North Sea Air Strike 1939

[Carl Schwamberger]

Cajus Bekker 'Luftwaffe War Diaries' is perhaps not the best of sources, but while poking about I found a description of a large attempted air strike by the LW on a British fleet in the North Sea on 9 Oct. 1939.

Can sources be recommended for filling in the gaps in Bekkers description for this action? any information of other LW anti ship sorties in 1939 would be welcome as well.

Thanks

[ahafan]

Originally Posted by Carl Schwamberger

Cajus Bekker 'Luftwaffe War Diaries' is perhaps not the best of sources, but while poking about I found a description of a large attempted air strike by the LW on a British fleet in the North Sea on 9 Oct. 1939.

Can sources be recommended for filling in the gaps in Bekkers description for this action? any information of other LW anti ship sorties in 1939 would be welcome as well.

Thanks

hello
well info i read WAS A RAID- was pilot franks a ju 88 test pilot of a bomber WHO went after the Ark Royal, in the firth of forth. he dived down, but his cockpit hood blown off.and then dropped his loads on the fleet. he saw smoke,and thought he saw the Ark Royal list over sinkin.
when on landing, WAS MADE A HERO -and a knights cross awarded to him.
but the ship was not damaged..later on 1941 Goring went to his works and joked you owe me a ship.lol..
franks went to join a JU88 unit in USSR-but was killed.later on..

sharon

[Carl Schwamberger]

The attack on the Ark Royal was 25 September. By 9 Oct the Ark Royal was in the South Atlantic searching for the ship Graf Spee. Bekker was refering to a different action.

[Andy Mitchell]

Carl,

Shores in "Fledgling Eagles" gives a description of this action. See page 85.

Gneisenau, Köln and a number of destoyers put to sea to lure out the Home Fleet.

Early on Do 18s from 3./KüFlGr 406 sighted a number of british cruisers and destroyers in the Egersund area.

127 He 111s from Stab, I and II./KG 26, II and II./LG 1 and 21 Ju 88s from I./KG 30. KG 1 was alerted to be used as reserve.

Very few aircraft actually found the ships.

KG 30 claimed a number of hits on the cruisers.

There were several losses sustained by the Luftwaffe units involved.

3./KG 30 lost a Ju 88 due to AA fire. II./KG 26 had two He 111s force land due to lack of fuel. A I./KG 26 and a II./LG 1 crashed. A 3./KüFlGr 406 force landed off Norway and the crew were interned. 3./KüFlGr 706 lost an He 59 near Sylt.

[Carl Schwamberger]

Thanks, this matches some of Bekkers text. So far I've found no refrence to Brit warships sunk on or near 9 Oct. Does Shores refer to any of the targets sunk of damaged?

[AndreasB]

None, no damage either. Two near misses.

Check here under 8 October:

http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-3910-07OCT01.htm

All the best

Andreas

[Andy Mitchell]

Carl,

Sorry - missed that bit.

Exactly as Andreas highlights - near misses and a lot of wishful thinking....

[Carl Schwamberger]

That helps greatly. Any other LW encounters with Allied ships between September 1939 & March 1940 I should know about?

[Juha]

Hello Carl
another good internet source of WWII maritime history:
http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/chronik.htm

Juha

[Carl Schwamberger]

Thanks. Will look at that as soon as practical.