom were Sommer and Steffens rescued?

Best wishes,

Jérémie