What does 'Stern' mean in a Flugbuch

[Tim O.]

Hi all

I have a Flugbuch I am currently researching, which shows the bomb load on two nights in October 1940 as '2 L.M.B 3 Stern' when the aircraft targeted Middlesborough and Sunderland. I take this to be 2 x 1,000kg Luft-Minenbombe but can only think 'Stern' means flares. I just cannot think why this aircraft from 2./KGr.126 would be dropping flares. It was a night mission so does this mean this aircraft was path-finding?

Any help would be welcome.

[Sharkers]

Maybe:

2 x Leuchtmittelbombe 3-Stars ??????

[Chris Goss]

LMB & the unit definitely Luftminenbombe

[Rainer]

LMB is the abbreviation for "Luftmine Typ B" (Typ A was 700kg, Typ B was 1000kg). Seems the aircraft was tasked to drop naval mines into the river Tyne and carried flares to locate the river if necessary.

[Tim O.]

Originally Posted by Rainer

LMB is the abbreviation for "Luftmine Typ B" (Typ A was 700kg, Typ B was 1000kg). Seems the aircraft was tasked to drop naval mines into the river Tyne and carried flares to locate the river if necessary.

Hi Rainer. That sounds right, thank you. This crew seems to have flown exclusively with mines but sometimes to coastal targets and sometimes to inland targets. The Flugbuch always shows 'LMB' in every case. My father told a story of watching a mine swinging on its parachute from 'telephone wires' in Birmingham during the war and we know mines were used for land targets too so I guess it all makes sense.

Thanks Chris and Sharkers for your comments also. The support and sharing of information from TOCH members is always excellent!

[bill norman]

Rainer,
Middlesbrough is on the river Tees; Sunderland is on the river Wear. Both towns are south of the river Tyne. Given your reply to TimO, do you have evidence that there was also a mining raid on the river Tyne on 10 October 1940?

Bill Norman

(website: www.billnorman.co.uk)

[Rainer]

Bill, you are right. My sentence should read "into the rivers Tees and Wear".

[bill norman]

Tim, you have PM.

Bill