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  #1  
Old 11th September 2022, 11:47
tonda75 tonda75 is offline
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Bombardment of St.Omer-Arques 13.1.1943

Hi ,
On January 13, 1943, Allied planes attacked the St.Omer-Arques airport.
10 members of JG 26 died in this attack.
Please, does anyone know which unit(s) bombed this airport?
Thank you very much for any information.
Sincerely, Tony
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  #2  
Old 11th September 2022, 16:43
SteveR SteveR is offline
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Re: Bombardment of St.Omer-Arques 13.1.1943

226 Squadron RAF (Bostons).

Source: T. Woods
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  #3  
Old 11th September 2022, 16:54
tonda75 tonda75 is offline
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Re: Bombardment of St.Omer-Arques 13.1.1943

SteveR,
Thank you very much for your answer.
Regards, Tony
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Old 16th September 2022, 11:37
Laurent Rizzotti Laurent Rizzotti is offline
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Re: Bombardment of St.Omer-Arques 13.1.1943

ORB of 226 Sqn has the following (compiled from Form 540 and 541): 12 Bostons of 226 Sqn, each laden with four 300 lbs GP bombs, were led by Flt Lt Smith set course at 1140 hrs to bomb St-Omer Fort Rouge airfield. One turned back and landed after one circuit at base owing to a technical failure in fuel system. 8 aircraft bombed and hits were observed on hangars and NE dispersal area. Aircraft X who did not identify target until too late, and H and V who were waiting to bomb on leader, did not bomb. Little, inccaurate Flak was experienced and no fighters were seen.

From Tony Wood's "Fighter Command activity in 1943 file": this raid was part I of Circus 249 and was escorted by 13 Spitfire squadrons who reported no loss or claim. Part II of Circus 249 was a Ventura raid (18 aircraft from 21 and 464 Sqn) on Abbeville-Drucat airfield and met opposition, 340 and 611 Sqn claimed 3-0-2 Fw 190 without loss.

From "JG 26 War Diary" by Don Caldwell: Shortly after noon, RAF formations began crossing into France. III./JG 26 was the first defensive unit up, at 1230 hrs, and made contact, but without result. At about this time a raider destroyed a I./JG 26 Fw 190 on St-Omer-Arques. A Circus containing 18 Venturas hit Abbeville just after II./JG 26 had cleared the field at 1320 hrs. Several Spitfires were holed by fighters of 11./JG 2, which had crossed the Somme Estuary to help out, and which lost one of their number to the Spitfires. II./JG 26 had only one claim and one casualty - and it was the same aircraft. Uffz Johann Irlinger of 6./JG 26 (or 5./JG 26 according to the casualty list), flying the Bf 109 G-4 WNr 16119 black 4, was shot down over the field and crashed in his airplane (KIA). According to Peter Crump, who was an eyewitness, he was shot down by his own Gruppenkommandeur, Hptm Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland, who mistakenly identified the Bf 109 as a Spitfire. The incident was of course cleaned up for the official records.

From Luftwaffe loss lists:
_ reported on 16 January 1943:
I./JG 26, F, Fl.Pl. St.Omer-Arques, Bombenwurf, Fw 190 A4, 5654, 100%
II./JG 26, F, bei Abbeville, Absturz infolge Feindbeschuss, Bf 109 G4, 16119, 100%, Uffz Erlinter, Hans, F (comment - pilot), tot
_ reported on 17 January 1943:
11./JG 2, F, bei Fl.Pl. Abbeville, Luftkampf, Fw 190 A3, 5389, 100%, Lt Trebbia, Otto-Ernst, F, tot

Some death cards found on fold3 relative to the above:
OGfr Helmut Bogner, 2./JG 26, died at St-Omer-Arques, gefallen-Bombe (https://www.fold3.com/image/699712721, https://www.fold3.com/image/699468206 and https://www.fold3.com/image/699331977)
Fl Kurt Dietz, Fl.H.Kdtr. E 16/VI, died at Abeville (https://www.fold3.com/image/693096942)
OGfr Josef Brückner, 2./JG 26, died at St-Omer-Arques (https://www.fold3.com/image/692481838)
OGfr Theodor Griesdorn, 2./JG 26, died at St-Omer-Arques (https://www.fold3.com/image/692685427)
OGfr Hermann Jochmann, 2./JG 26, died at St-Omer-Arques, gefallen-Bombe (https://www.fold3.com/image/693052025)
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Old 16th September 2022, 17:03
Laurent Rizzotti Laurent Rizzotti is offline
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Re: Bombardment of St.Omer-Arques 13.1.1943

