Kampfgruppe 100 Do217 loss France 26.7.44

[Theo Boiten]

Dear all,

For a German research friend, I'm looking for info about the loss of a Do217 of Kampfgruppe 100 (pilot Otto Sommer) on 26 Juli 1944 in France, any details much apreciated!

Cheers, Theo

[Chris Goss]

Theo
By then it would have been KG 100 not KGr 100. I can see no losses on 26 Jul 44 or anyone named Sommer in 1944 apart from Ofw Robert Sommer, ground crew, killed in an air raid on Chateaudun 28 Apr 44

[Theo Boiten]

Cheers & thanks for that Chris, I'll pass the info to my German friend.

Theo

[Nick Beale]

I don't have anything conclusive but ULTRA gives III./KG 100 strengths as follows:

0630 23/7: 26 (9) crews, 23 (12) aircraft
1330 23/7: 26 (9) crews, 23 (12) aircraft
0645 24/7: 26 (9) crews, 23 (17) aircraft
1430 24/7: 26 (9) crews, 23 (15) aircraft

The two attachments show 14 aircraft taking off for an operation on the 24th and 12 landing but that doesn't mean the other two were lost, they may have landed away from base. The attack was against Escort Group 14 in the Bay of Biscay.

Ulf Balke's KG 100 book doesn't list any Do 217 lost on this date but perhaps Jean-Lous Roba's forthcoming book will have more.

[Theo Boiten]

Thanks for that Nick, most useful! Cheers, Theo

[Theo Boiten]

Dear all,

Just got a bit more info re. the crash, from a short interview that my German contact did with the pilot Otto Sommer (who's currently in hospital and in bad health):

The Do217 was belly-landed at night, on 26 July 1944, place was in the vicinity of Deauville. The a/c belonged to 3. Staffel Kampfgruppe 100 z.b.V., take off was from Lorient. Otto Sommer stated that the unit had recently been established, the Do217s had previously seen service on the Ostfont and were not equipped with bomb sights. The Second Gruppe of KG100 was stationed at Lorient, the Third Gruppe in Vannes. The name of Sommer's Staffelkapitän was a Leutnant von Spöstrupp (?). During the operation on the night of 26 July 44, Sommer and his crew had attacked pontoons and other Allied sea craft immediately behind the Isle of Wight. His Bordschütze (name not known anymore, but coming from Cochem) was hit by Ack Ack shrapnel and one of his arms was badly burnt.

Sommer has no wartime documents, photos etc anymore, all he has left are his memories.

Perhaps this new info will help in finding out more about the incident, Sommer would especially like to know the names of his crew and what has become of them ..

Cheers, Theo

[Brian Bines]

If Sommer's Unit was 3/KG100 this was flying the He177 at the time and following Steinbock was at Fassberg becoming III/KG1. There is no record of attacks behind the Isle of Wight (Solent ?) on 26/27-July-1944. would his unit have been III/KG100 rather than 3/100 ?

Regards
Brian Bines

[Theo Boiten]

Hi Brian,

Thanks for the feedback -I'll pass on your remarks to my German friend, cheers, Theo

[martin75]

Hello

I do not know if this is of any interest but you'll find attached two messages from ULTRA evoking the presence mid june 1944 of elements of KG1 at Lorient.

Regards

Claude

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by Brian Bines

There is no record of attacks behind the Isle of Wight (Solent ?) on 26/27-July-1944.
Regards
Brian Bines

The nearest thing I can think of would be the attack on Portsmouth on 15/16 May 1944. There were a couple of torpedo ops sent toward the Solent area after the Normandy landings.