Two unidentified Flak claims Mannheim 5-6 September 1943

[Theo Boiten]

Dear all,

I have two Flak claims at Mannheim on the night of 5-6 September 1943 for which I have been unable to find matching Bomber Command losses, who can help:

A Stirling Flak claim at Mannheim-Rheinau at 00.05 hrs
A Lancaster Flak claim at Mannheim-Benz at 00.06 hrs.

Cheers, Theo

[Alex Smart]

Hello Theo,
I don't know if you have rejected the idea that these aircraft may not have been Downed by Flak ?
Also maybe a Flak team claimed a couple of aircraft that were also claimed by Luftwaffe pilots ?
So I offer two that I came across in the ancient Tony Woods files.

2Km South East of MANNHEIM
00.05
LANCASTER
6/JG300
Fw.Kofler.

and

6Km South of MANNHEIM
00.07
HALIFAX
Stab/JG300
Fw.Ullrich Veh.

Maybe a Flak team also claimed for these two aircraft ?

Alex

[Alex Smart]

To follow up,
There were nine(9) Stirling III's lost on the night of 5/6 September, 1943 according to Chorley's RAF Bomber Command Losses 1943.they were all on an Op to Mannheim.

75 Sqdn
EE893 - JN⊙N
Crashed Schwanheim, 4 Km WNW of Bensheim, 4 Kia, 3 POW.

90 Sqdn
EF129 - WF⊙Q
Crashed at Limbergerhof, some 7 Km SSW of Ludwigshafen, 7 Kia.

149 Sqdn
BF477 - OJ⊙B
Crashed, (engine failure ) at Sorbon(Ardennes), 5 Km NNW of Rethel, France.

149 Sqdn
BK711 - OJ⊙O
Shot down, dual Flak and night fighter. Crashed near Hockenheim, 4 Kia, 3 POW.

149 Sqdn
EE872 - OJ⊙N
Shot down by night fighter, Crashed near Ludwigshafen, 6 Kia, 1 POW.

196 Sqdn
EE964 - ZO⊙F
Crashed at Bachenau, 16 Km NNW of Heilbronn. 7 Kia, 1 POW.

196 Sqdn
EE973 - ZO⊙U
Hit by Flak over Speyer, lost Starboard outer engine. Crash Landed back in the UK, 1 injured.

620 Sqdn
EH931 - QS⊙O
Shot down by night fighter, aircraft exploded and crashed at Altdorf, 16 Km WSW of Speyer, 4 Kia, 4 POW.

623 Sqdn
EH878 - IC⊙I
Shot down by night fighter, Crashed at Schonborn, 4 Km SW of Simmern, 6 Kia, 1 POW.

Alex