Ghostbombers updates

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Marc-André Haldimann

Thanks for providing the originals, Nick, highly appreciated. A quick question: the Nancy raid mentioned in the originals is dated 24 June 1944, not 24 May 1944 ?

Correction: if not mistaken, the three pages originals you kindly provide are ULTRA CX/MSS/T226/66 devoted to the attack of A/F Soucelles, 24 June 1944 - then base for 6./JG 53 ?

Thanks again
Marc

JG 26 at Nancy is taken from CX/MSS/T198/41, "Unsigned and incomplete series of accident reports dated 26/5" and other messages. So it definitely happened in May.

III./JG 27 at Soucelles:

CX/MSS/T226/21
Dated 24/6 to IC:
Low-level attack by 8 Mustangs on a/f 7 (C% 0) C ((satellite of Angers)) from 08.05 to 08.25 hrs.
2 Bf 109 of (Roman) of III./JG 27 burned out. (B% 6) Bf 109 of (Roman) III./JG 27 shot up.

CX/MSS/T226/66
KV 9571
((A)) From IC to IC (situation) and QM on 25/6:
i) Subsidiary A/F Soucelles near Angers.
ii) 24/6/1635 hrs.
iii) 25 Mustangs. A/C armament.

… NOTES:
1) Low level attacks on 70 C at 08.15 and 16.30–17.05/24/6 in T226/17, 21, 33, 53. Losses were: At 08.15 hrs. 2 burnt out, 3 to 6 shot up. At 17.00 10 a/c destroyed.
2) In item 2, para. VIII A and B possibly killed and wounded. Para. IX possibly a/c damaged. Cf. T209/187.
3) Comparison of the above references with the present documents suggests that 70 C may equal Soucelles.

As for 6./JG 53, II./JG 53 was operating under the control of JG 27's Kommodore at the time. Pierre Babin told me that the 6. Staffel was at Soucelles but the ULTRAs son't make that clear.

REF. CX/MSS/T224/9 KV 9269
ZZZ
Following Me 109 reported very early on 23rd serviceable at Angers.
Stab JG 27: 1
(Strong indications I. Gruppe) JG 27: 6
III./JG 27: 12
IV./JG 27: 6
II./JG 53: 9
(Comment: KV 9176 refers occupation Angers satellite airfields by these units)
231111Z/6/44

It was ordered to transfer to a new base on the 25th and operated on 26 June with 4 aircraft from Champfleury.

[Marc-André Haldimann]

All clear regarding Soucelles as per CX/MSS/T226/21 -26 and CX/MSS/T224/9 KV 9269, Nick.

I was just confused because my original post addressed Fl.Pl. Nancy's 25 May 1944 attack - CX/MSS/T198/41 - which was not among the pages posted in post #277.

Thanks again for your time and very complete follow-up, Nick. Highly appreciated.

Sincerely
Marc

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Marc-André Haldimann

I was just confused because my original post addressed Fl.Pl. Nancy's 25 May 1944 attack - CX/MSS/T198/41 - which was not among the pages posted in post #277

Sincerely
Marc

Sorry, my mistake. The business of III./JG 26 at Nancy is complicated because it depends on piecing together a number of fragmented ULTRA intercepts (transcriptions of three such items attached). By the way, that 740… Werk Nummer is what's on file, so I suspect the mistake arose when the original message was being entered on to the Enigma machine.

[Jim P.]

Originally Posted by Rasmussen

If I haven't a mistake during the transcription from his fligtlog it was W.Nr.440723...

I have WNr. 440723 as taken from his FB as well.

[Marc-André Haldimann]

Nick,

I chanced on this photo- currently offered by Michael Meyer on eBay:
https://www.ebay.de/itm/Foto-Luftwaf...IAAOSwXwhgALX8

Given the white MTO Theatre band, could it be a Ju 188 D from 4.(F) or 6.(F)/122 ?

