Arado 196 - Whitley combat, 18 July 1942

[Tobermory]

My father shot at a pair of Arado 196s on 18 July 1942, from the rear turret of a Whitley over the Bay of Biscay en route to Gibraltar from Portreath. His logbook reads 'no decisive result', but the Arados stopped bothering the Whitley, though they had damaged it. The Whitley was flying the SOE agent 'Jacqueline' (Yvonne Rudellat) to Gibraltar, from where she was conveyed to the south coast of France by small boat. The episode is in Stella King's 'Jacqueline: Pioneer Heroine of the Resistance'.

I know almost nothing about Luftwaffe records, but this forum seems to be a good place to start. I would like to know if either or both the Arados returned to their base in western France. My haphazard researches have turned up nothing, but the subject experts on this forum may know something.

Nick Livingstone

[Nick Beale]

National Archives file HW13/32 covers "German Naval Air Activity: July 1 - September 30, 1942" so that might be a good place to look. I haven't used that particular file but the usual format is daily summaries, each covering the previous 24 houes.

[Chris Goss]

The unit was 5/196 who did not file a claim and I can see no losses or aircraft returning damaged