|
Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the German Luftwaffe and the Air Forces of its Allies. |
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Luftwaffe Raid On Portreath 20/21 May 1941
I would be grateful if anyone could supply any details of which unit/s bombed Portreath on the north Cornish coast on the night of 20/21 May 1941 and which base they flew from. I would also be interested to know if there was any assessment on the success of the raid.
I have local Cornish records detailing at least 116 HE bombs and several hundred IBs so I assume the raid involved a number of aircraft. Any assistance appreciated. Thank you. |
#2
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Luftwaffe Raid On Portreath 20/21 May 1941
10 He 111s from KGr 100 based at Vannes attacked Portreath between 0007 and 0030 hrs dropping 252 50 kg bombs and 2304 incendiaries. 3 fires were observed but nothing else.
Last edited by Chris Goss; 23rd February 2021 at 23:38. |
#3
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Luftwaffe Raid On Portreath 20/21 May 1941
You can find the relevant sitrep entry here (with St. Eval and Mullion on the following page).
Quick translation: 00.07 to 00.30 Portreath (20 km north west of Falmouth) by 10 bombers from 100 to 4000 m altitude with 252 SD 50 and 234 incendiary bombs without sight of the ground. The impacts of the bombs ran transversely across the airfield, 3 fires were perceived.German time then was GMT+2 hours. The SD 50 was a 50 kg fragmentation bomb. The unit concerned is not identified. |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Luftwaffe Raid On Portreath 20/21 May 1941
Thank you Chris & Nick for your swift & helpful answers.
The 3 fires ties in with the local sources. One fire was on the airfield where a contractor's hut was burnt down. This fire was dealt with swiftly. The other two fires were on areas of gorse land to the east of the airfield and the incendiaries started gorse fires. It seems these then attracted the worst of the HE bombing. Because of the nature of the vegetation and the peaty soil many bombs failed to explode and UXBs were still being found as late as 9th June in these two areas. The only casualties were on neighbouring farms - 1 steer killed, 2 horses injured, 1 cow injured. Some damage to a couple of farmhouses and the local pub. Chris, do I assume 2304 is a typo when compared to Nick's sitrep's 234? |
#5
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Luftwaffe Raid On Portreath 20/21 May 1941
Incendiaries weighed 1kg and the He 111 could carry up to 1100 each dependant on the bomb carrier but I will check my report again as no doubt Nick will
|
#6
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Luftwaffe Raid On Portreath 20/21 May 1941
2304 B1 E1 incendiaries. Hardly worth each He 111 carrying 23 incendiaries each! II./KG 27 also attacked Portreath the night before
|
#7
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Luftwaffe Raid On Portreath 20/21 May 1941
Faithfully transcribed, even if it was wrong! See attached (relevant figure highlighted via PhotoShop). I leave it to someone better at maths to work out the permutations of SD 50 and Br. 1c that 10 He 111 could carry.
|
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Luftwaffe Raid On Portreath 20/21 May 1941
Thanks Nick, I'd done the same as you and taken a screenshot of the record.
"Hundreds" was the description from the ground at the two off-airfield sites. I am interested Chris in your comment that Portreath was targeted the night before. The Cornwall Constabulary record that contains details of all the bombs dropped on the county only gives bombs dropping on Cawsand & the Rame peninsula (opposite Plymouth), at Braddock near Lostwithiel, at Callington (all in the east of the county) and around Nancledra which is between Penzance and St Ives (in the west of the county - where I presume the intended target was the HAA gun site at Badger's Cross). There is no record of any bombs dropped on or near Portreath. As to UXB's from the original incident of this post, I have now come across a record of a UXB being found in the gorse as late as 9 March 1942. Given that 75 years later in many places WW2 bombs are still being uncovered, one wonders what may lurk on that site! |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Re: Luftwaffe Raid On Portreath 20/21 May 1941
Quote:
|
#10
|
||||
|
||||
Re: Luftwaffe Raid On Portreath 20/21 May 1941
You're right. I read it as »ohne« rather than »nach« for some reason. Sorry about that.
|
Tags |
cornwall, may 1941, portreath |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Friendly fire WWII | Brian | Allied and Soviet Air Forces | 803 | 8th July 2023 15:47 |
Last Major Luftwaffe Raid on London May 1941 | andy bird | Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces | 6 | 20th September 2019 16:19 |
Hooton's Luftwaffe Loss Totals - request for clarification | Paul Thompson | Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces | 94 | 20th July 2012 21:24 |
Luftwaffe bases near La Rochelle, July 1941 | Rob_C_1975 | Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces | 8 | 19th May 2010 22:45 |
1941 North Shields Air Raid Disaster - which bomber and where from? | peterb | Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces | 0 | 24th April 2006 17:29 |