Banff Strike Wing 1944 - 45

[sergey]

Hi,
Colleagues,
Please help me find information on Banff Strike Wing:
- losses Mosquito
- number of departures
- number of enemy ships sunk / tonnage.

sergey

[Chris Goss]

Suggest you get hold of Andy Bird’s “A Separate Little War” which is about said Wg

[Adriano Baumgartner]

I hold "Strike Wings" by Roy C. Nesbit as one of the best books ever written about Coastal Command Strike Wings. Fully recommended. You won't be disappointed Sergey.

Hope to find something similar about the VVS torpedo units written by one of you, new Russian Historians one day. Am aware that several A-20 units achieved a lot of success in this kind of aerial warfare. So...it will be most welcomed by some of us, readers from this side of the Atlantic.

There was a site about RAF Banff with such kind of details as well...am not sure if it is still online.

Cheerio, from a Strike fan.

A. Baumgartner

[Adriano Baumgartner]

https://www.amazon.com/Strike-Wings-.../dp/1781590281

[Adriano Baumgartner]

In 1942 the RAF began to form special Strike Wings to attack the heavily defended and seemingly invulnerable convoys that brought Germany's vital supplies of iron ore from Scandinavia down the coast of Europe to feed its war machine. The outcome was a series of air/sea battles at close quarters, fought with increasing ferocity until the last days of the war. The author, himself a survivor of strike aircraft of Coastal Command, has researched these little-known and complex battles from British and German records, assisted by first-hand accounts from some of the brave and distinguished airmen who flew in the attacks. He has also analyzed the effects of the tactics employed on the German war economy, with some startling conclusions. The result is a vivid history of events that were little publicized during the war for reasons of security. There are detailed diagrams of some of the attacks, as well as photographs taken in action.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/...e-strike-wings

[RSwank]

A very brief summary of the sorties flown:

https://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/sorties.html

[andy bird]

Adriano, Likewise thought it was excellent having known the guy. However, there is a lot wrong. Probably down to the fact that the info wasn't readily available.

Correct info will be making an appearance in
A New Zealander at War – The War Time Diaries of Hector Bolitho 
RAF Coastal Command 1944 – 1945 Edited by Andrew D. Bird

12,000 words in . . .

Andy Bird

[andy bird]

Hi Sergey

Suggest you get hold of a copy of A Separate Little War previously published in 2008 by my publishers Grub Street, currently being re-written. The books an edited version of the original 200,000 words written, so consequently does read like an ORB in places.

However, during the 16 years it took to write managed to interview many of the surviving pilots and navigators 143, 235, 248, with those few Brits who flew for 333 Norwegian Squadron. Also quite a few of the JG.5 pilots and a handful of U-Boat commanders. Then the post-war shipping reports on the attacks.

Today 31 years after starting this venture probably have one of the largest collections on the Banff Strike Wing along with a healthy dose on the Beaufighters at Dallachy too.

So by all means drop me a line

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Andy Bird

[sergey]

Hello Andy.
Of course, I would like to read this book. But are there answers to my questions - Wing losses in aircraft, personnel losses, the number of sorties and the
number/tonnage of sunk/damaged ships, that is, the statistical results of the activities of this unit?
Sergey

[Stephen M. Fochuk]

Here, Sergey,

You can start digging here for that information. Please post your findings when done.

https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/...ce-operations/

Many thanks,

Stephen