Dornier Loss 12/11/41 - ID Please?

[Mark Crame]

Hi chaps, I don't suppose anyone can give me a possible identity for a Dornier 17 or 217 lost off the coast of Northeast Norfolk (reported sunk 3 miles northeast of Mundesley, the wreck lies about a mile and a half off Happisburgh) on 12th November 1941 could they please? It was attacking a couple of shipping targets (Auxiliary Patrol HM Trawlers Francolin skippered by Lieutenant JL Dinwoodie, RNR, and Commander Holbrook, skippered by Chief ASV Jones, RNR) and hit the top mast of the 322 tonne HM Trawler Francolin, crashing into the sea. The Francolin, foundered with the loss of one crewmember, 23 year old Telegraphist C/JX 182393 Charles Leonard Draper.

Press report:

DORNIER SHOT DOWN BY TWO BRITISH TRAWLERS
LONDON, November 14. The combined fire of the British trawlers Commander Holbrook and Francolin shot down an attacking Dornier 17 into the sea on Wednesday. A bomb hit and sank the Francolin, and one man was killed. There were no survivors from the Dornier's crew.

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi.

Possibly this one:

http://www.aviationhistory.no/ref_db...?lossid=158608

Regards,
Andreas B

[Mark Crame]

Fantastic, thanks Andreas!

[Mark Crame]

Finished my digging (though more details on the Dornier crew would be good along with clarification of whether it was an E2 or E3 as I've found two conflicting records). details below in case anyone else ever comes looking.

HM Trawler Francolin, Ship No.139291
322 Tonnes, 136ft x 24ft x 12ft
Position: N.52˚50.633, E.001˚32.769

Built in 1916 as Mersey Class Trawler Faraday by Cochrane and Sons Ltd of Selby, she was powered by a three cylinder triple expansion engine supplied by CD Holmes and Co Ltd of Hull (Yard no.657).

Requisitioned by the Admiralty on completion and commissioned as a minesweeper, she was returned to her owners in 1919 but requisitioned again twenty years later in December 1939 as an Auxiliary Patrol Trawler (with no pennant number).

HMT Faraday was involved in a collision on 19th January 1940 with the 859 tonne steam collier Mile End, owned by the Commercial Gas Company, which was en-route from London to Sunderland which resulted in her sinking in Haisborough Gat. Severely damaged, the repaired and renamed Francolin was returned to service but was reported sunk two miles off Happisburgh Lighthouse, on 12th November 1941. Auxiliary Patrol HM Trawlers Francolin, skippered by Lieutenant JL Dinwoodie, RNR, and Commander Holbrook, skippered by Chief ASV Jones, RNR were attacked at 22:47hrs by Dornier 217 E-2, Werknummer 0333, coded F8 + CM of II. KG40, which had taken off from Soesterberg, Holland, at 20:48hrs on an anti-shipping sortie. The Dornier hit the top mast of the Francolin before crashing into the sea. The Francolin was hit by a bomb and foundered with the loss of one crewmember, 23 year old Telegraphist C/JX 182393 Charles Leonard Draper. The four man crew of the Dornier, pilot Oberleutnant Herwig Schmid, air gunner Gefreiter Georg Seeberger, wireless operator Feldwebel Ewald Hoffmann and flight engineer Oberfeldwebel Heinrich Wurthmann were all killed.

Press report:

DORNIER SHOT DOWN BY TWO BRITISH TRAWLERS
LONDON, November 14. The combined fire of the British trawlers Commander Holbrook and Francolin shot down an attacking Dornier 17 into the sea on Wednesday. A bomb hit and sank the Francolin, and one man was killed. There were no survivors from the Dornier's crew.

[NUPPOL]

Link of Interest at http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?70340