Identity of Blohm & Voss Flying boat 26May41

[andy bird]

Trying to get the identity of the Blohm & Voss flying boat and crew which engaged ? or tried to engage F/L Percy Hatfield's Catalina whilst shadowing the Bismarck.
Dennis Healy makes reference to it.

Regards

Andy Bird

[Chris Goss]

Presume you mean BV 138? No mention of any combat by Coastal Command but presumably Küstenfligergruppe 406 or 906-someone with more knowledge will possibly help being more precise.

[andy bird]

Cheers Chris as I didn't have a lot to go on just the initials.

AB

[edNorth]

No info this desk of any B&V intercepting RAF Catalina this date. Last visit to UK, had no spare time trace Catalinas, but AH545 "WQ-Z" was damaged by AA splinters (do not have t/o or Landing times) - can you state t/o - landing times or unit please for you query? This is only Cat I have for 26th, but three the day before.

-Ed

[Seaplanes]

The BV 138 in Luftwaffe service at this date was in a rather poor state.
1./406 based in List was in the process of converting from BV 138 to He 115 and had on strength 9 aircraft of each type. However, the BV 138's seems not to be operational and most were u/s for modifications.

2./406 in Thisted and Hörnum had 6 BV 138 on strength but of these 4 were undergoing modifications and 1 was u/s with a deformed wing-spar.

2./906 at Westerland had left all its BV 138's for modification and the unit was to convert to Ju 88 in Westerland from 5. July 1941.

1./Fl.Erg.Gr.See was in the process of transferring from Pillau to Copenhagen and had 9 BV 138A-1 on strength for training purposes.

The most likely option is a BV 138 from 2./406, but this is pure speculation only.

[andy bird]

Originally Posted by edNorth

No info this desk of any B&V intercepting RAF Catalina this date. Last visit to UK, had no spare time trace Catalinas, but AH545 "WQ-Z" was damaged by AA splinters (do not have t/o or Landing times) - can you state t/o - landing times or unit please for you query? This is only Cat I have for 26th, but three the day before.

-Ed

Hi Ed
Not pulled down the ORB as Dennis Healy only mentions this in a letter, and I'd put the info in the end notes section of the chapter I'm doing on Healy about his arctic flights in 1942 until killed in September of that year. And how in 2016 this historical info is still being used.

Apologies for late reply bereavement in family.

Have a great Christmas

Andy B

[andy bird]

Originally Posted by Seaplanes

The BV 138 in Luftwaffe service at this date was in a rather poor state.
1./406 based in List was in the process of converting from BV 138 to He 115 and had on strength 9 aircraft of each type. However, the BV 138's seems not to be operational and most were u/s for modifications.

2./406 in Thisted and Hörnum had 6 BV 138 on strength but of these 4 were undergoing modifications and 1 was u/s with a deformed wing-spar.

2./906 at Westerland had left all its BV 138's for modification and the unit was to convert to Ju 88 in Westerland from 5. July 1941.

1./Fl.Erg.Gr.See was in the process of transferring from Pillau to Copenhagen and had 9 BV 138A-1 on strength for training purposes.

The most likely option is a BV 138 from 2./406, but this is pure speculation only.

Hi Seaplanes,

Dennis Healy only mentions this in a letter, and I'd put the a/c info in the end notes section of the chapter I'm doing on Healy. On his the arctic flights in 1942

Apologies for late reply bereavement in family.

Have a great Christmas

Andy B