Seeking info Luft victories over RAF Wellingtons and a Whitley over Germany on night of Sept 30-Oct 1, 1940

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

I'm posting this on both the Allied and Luft Boards as it pertains to operations on both sides.

Working with the British a/c loss data base that Peter Cornwell is compiling for the "Eagles Over Europe" (EoE) project, we have losses of the following three Wellingtons on the night of Sept. 30 - Oct 1, 1940, over Germany:

"38 Squadron, Marham

Wellington IC R3219. Shot down by night-fighter during sortie to attack on Leuna oil refinery at Merseburg. Pilot Officer D. Maclean killed, Sergeant S. A. Williams, Sergeant J. Tipping, Sergeant V. F. Gammon, Sergeant J. Hamilton, and Pilot Officer W. T. Mathieson all captured. Aircraft HD*Q a write-off.
These three losses can all be attributed to night-fighters, Oberlt Werner Streib (Staffelkapitän) of 2./NJG1 claiming one Wellington over Bersenbrück, 14km south of Quakenbrück, at 9.49 p.m. and another over Menslage, 12km west of Quakenbrück, at 10.21 p.m. while Oberlt Heinrich Griese (Staffelkapitän) of 1./NJG1 claimed another Wellington over Löningen, 17km north-west of Quakenbrück, at 11.38 p.m.

115 Squadron, Marham

Wellington IC R3292. Shot down by night-fighter during sortie to attack on marshalling yards at Osnabrück. Sergeant C. Wessels, Sergeant N. W. G. Thompson, and Sergeant A. D. Cameron all killed, Sergeant Alan Jervis Pennington, Sergeant James George Campbell MacNair, and Sergeant Harold William Pritchard all missing. Aircraft KO*F a write-off.

Wellington IC T2549. Shot down by night-fighter during sortie to attack on marshalling yards at Osnabrück. Sergeant C. Dowsett missing, Sergeant L. G. Goldie, Sergeant J. Le B. R. Walter, and Sergeant D. E. Westwood all killed, Pilot Officer A. J. J. Steel and Sergeant R. P Mogg both captured. Aircraft KO*K a write-off."

There was apparently a fourth Bomber Command loss that night, a Whitley, which has also been attributed to Strieb. The same questions (items #2 and 3) below pertain to this loss:

"10 Squadron, Leeming

Whitley V T4130. Shot down over Badbergen by Oberlt Werner Streib of 2./NJG1 during night sortie to Berlin 10.19 p.m. Sergeant V. Snell and Sergeant G. L. Ismay both killed, Sergeant W. D. Chamberlain, Sergeant A. S. Shand, and Sergeant R. E. Nicholson all captured. Aircraft a write-off."

1) Has anyone researched these specific actions sufficient to reasonably attribute which victory claim represents which Wellington?

2) Are the actual loss times, and specific crash locations known for any of these three losses?

3) Are photos of the crash sites of any of these three Wellingtons known to exist?

Any help would be much appreciated.

Regards,

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Over on the Allied board, we're making some progress on this one, as far as crash locations are concerned. I'd like to add that I'd like to make a color profile of Werner Streib's a/c representing his unit, 2./NJG1, for the last quarter of 1940. Can anyone refer me to photos and information necessary to do this?

Regards,