Luftwaffe Attack on Ninth Air Force Airfields, 10 December 1943?

[Boomerang]

Are there suggestions about where to find further information about a successful Luftwaffe attack on Ninth Air Forces airfields in the UK on 10 December 1943:

https://aircrewremembered.com/USAAFC...ns/Dec.43.html

Perhaps this unusual Luftwaffe success is well known and I am referencing a well-known event. I did check Parry's 'Intruders Over Britain', but nothing there seemed like a potential match.

Thank you

Don W

[Chris Goss]

I have V./KG 2 going for London that night with 48 bombers attacking Chelmsford. Sounds like something that Me 410s intruders would do but I have no evidence to support that

[Nick Beale]

From TNA HW 13/37: "In W/T 14 aircraft were heard or called, 9 of these being Do 217's of I. and III./KG 2, and the remainder belonging to KG 6. A number of aircraft were also heard on R/T."

Earlier they had heard (probably from the normal warnings issued to coastal Flak) that 12 Ju 188's and 20 Do 217's were due to operate.

[Chris Goss]

There is mention in "Air Raid" by Michael Bowyer. It talks about the attack being against Chelmsford but that 65 HEs were dropped on Gosfield by 10 Do 217s and Ju 88s. This was preceded by flares. Results poor with most bombs falling wide. Wethersfield received 12 bombs north of its main runway dropped by a Ju 88 and a Do 217. Earls Colne received four 50kg and four 500kg bombs (would not have been a Me 410). Birch received two 250kg and two 500 kg bombs. Chedburgh had seven bombs dropped which caused some damage and wounded two WAAFs. Four Do 217s lost to night fighters, target still stated for these losses as being Chelmsford

[Boomerang]

Chris and Nick:

Thank you for that most helpful information. So apparently not a specific attack directed at Ninth AF airfields. Presumably they were targets of opportunity, victims of misdirected attacks, etc. Despite this, a very rare example of the LW doing damage to USAAF bases in the UK.

Cheers

Don W