German losses at Sola on 17 April 1940

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

On 17 April 1940, during operation "Duck", Sola airfield was attacked both by the Royal Navy (HMS Suffolk) and the RAF.

The attack was started by a Hudson that dropped flares and incendiary bombs on the airfield, one setting fire to a Ju 52 of Stab KG 30 that was destroyed.

The bombing by HMS Suffolk missed the airifield but hit the adjacent seaplane station. Here 4 He 115 of 1./KüGr 106 were destroyed (all sources agree) and KGzbv 108 lost either 4 He 59s, or 5 He 59s and 1 Bv 138 depending of the sources.
Regarding the above losses, I have also found that three He 115 (WNr 1878, 1898 and 2087) are shown on the http://historisches-marinearchiv.de website as being heavily damaged this day at Stavanger (probably meaning Sola) but were repaired and later used. None of my other sources show damaged He 115 in this attack, and I suspect that at least three of the four He 115 listed as destroyed were repaired, maybe after being raised from the bottom of the sea.

Can someone confirm this ? And give details about the losses of KüGr 106 and KGzbv 108 this day ?

Once the Suffolk had left, according to the website http://www.world-war.co.uk/duck.php3, 12 Blenheims of 107 Sqn attacked the airfield and 1 Bf110C from 1./ZG 76 and 1 Ju52 were destroyed and 2 ground personnel killed.

In the loss list available for luftwaffe in Norway, the only Ju 52 lost in Sola this day is the one destroyed before by the Hudson, and a Bf 110 C of 1./ZG 76 was damaged beyond repair at Sola, but in a take-off accident, not by bombs. So I suspect that the losses listed in the link above for the Blenheim attack did not happen. Can someone confirm this, and that this raid killed 2 groundcrew (or were they killed during the shelling by Suffolk) ?

Thanks in advance

[GMichalski]

hi,
maybe this help...

http://www.luftwaffe.no/SIG/Losses/tap40.html

regards

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks but this is my source I called "the loss list available for luftwaffe in Norway".

[Peter Cornwell]

KGr.zbV 108 Blohm und VossBv138A-1 (150). Forced-landed damaged by own AA fire over Stavanger-Sola airfield during attack by No.107 Squadron 12.00 p.m. No crew casualties. Aircraft BH+AT 20% damaged but repairable.
A passenger aboard, member of the Seefliegerhorst-Komp.Travemünde, was wounded.

3./ZG76 Messerschmitt Bf110C-1. Wrecked in take-off accident during naval bombardment at Stavanger-Sola by cruiser Suffolk 7.50 a.m. Crew believed unhurt. Aircraft M8+CL 90% damaged - write-off.
A mechanic, Uffz Hans Zahnhausen (of 2./ZG76), was killed in this attack and a member of the signals staff of Fl.Korps X slightly injured.

I have no record of the loss of any Ju52 at Stavanger-Sola on this date and sources conflict on the exact details of losses suffered by KGr.zbV 108 and (supposedly) 1./KüFlGr.106. But, hopefully, someone will have reliable data on those ?

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks Peter,

I was hoping that you had the loss list for this day. It seems difficult to make one.

I have to say that for me the loss of the Ju 52 destroyed in the initial Hudson attack was the most reliable of all, as everybody agreed on it. And you have no trace of it

LW losses 17/4-40 at Sola See Norway:

KuFlGr 108: 3-4 He 59 (werknr 1834, 1898, 2796, ...)
KuFlGr 106: 4 He 115 (1878, 1879, 2087, ...)

Kjetil

[Peter Cornwell]

Thank you for your input Kjetilkorsnes & welcome to TOCH.

Your details of the three He59 lost conform with the KTB ObdM as quoted by another researcher so these should be beyond any doubt. But I think we may still have some confusion with the He115 losses which I currently have listed so:

1./KüFlGr.106 Three Heinkel He115B-1 (1878, 1879, 1898) and one He115C-1 (2087). Destroyed in naval bombardment of Stavanger-Sola airfield by cruiser Suffolk7.50 a.m. No crew casualties. Aircraft all 100% write-offs.

[Seaplanes]

A total of four He 115B aircraft of 1./106 were reported 100% damaged on
17.04.40, W.Nr. 1878, 1879, 1898 and 2087. However, all of them seems to have been repaired and continued their Luftwaffe service.

Regarding the He 59's quite a lot were reported 100% losses both in Stavanger-Sola and in Trondheim-Ilsvika. An evaluation party from
Walther Bachmann Flugzeugbau in Ribnitz (responsible for all second line
repair and conversions of the He 59) were sent to Norway to inspect the various aircraft. Their conclusion was that many were ok for repair.
I have the following three aircraft finally reported as 100% losses at Stavanger-Sola-See for 17.04.40: He 59D W.Nr. 1834 and 1998, as
well as He 59E W.Nr. 2797, all from K.G.z.b.V. 108.

Unfortunately, I have no info on losses at Stavanger-Sola-Land.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Guys

The differences in the He 59 WNr bothers me

Kjetil (Peter confirms): 1834, 1898, 2796
Seaplanes: 1834, 1998, 2797

The Lela Presse book by Roba supports Kjetil's version, but Seaplanes is usually very accurate....

Cheers
Stig

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks Seaplanes

From what I understand you said, the shelling by Suffolk finally only destroyed three He 59s, the other hit floatplanes (4 He 115s and maybe some He 59s) all being repaired later, even if they were first reported as 100% losses in German reports.