Some more details from death cards:
_ the JG 2 pilot killed, identified as Lt Otto-Ernst Trebbia in the loss lists, is named as Lt Otto-Ernst Trebbin in his deathcard (https://www.fold3.com/image/693205126). Death place is listed as 5 km NE Abbeville
_ for the JG 26 pilot killed, his death card (https://www.fold3.com/image/699215866) confirms the name as Johann Irlinger, as in Caldwell's book, says he belonged to 5./JG 26 (so confirming Caldwell's lost list but not his text) and puts the death place as "Südrand Der Stadt-Albeville".
_ another card found for Flg Dietz (https://www.fold3.com/image/693124968), his name being written as Kurt Friedrich, and the death place listed as Abeville-Druct airfield, other details same
_ another card found for OGfr Josef Brückner (https://www.fold3.com/image/692304071) , his name being written as Josef Karl, and the cause of death is "gefallen - Bombe"

More death cards found relative to Circus 249:
_ Uffz Walter Clemens Oertelt, Fliegerhorst Komp E16/VI, gefallen, Flugplatz Abbeville-Drucat
_ https://www.fold3.com/image/693063182: Uffz Adolf Schnitzker, 4./Res Flak Abt 122, gefallen, Abbeville-Drucat (in Henry L. de Zeng, file on Luftwaffe airfields in France, it is noted that elements of gem.Flak-Abt. 122 were at or near the airfield in November 1942 at least). A second card () for the same man with name written as Schnitsker (but Volksbund confirms Schnitzker) gives the death place at Le Plessiel, a place 1 km north of the airfield proper, but also the closest place from the airfield (Drucat being 1.7 km away). So the real place could be at the airfield or near it.
_ https://www.fold3.com/image/692077635: Gefr Walter Hütten, Luftnachr Stelle (E) 16/VI, death place Le Plessiel B/Abbeville, death cause: gefallen (died from heavy loss of blood, due to losing a leg if I decypher correctly the card)
_ https://www.fold3.com/image/699153183 and https://www.fold3.com/image/692878180: Ogfr Kurt (Kurt Ernst in second card) Roisch, Luftnnachr Stelle (E) 16/VI, death place: Le Plessiel b/Albeville, gefallen

Tony, your first post said 10 members of JG 26 died in the attack. So far I found 4 members of 2./JG 26 who died at Arques (by the way the German name for St-Omer-Fort Rouge airfield), three of them with death cause confirmed as bombing, and 5 men killed at or near Abeville-Drucat at the same time (2 from Fl.H.Kdtr. E 16/VI, 2 from Luftnnachr Stelle (E) 16/VI and 1 from Flak Abt 122). Can you please give your source for the 10 dead of JG 26 ?

Last edited by Laurent Rizzotti; 16th September 2022 at 19:26.
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Old 16th September 2022, 18:02
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FalkeEins FalkeEins is offline
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Re: Bombardment of St.Omer-Arques 13.1.1943

Quote:
Originally Posted by Laurent Rizzotti View Post
According to Peter Crump, who was an eyewitness, he was shot down by his own Gruppenkommandeur, Hptm Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland, who mistakenly identified the Bf 109 as a Spitfire. The incident was of course cleaned up for the official records.
Oblt. Galland, a brother of the famous former Kommodore of JG 26, Adolf Galland, the then General of Fighters, looked me directly in the eyes, “ (Uffz. Josef) Dobnig, you will confirm that I downed a Spitfire!” That was an order.
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Old 16th September 2022, 19:31
tonda75 tonda75 is offline
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Re: Bombardment of St.Omer-Arques 13.1.1943

Hi Laurent Rizzotti,
thank you very much for your reply.
WASt message:
"Am 13.1.1943 verlor die 2./JG 26 durch Bomben Abmürfle auf den FFP Arques bei St.Omer in Nordfrankreich....10 Tote vom Bodenpersonal (Diese habe ich jedoch nicht erfasst)"

One member of Stabskompanie II./JG 26 Gefr.Karl Wittkamp +14.1.1943 died in Abbeville-Drucat (he was seriously wounded on 13.1.1943).

I think it is the sum of the losses at both airports.
Thank you again, best regards Tony
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