Do18 loss 17 October 1939

[alex crawford]

At 1240hrs ‘B’ Section scrambled ‘Blue’ Flight (Flt Lt Sample K7995 AF-O, Plt Off Craig and Fly Off Whitty K8026 AF-L) to search for some German seaplanes that had been spotted off the East Coast. At about 1330hrs they intercepted a Do18 some 25 miles from the coast at 1,500ft. Flt Lt Sample lead the Flight on a diving attack from 8,000ft. Each of the Gladiator pilots carried out individual passes on the Dornier and pieces were seen to fall from the aircraft. Trailing smoke the Dornier headed out to sea where it eventaully came down 35 miles from the coast near the destroyer HMS Juno, who resecued the crew.



The Do18 was M7-YK of KüFlGr. 806. All the crew were rescued and taken prisoner.

Does anyone know the base from which the Do18 was based? The identities of the crew? The werke number of the Dornier?

Thanks,

Alex

[Andrei Demjanko]

Do18D-3 Wnr.809 8L+DK of 2./KüGr 606 flown by Fw.Grabbert and crew

Probably this is the aircraft you are asking for, although here is some confusion as KüGr 606 code must began with 7T; 8L is the code prefix of KüGr 906

Andrei

[alex crawford]

Hi Andrei,

I have seen a photo of this Do18 supposidly taken from HMS Juno and the fuselage code is M7-YK.

Do you know which unit had the prefix code M7?

Alex

[Andrei Demjanko]

M7 - KüGr 806, there was Do17D-3 Wnr.731 M7-YK which was lost on 26.09.39, but as far as I know this aircraft was shot down by FAA Skua of 803 Squadron flown by Lieutenant B.S. McEwen and Petty Officer B.M.Seymour and alighted, four crew were captured after which HMS Somali destroyed German flyingboat by gunfire. Possibly the photo relates to action on 26 September ?

Andrei

[alex crawford]

Hi Andrei,

I think I have got my wires crossed somewhere along the line. Thanks for putting me right.

Alex