Bf110 shoot down of No.210 Sqn Sunderland April 1940

[Danny152]

In April 1940, 2x Bf110 based at Fornebu claimed the shoot down of a Sunderland Flying boat of No. 210 Sqn. Can anyone please tell me the 110 Staffel and crews that claimed this shoot down?

Thanks in advance.

Danny

[Chris Goss]

Well known event. 1./ZG76 9 April 1940. Oblt Werner Hansen & Lt Helmut Lent. Will be covered in my book on Lent (working with his family on this)

[Andy Mitchell]

Danny,

According to Shores et al "Fledgling Eagles" p242 - On 9 April 1940 L2167 of 210 Sqdn was attacked by 2 Bf 110s of 1./ZG 76 of Oblt Hansen and Lt. Lent. Hansen shot the Sunderland down aided by his gunner Uffz. Gross.

All of the Sunderland crew were killed except for the radio operator/air gunner who was thrown clear when the aircraft exploded.

Hope that this is of help.

[Danny152]

Brill, thank you as always guys!

New book Chris?

[Chris Goss]

Not until next year and working with his daughters as they have found new photos and documents

[Andy Mitchell]

Danny,

Ross McNeill's "Coastal Command Losses" indicates that Hansen's Bf 110 was coded M8+JH. The write up of the Sunderland loss (on page 28) contains more information about the 210 Sqdn sortie and Sgt George's remarkable escape from the exploding aircraft.

[Chris Goss]

Lent was flying M8+IH having crash-landed his M8+DH earlier that day. Not sure where M8+JH could have come from for Hansen-his aircraft was also damaged earlier that day. Strangely Lent make no mention of the combat in his logbook

[Nick Beale]

This was about a week before ULTRA started yielding results from Norway but here's a Sunderland claim from 21 July, in case it's of interest:

2 Me 109 belonging to 8./JG 77 started at 0430/21 to attack a Sunderland flying-boat in area of Trondheim. One a/c landed at 0520, the other one was shot down and forced to land on the sea. The Sunderland was shot down at 0515. It fired red recognition signals. It was reported at 1000/21 that a/c had observed a rubber boat with 4 men, probably belonging to crew of Sunderland, Rescue had not been reported by afternoon of 21/7.

NOTE: All times are Norwegian times. (A)

Source: TNA HW 5/1, report CX/JQ/161, para. 1

[Chris Goss]

Wg Cdr Davis and LAC Trevor Trickey were not so lucky on 21 July 1940 when they were shot down by the Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 77 Oblt Lorenz Weber. All 12 crew were killed as was Weber