Re: Do217 loss - Chartres 07 July 1942

[Danny152]

Hello all,

Next one, did a Do 217 get destroyed - blew up over Chartres on the 07 July 1942?

Does anyone have a photo to add with aircraft crew info?

Cheers

Danny

[Jim P.]

There were 4 recorded losses for Do 217s on 7-Jul-42, two of which went missing off the English coast, one crash landed at Achmer and the fourth accidently struck the ground and crashed at Soesterberg. Apparently nothing or no Do 217 around Chartres.

[Chris Goss]

I am away at the moment but as a result of my forthcoming books on the Do 217 & my research into the Do 17, I will have a look on my return but Jim seems to have answered it-another over optimistic claim?

[Danny152]

Thanks all,

Chris, if you could thanks. I have included the specific pilots combat report which might help as a clue to the area location of the claim. Being early morning could it then be the earlier hours on the 08 July?

Thanks, Danny


‘I took off from Ford with W/O Potter, at 0100Hrs to patrol Avord. As we approached Chartres we saw a cone of about 10 searchlights up over the aerodrome. These doused, then came on again, the doused and came on vertically upwards. Then they doused. Immediately afterwards, Potter saw an e/a with navigation lights coming on towards us from the direction of Chartres at the same height as us, 2000 feet. I did a wide orbit and stalked the e/a, approaching from astern and 200-300 feet below. As we approached we suddenly realised we were much nearer to the E/A than we thought, I throttled back but could not avoid overshooting slightly. I turned away to the side and made another approach. As I turned away I recognised it as an Do.217’.

‘I opened fire with cannons only from astern and slightly below at about 100 yards and the first burst set the starboard engine on fire. I gave two bursts and the fuselage caught fire. During the last burst there was a dull thud on the windscreen, and from the mess it left it is thought to have been a “piece of the rear gunner”.

‘I broke off the attack and the E/A which was burning furiously, glided down and crashed just short of the aerodrome, whose lights had come on, when the e/a flashed his head light just before my attack’.

‘Just after the E/A hit the ground there was a large explosion and it remained burning on the ground until we were out of sight on our way to AVORD. There was no apparent activity at Avord, se we set a course for base and landed at 0310Hrs’.

[Danny152]

Did find this out of interest, but not the same one I am looking for.

24.07.1942 3.KG2 Dornier Do 217E-4 Wnr.4252 Fw. Schludecker.
Location: Flugplatz Gilze-Rijen, Netherlands.

[Chris Goss]

Absolutely no connection & the operations flown by Willi Schludecker are well known

[Chris Goss]

Nothing at all Do 17 or Do 217

[Jim P.]

Didn't really find anything for other aircraft types either.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Were they surely at CHARTRES? Maybe a Navigation error?
Perhaps a Bf 110??

[Chris Goss]

I will admit that a large number of Hoare's claims are somewhat overly optimistic.....