Baltic GAF losses ?

[Stormfighter]

The information concerning the downing of Unteroffizier Johannes Staassen is very interesting to me and I would like to include it in my upcoming book. I am hoping that you can answer the following questions for me:

1) What is a Day Ranger [mission]?

2) What do the abbreviations S/L and F/O stand for (Second Lieutenant and Flight Officer?) - sorry, but I am not up on RAF ranks.

3) What were the full names of Scherf and Finlayson? I would also like to have the full names of Cleveland and Day if possible.

4) Who actually received credit for Staassen's downing - Scherf? Or did Scherf and Finlayson both receive credit?

5) Can anyone send me a scan/photo of Finlayson's original report? You can post it here or send it to my e-mail address: Feldpost@aol.com

Thanks in advance!

Barry

[Delmenhorst]

Hi Stormfighter
I think that you should do a bit more research before you write a book.

1) What is a Day Ranger [mission]? Try Google

2) What do the abbreviations S/L and F/O stand for (Second Lieutenant and Flight Officer?) - sorry, but I am not up on RAF ranks. Squadron Leader and Flight Officer

3) What were the full names of Scherf and Finlayson? I would also like to have the full names of Cleveland and Day if possible.
Charles Curnow Scherf
Howard Douglas Cleveland
Collin Gowans Finlayson

4) Who actually received credit for Staassen's downing - Scherf? Or did Scherf and Finlayson both receive credit? The pilot got the credit.

5) Can anyone send me a scan/photo of Finlayson's original report?

‘At 1700 hours as we approached Gedser Head, we noticed an He 111 flying 220° at 2000 ft. We climbed in behind and gave chase. He opened up and let down 800 ft smoke pouring from engines. It took five minutes to close range and at 1705 hours opened fire at 150 yards dead astern. A two second burst of cannon and MG caused fires in fuselage, starboard engine and wing. He made a dive to starboard and hit the sea, exploding as he did so.
We proceeded to Zingst with S/L Cleveland and found a Fw 190 doing rocket gun practice, firing into a field just east of Zingst landing ground, at about 1000 feet. We climbed to attack, he took evasive action turning sharply to port. However we out-turned him and at 1725 horus laying on a 30° deflection shot at 300 yards range with a 2 second burst of cannon and MG caused him to burst into flames. He levelled out on a heading of 210°, we got in behind him at 150 yards range and gave him another two second burst. The E/A flicked over on his back and exploded, completely disintergrating.
We then entered Kibitzen Bay with the intention of going on to Vitte and Bug, hovever we notieced a lot of activity in the air over Parrow A/F and sea plane base, so we turned south. Here we separated, S/L Cleveland broke left towards Rambin, and we continued on a course of 180° and at 1730 hours made a 30° head on attack, one ring deflection from slightly underneath, on a He 177 flying in northerly direction at 1200 feet. We closed at 150 yards and fired a one second burst, the cockpit exploded and both engines caught fire. He plunged directly into the sea, one parachue was observed to open. From this attack we turned our attention to Parrow airfield coming at it on a easterly heading.
S/L Cleveland was seen attacking a T/E aircraft landing in NW direction and saw strikes, but final results were not seen as we turned to attack He 111 on the ground, parked on the east side of ‘drome by slipway’ with a 2 second burst from 300 yds. closing right in. This E/A immediately exploded completely. The nicest explosion we have ever seen. We then turned north over the bay and suggested that S/L Cleveland take the biplane seen proceeding west across the bay. Reply was that he could not do it, so at 1734 hours we attacked ourselves, swinging in behind at 500 ft closed to 50 yards and fired a one second burst. This E/A blew up completely, at first identified as a Buckner 131 but later confirmed as a Henschen 123. During this attack about 20 flying boats were observed parked on the water at Parrow seaplane base. We dived to starboard and at 1735 hours opened fire on a Do 18 from approximately 200 yards. A two second burst caused many strikes and we left it smoking. Immediately afterwards we noticed a Ju 86P headed south over the town of Stralsund. We tried to avoid the town in making attack, but several guns opened up with very accurate L/F probably Bofors type. We felt a strike form tail and a vivid flash from port drop tank. We pressed home attack on Ju 86P, closed to 200 yards and fired a 2 second burst at 1737 hrs. at approximately 1000 feet. Both engines exploded and he hit the deck just south of the town. We turned starboard headed north and notieced a Do 18 still smoking and passed out near Zingst where a Fw 190 was still burning on the ground. One Me 109 was seen sitting on landing dome at Zingst. We decided to head for home. Near Dossau Point we overtook S/L Cleveland who had decided to og home on one engine. He told us that he had destroyed tow aircraft and we in turn gave him a vector to fly for Sweden. In Kiel Bay we were fired on by a convoy, no damage sustained. It might be noted here that many convoys were seen, stationary and moving including one large approximately 20,000 ton troop carrier (stationary) in Kiel Bay. On leaving the German coast east of Pellworn Island we flew into flock of birds which rose on approach form beach, causing much damage to leading edte of wings, nose and spinners. On landing we discovered that most of the port elevator hand been shot away and that there were about 20 holes in the leading edte of the wing where birds had hit, in addition, some of the birds had also been driven through the leading edge and on out through the top of the wing. What a kite this Mosquito!’

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Delmenhorst

Hi Stormfighter
I think that you should do a bit more research before you write a book.

1) What is a Day Ranger [mission]? Try Google

2) What do the abbreviations S/L and F/O stand for (Second Lieutenant and Flight Officer?) - sorry, but I am not up on RAF ranks. Squadron Leader and Flight Officer

1) Looking for trouble!
2) F/O is Flying Officer in the RAF; Flight Officer was a USAAF rank (about the same as an RAF Warrant Officer, I think).

[Delmenhorst]

1. I am always looking for trouble ! A ranger mission was a roving commission to a specified area.
The decision to undertake deep freee-lance penetrations known as rangers wasmade in February, 1943. Rangers differed from Intruder in that onlhy the latter was directed against definite enemy activity, known or anticipated. Intruders were held at 'readiness', whereas Ranger flights left at pre-determined times. Intruders were always in communication with home stations, whereas Rangers were not.
2. Your are right