Fw.Gunther Unger 9/KG76 15.9.40.

[steve sheridan]

Hi I'm trying to establish whether the following date is correct.
Source is Nigel Parker's excellent series " Luftwaffe Crash Archive" vol.7 pg.827
See notes under 12/13.3.41 loss.

15.9.40 Fw. Gunther Unger 9//KG76 and 3 other crew were shot down by Spitfires into the Channel. After swimming around for a while they were picked up by a minesweeper and taken to Boulogne where they were bombed by the RAF. For this they were awarded the Eiserne Kreuz First Class.
Fw.August Meier, Fw.Willi Dirk ( Dierk ?) Were two of the other crew mentioned.

My queries is, does this not refer to the I'll fated mission to bomb Kenley airfield on the 18.8.40, on this date Unger was forced to ditch in the channel and apparently rescued by a Kriegsmarine vessel.
Any help would be appreciated, incidently if anybody has the NVM for 9/KG76 for 18.8.40 that would be most useful.
Beset regs,
Steve.

[Peter Cornwell]

Steve,

You are indeed correct. Fw Gunther UNGER ditched on 18 August 1940 and not on 15 September 1940 as (apparently) stated in Nigel PARKER's Luftwaffe Crash Archive. The unfortunate decision to simply duplicate verbatim extracts from the original wartime A.I.1.(k) Reports now held at Kew unfortunately results in the series being peppered with such factual errors and thus being a less than reliable source of accurate information. Excellent photo coverage however, thanks mainly to Andy SAUNDERS making the late Ken WATKINS collection available for publication.

[steve sheridan]

Thank you Peter for confirming this.
I will echo your words in that I have found numerous errors in these books, however as you say the photographic content is superb.
Kindest regs,
Steve.
PS. PM being sent!