Blenheim MkI lost 25 May 1940 near St. Quentin

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Good morning to all!
Please could someone enlight me with information about a Bristol Blenheim ( probably Mk I ) shot down near Saint Quentin around 20:35hs ( German time ) by Fw. Erich Rudorffer of 1/ JG 2?
Thank you in advance!
I do know that 107 and 114 Squadrons operated in support of the BEF during the French campaign. Any other Squadron operated the Blenheim during this campaign? What were the Blenheim losses on 25 May?
Cheers for all

Adriano

[Peter Clare]

Hi Adriano.

The following is all I could find for the given date.

25 May 1940

15 Squadron.
Blenheim IV P6913 LS-
Shot down near St-Inglevert.

18 Squadron.
Blenheim IV R3598 WV-
Crashed in the vicinity of Abbeville

21 Squadron.
Blenheim IV L8734 YH-
Crashed near Moorsele.

40 Squadron
Blenhein IV P4920 BL-
Shot down near Rety.


Details from Bomber Command Losses. WR Chorley

Regards
Peter

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Thank you Peter!
I really didn´t know that so many Squadrons operated the Blenheim Mark IV in support of the BEF in early 1940!
May I ask you if in the well known book Bomber Command War Losses you do have the names of the pilots?
If yes, could you give me at least the names of the pilots shot down? It would add a bit more on my knowledges. I will try to find out the names on the Net, but I am not sure if all Squadrons possess a well documented site and I am afraid I will not find the names of the pilots involved.
If you could help me, it would be nice. I am actually looking at the Luftwaffe claims to find out which Blenheim was claimed by Rudorffer.
Thank you for your valuable help. If you have any particular interest let me know, I would like to retribute your kind answer and would be pleased to share any info I do possess. ( Mosquito, German Night Fighter Force ).
Thanks again and may you have a nice week

Sincerely yours

Adriano

[robert]

Hi Adriano,

it could be Blenheim from 18 RAF R3598 probably shared with Olt.Bethke.

Regards

Robert

[Peter Clare]

Hi Adriano,

As requested the crew list for the above aircraft.


15 Squadron Blenheim IV 6913.
P/O. D S R. Harriman +
Sgt. P. Bloomer +
P/O. J H. Gordon +

18 Squadron Blenheim IV 3598.
P/O. D S. Dickins pow
Sgt. F. Miller, DFM +
Cpl. B M. Harding +

21 Squadron Blenheim IV L8734.
Sgt. H. Rowson pow
Sgt. A K R. Keates +
LAC. D V. Cleaver +

40 Squadron Blenheim IV P4920.
Sgt. S I. Tonks pow
Sgt. J L. Alexander +
LAC. D. Goffe +

Regards
Peter.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Peter thank you again! Very kind of yours.

I had to have a close look on those records and on the Luftwaffe claims and also on some European maps and guides.

The aicraft of 15 Squadron that crashed at St. Inglevert ( a town south of Calais ) must be that claimed by Oblt Gerhard Homuth and Ltn Erwin Axthelm, both of .2/ JG 27, WEST of Calais at 12:30hs. ( It would be nice if we had a clue on the recorded British times to match ).

The machine of 40 Squadron crashed near Rety ( Remy ? ). I do not know if this is the small town Pont-Remy, some 10km WSW of Abbeville or another small town I didn not see on the maps...

Someone said that the claims of Rudorffer and Oblt Siegfried Bethke should be that of 18 Squadron. But this machine crashed near Abbeville and the claims of JG 2 mentions Saint-Quentin. There is indeed a St.Quentin-em-Tourmont some 35 km WNW of Abbeville, but I think it would be easier to the German fighter pilots to made a claim south of Berck sur Mer...

There is also the 21 Squadron machine that crashed near Moorselle and that could be the Breguet 693 claimed by a novice JG 52 pilot 11km SSE of Saargemund. There is no match for this claim...or there is?!

The other Saint-Quentin is on the Aisne Area to the NNE of Paris. This is probably the town mentioned on the combat report of Rudorffer, but there is no RAF loss that matches this claim...So, was St.Quentin-em-Tourmont the final place of this "misterious" Blenheim?

What are your guesses? Any more clues?

Glad and please forgive my lack of knowledge about European Geography...so many small towns that is very difficult to locate them on a huge guide....

Cheers for all who helped me so far!

[robert]

Hi,

the Br.693 No.39 and 13 were lost in the evening (take-off time: 18.30) to the II/JG3 (according to the Aero Journal 26) but the I/JG2 could also be involved in this combat, when the mentioned St.Quentin is St.Quentin by Ennemain (between Laon and Peronne). The pilot from the 7/JG52 probably downed Potez 63.11 No. 177.

Regards

Robert