Cheers
Marc

[Nick Beale]

More stuff uploaded this afternoon:

• Geschwader Bongart: two German accounts (thanks to Alain Cerri) of bombing of the Glières Plateau; Bongart: a new section about the unit's Operations Officer, Maj. Dr. Ochs (thanks to Vince Ochs); a new table of organisation as of 22.07.44; note about Ofw. Karl Zobe; added photo of Re. 2002 W.Nr. 1283; additions to acknowledgements and sources.
• Operation Dragoon: a note on Ju 188 W.Nr. 280237 of 1.(F)/33.
• The Bf 109 H and 5.(F)/123: information on testing at Memmingen (thanks to Steve Coates).
• Raid damage reports: note about report of Bf 109 G-6 W.Nr. 740723 (thanks to JimP and Marc-André Haldimann); I./KG 66 aircraft damaged at Montdidier on 12 June 1944.
• Armistice to Eagle Day: amended conclusions.
• ULTRA and Adlertag: quotes from naval situation reports and (thanks to Chris Going) identification of some target numbers.
• Kommando Koch: new material throughout on jamming reported by No. 221 Squadron and other RAF units.
• Kommando Rastedter: additions about the Metox and Hagenuk radar warning receivers.
• Kommando Kunkel: addition about the fate of the Kommando's aircraft and personnel.
• Invasion Watch (April–June 1944): an addition regarding Bf 109 W.Nr. 20355.
• Kampfflieger Vol. IV: an RAF veteran's account of one consequence of the raid on Bari
• SG 4 Normandy: more on KG 54's supply drops to radar station Distelfink on 9 and 12 June 1944.
• JGr. 200: addition about an anti-partisan action by Luftwaffe Flak and signals personnel from Aix-les-Milles aerodrome.

[Nick Beale]

Today's additions to my website:

• ULTRA and Adlertag: additions from German naval situation reports; identification of target numbers (thanks to Chris Going).
• Kampfgruppe 100, the first weeks in France: additions about the construction of Knickebein and Wotan installations at Beaumont-Hague.
• Kommando Koch: a possible WIM-station at Filiates, Greece; the Sestriere convoy of 4–7 October 1942; Italian reports on the loss of the tanker Proserpina; additions regarding the meeting between Field Marshals Cavallero and Kesselring in Tatoi in August 1942.
• I./JG 2 in Italy: additions and corrections about Fw. Hans Linzen and Fw. Werner Kilchling; a possible "new" 3./JG 2 pilot, Uffz. Walter Heiden.
• JGr. 200: two film stills showing a wrecked JGr. 200 Bf 109 G-6 at Valence; addtions about Uffz. Walter Cöster (14 July and 7 August 1944); Uffz. Josef Scheits; Stabsgefr. Günther Eicke and Gefr. Helmut Stache.
• Geschwader Bongart: additions about Ofw. Wilhelm Paul 7; Fw. Heinz Schertag; the loss of a W.34; new information regarding actions on 16 June and 11 July 1944 (thanks yet again to Philippe Cannone).
• Kampfflieger Vol. 4: additions to the account of raids on Paris on 26 August and 26 December 1944 (the latter thanks to Peter Taghon).

[Siko54]

Thanks Nick - really enjoyed reading the JGr.200 article which is absolutely fascinating and incredibly detailed. Has to be sufficient material for a magazine piece at least?

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Siko54

Thanks Nick - really enjoyed reading the JGr.200 article which is absolutely fascinating and incredibly detailed. Has to be sufficient material for a magazine piece at least?

Very kind of you to say so but the lack of photos from the unit would be a big problem, I think.

[Nick Beale]

I've uploaded the following updates and additions to my site this afternoon:

• 1940 losses: changes and additions to 24 April; 12 May; 11 June 12; 27 July; 13, 14, 17, 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27 and 29 August; and 1, 2, 8 and 12 September.
• KGr. 100: additions to 31 August and 2–12 September 1940 about a Knickebein training course, a missing crew and indents for equipment).
• Armistice to Eagle Day: fixed link to a short page about Erpr. Gr. 210.
• Kommando Koch: air raid casualties suffered at Grosseto in 1943.
• Kommando Kunkel: strength figures for 15 February 1944.
• Kommando Rastedter: additions to June 1943, February, May and June 1944 and Radar Decoys.
• New page on the Starnberg W/T jammer and Düppel chaff.
• 10./ZG 1: strength figures for 15 February 1944.
• SG 4 in Normandy: the scenario for an invasion exercise in July 1943, involving SG 101.
• Geschwader Bongart: extract from a German memorandum on glider-borne attacks.
• Various minor corrections.