ZG-76 Claims against No 107 Sqn 17April1940

[andy bird]

Bf 110 pilots who made claims:

Schönherr, Johann

Jeschke, Martin Alfred

Fahlbusch, Helmut Fritz

Böhmel, Gerhard

Is there any info relating to which Blenheim they shot down ?

L9041; N6185; P4924

Many Thanks

Andy Bird

[alessandro bray]

Hi Andy,

the 3 Blenheim of 107 Sqn were claimed by I/ZG76 (Schönherr, Fahlbusch and Böhmel) , no info on who shot down each Blenheim, but
you can exclude Ofw Jeschke, whose claim was related to a Walrus launched from HMS Suffolk on a aerly morning mission.

source Christopher Shores, Fledgling Eagles

Regards,

Alessandro

[Chris Goss]

From a forthcoming article:


Their next combat occurred at 0535hrs on 17 April when Ofw Martin Jeschke claimed his second victim, a Blenheim east of Stavanger at 0535hrs. No Blenheims were active until later in the day but Fg Off Goronwy 'Gron' Edwards in a Hudson of 233 Sqn reported being attacked and slightly damaged by a Ju 88 in the Stavanger area 0445-0505hrs. Later that day Stavanger was attacked by Blenheims during which they destroyed a Ju 88C-1. This attack was intercepted by I./ZG 76 with Lt Gerhard Böhmel and Fw Johann Schönherr (1 Staffel) and Lt Helmut Fahlbusch (2 Staffel) each claiming a Blenheim. 107 Sqn reported losing two aircraft flown by Flt Lt Peter Warne and Fg Off Trevor Poltock; yet again there were no survivors.


Jeschke was not I./ZG 76 but Z./KG 30

[Martin Gleeson]

107 Squadron certainly lost a third Blenheim as a result of attacks by the Bf 110s. This was P4924 which was belly-landed on return to Lossiemouth at 14.55 hours. Up to 53 hits were counted which had damaged the undercarriage among other things. P4924 was declared a write-off. The crew were P/O Osborne Harvey Keedwell (Pilot), Sgt. Robert Donaldson Cook (Observer) and AC2 John Richard Mayor (WOp/AG) . John Mayor was on his first operational mission and was awarded the DFM for his actions this day. There is a photo in ‘THE BRISTOL BLENHEIM’ (2nd edit., p.181), which purports to be N6192 belly-landed and also from this raid. However no serial or aircraft letter are visible and I strongly suspect the Blenheim in the photo is P4924. Furthermore N6192 was recorded flying operationally on the next two days ! N6192 was eventually shot down and crashed in France on 27 May 1940. I can find no evidence a second Blenheim was belly-landed. The F.78 for P4924 records no specific loss date but it does have a SOC date of 26 April 1940 Sources: 107 Sqn. ORB (AIR 27/841, p.75-76 & 88-89) and Appendices (AIR 27/837, p.142-153), London Gazette website. Furthermore another three of the 107 Sqn. Blenheims on this raid were recorded with minor damage. 1/ Blenheim IV Hit by A/A fire causing slight damage during attack on Stavanger-Sola airfield around midday. No aircrew casualties. Aircraft damaged but repairable. Source: 107 Sqn. Appendices (AIR 27/847, p.147). 2/ Blenheim IV. Hit by one bullet in the fuselage from a Bf 110 of I./ZG 76 during a daylight attack on Stavanger-Sola airfield 12.10 p.m. No aircrew casualties. Aircraft damaged but repairable. Source: 107 Sqn. Appendices (AIR 27/847, p. 152). 3/ Blenheim IV. Hit by one bullet from a He 111 during a daylight attack on Stavanger-Sola airfield 12.33 p.m. No aircrew casualties. Aircraft damaged but repairable. Source: 107 Sqn. Appendices (AIR 27/847, p.152). It has not proved possible to match the three slightly damaged aircraft above with specific crews and serials in the 107 Sqn. F.541.

Regards,

Martin Gleeson.

[VtwinVince]

Seems 107 RAF was a bit of a jinxed unit, as my uncle's 9. JG3 made short work of them later during the Battle.

[andy bird]

Cheers guys really appricated this information will be acknowledged in 'Bristol Blenheim Fighter & Bomber' which is currently being written, whilst being beaten over the head by a Glos based publisher, as its over due.

Compacting its operational span into 20,000 words for me any how is impossible as so many known aircrew first cut their teeth in this machine. So thats been blown, not touched the ME or Burma yet . . .

Andy

[Chris Goss]

20,000 words??!! I am about to complete the combat history of the Do 217 which spanned July 1941 to August 1944 in 35,000 words and that is hard

[Johannes]

Hi Guys

The earlier typed-out mikrofilms for I./ZG76 seem not to have survived, so anything quoted for this unit is always open to question. However the mikrofilms for ZKG.30 has survived, they made seven claims in all before becoming I./NJG2. One of those claimants was Jeschke, so he was never with I./ZG76, also if he did make a second claim that day, then it was never confirmed, but a Blenheim at 0535 was.

Kind Regards

Johannes

[Chris Goss]

Z./KG 30 was subordinate to I./ZG 76 which is why the claims get mixed up

[Johannes]

Hi Chris

Thanks for the information. Strangely all seven of ZKG.30's claims are recorded as just that, yet Herbert Bonsch was Staffelkapitän of 2./ZKG.30 at time, so I guess it's safe to say that this unit was sub-dived into Staffels.

I wonder if any abschuss tafel survive for I./ZG76 ? Unfortunately only one gruppe for ZG26 and ZG76 earlier type mikrofilms have survived......nothing at all for ZG1 or ZG2.....such a shame.

Keep well

Johannes