First Combat sortie with Ar234 August 2, 1944 Lt. Erich Sommer

[Roger Gaemperle]

Hi,

I have two conflicting original sources about the time when Lt. Erich Sommer flew the first combat mission with the Ar234 on 2 August 1944. One says it happened between 11:30-13:00 while the other states that the flight was around 16:30 (see attached photos and the website http://aerostories.free.fr/events/juvin/page2.html).

Could it be that Sommer flew two reconaissance missions on 2 August? Does anybody have copies of Sommer's logbook that shows the entries on that day?

Thank you,
Regards,
Roger Gaemperle

[Chris Going]

What an interesting posting! It seems to me that the most original documentation is the Kilmkenzettel, which was after all, the original label for the films from the sortie (where did you find that!) which identifies it as F81/44. This indicates a 90 minute flight from Juvincourt-the D Day Lodgement and back, with a take off at 11.30 hrs, and a return at 13.30. The camera(s) are given as RB 50/50'(s). so probably two, and thus two films, which would not be out for drying until c 14.00 hrs, and a bit later if prints are being cracked off.

Then there is Uffz Pfefferkorn's Immed Intel Rep (or whatever Bildstelle Juvincourt called them). I think the time citation there is the time the report was typed up -c 1.5-2 hrs after he notionally got the film, or a copy (I guess it was intrepreted off the Neg). Incidentally we are told elsewhere (Smith and Creek 1992, 150) that 'it took a team of twele photographic interpreters two days to produce an initial report from his films'. Pfefferkorns was thus the first of a long stream, but if it was just a rescension of estimated tonnages it would have been woeful stuff.

This leaves a small problem. Phillippe Baudins site reproduced an annotated print from the F81/44 sortie. Now the annotation indicates that one image was taken at 16.12hrs. The issue would be settled if one could read the time off the data chamber in the corner at the opposite end of the image, but I cant. I am sure its legible in the original picture though.

For what it's worth I dont think a second flight happened on Aug 2nd. When Sommer returned he found the second Arado 234 V5 flown by Goetz had arrived in the meanwhile.

My guess is that the later times are for times of completion of the first Interpretation reports.

Check with Phillippe -he should know, having been in touch with Sommer himself.

Incidentally, where did you find the Filmkennzettel and Intel Rep for the flight? -I have catalogued some others of the latter, of Utah beach, and Pegasus c 14th June, which surfaced (as ever) just too late to go into my Book of Photo Recon of D Day.

Best


ChrisG

[O.Menu]

Hi !

I dont know where it was at mid-day but at 16h30 he was flying over the Normandy beatches!

Here extracted from one of his photos that you can find in the book: Normandie 44 - Les photos de l'avion espion - Philippe Bauduin & Eric Charon - ISBN: 2-91-2047-02-1



From others photos Erich Sommer also flew on 4th August 19h30 and Oblt Götz on 12th August 15h45, but Mr Bauduin explained that they found only around 20 from the 380+ photos, and that around 12 missions had been flow between 2nd and 12th of August by the Ar 234.

It is also said that 12 technicians were at Juvincourt instead of the usual 2 so we can imagine that interpretation was far quicker than usual.

[Andy Mitchell]

Don't know if this is a help or just adds to the confusion.... (recently captured from e-bay)

[Nick Beale]

I think that I can settle the question.

Ultra XL 6274 says...

"According (strong indications Experimental Unit OBDL) on second successful recce of the beach head carried out at 1332 to 1515 hours second. No ops on first owing bad weather. On same day this unit reported only two assisted take off devices usable, expected supply had not yet arrived."

The times given are in Greenwich Mean Time so in German Summer Time they would have been 15.32 to 17.15 hours.