Luftwaffe raid on London 7th November 1943

[Larry]

Can anyone confirm which Luftwaffe units and aircraft types were involved in a night raid on London on 7th November 1943?

I am researching the bombing of Putney High Street, London, though I doubt that it was a specific target that night.

I presume that Ju88, Do217 and He177 were used at this time. Did they attack as a unit or singley?

Thanks

[Larry]

Since my last post on the subject some years ago I have been told that the raid on 7th November 1943 which hit the Cinderella Dance Club at 35, Putney High Street (which extended over the shops on the corner of Putney Bridge Road) was carried out by a single aircraft that dropped a 500lb bomb at 21.00 hours. Would that help identify the Luftwaffe unit involved?

There where 81 people killed (including my uncle), mainly youngsters and 248 seriously injured (a small number of people were killed and injured in the High Street and Putney Bridge Road), making it one of the worst of the war.

[Brian Bines]

Larry, for the 7/8th Nov. the Home Office Key Points report states that 7 fighter bombers and 1 recon. aircraft operated over S/E England (I/SKG10? a possiblity that the reported recon. aircraft may have been a target illuminator of I/KG66) with 3 machines penetrating to the London area. It goes on to say no key points affected but bombs fell at 4 points in the London area, 2 places in Surrey and 2 in Sussex. Hope this helps,

Regards

Brian Bines

[Larry]

Thanks Brian,

So it is likely a Fw190 was the bomber then and who knows it could have been flown by Kurt Dahlmann?

[Chris Goss]

Larry
7 FW 190s from I/SKG 10 attacked London between 2042 & 2137 hrs & yes they were capable of carrying a single 500 kg bomb. They attacked from 4500-400m altitude and each carried a 500 kg Trialen bomb. Explosions were noted by the pilots NW and south of the u-bend in the Thames and the remaining 4 in the city centre. The weather recce was also an FW 190 from I/SKG 10. No other ac were reported operating over London that night

[Larry]

Many thanks Chris.

BTW I thought the Trialen bomb was for anti shipping

Lastly do you by chance have a note of the pilots names involved in this raid?

[Chris Goss]

Larry
Trialen was noted in the German report & no names I'm afraid.

[Larry]

A Trailen bomb had a large quantity of ball bearings in it, so it would have been particularly lethal to those youngsters!

[Chris Goss]

War is a terrible thing as we all know. 7 aircraft with 7 bombs and that casualty list......