ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 192874
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Thursday 16 January 1941 |
| Time: | 20:46 |
| Type: |  Heinkel He 111H-2 |
| Owner/operator: | 3./KGr.100 Luftwaffe |
| Registration: | 5441 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Aircraft missing |
| Location: | Missing off Caen -
 France
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
On 13 January 1941 the High Command of the German Armed Forces issued new instructions for the prosecution of the air war against Britain by night and day. The attacks still being carried out against the industrial cities of Britain were to be scaled down in favour of an all out night time assault on the most important importing harbours, the approaches to which were also being mined. However, key points of the air armaments and aircraft industry were still to be subjected, whenever possible, to Pirate attacks by single aircraft during daylight hours.
In accordance with these plans Avonmouth was singled out for another large scale attack on the night of 16-17 January. It was to be centred on the town and northern half of the dock area and its industrial installations. Additionally single aircraft were briefed to attack Parnall Aircraft at Yate and Gloster’s at Brockworth. The raiders, all from Luftflotte 3, were drawn from III/KG 26, I/LG 1, I, II and III/KG 27, KGr 100, I, II and III/KG 51, I and II/KG 54, KGr 806, Stab, I, II and III/KG 55.
That night a total of 126 aircraft reported over Avonmouth, and 15 over Bristol between 1930 and 0508 hrs, claiming to have dropped 158.2 tonnes of H.E.’s and 54,864 I.B.’s. Both X and Y-Verfahren were in operation although an X-Beam signal failure and winds stronger than forecast made KGr 100’s bombing uncertain. Flares were again dropped at the beginning of the attack, and also at 0145 hrs when a second phase began.
The first formations over the target encountered 8/10ths cloud cover with thick haze which only started to break up after about 2300 hrs. Shortly after a lone aircraft from III/KG 55 dived down to an altitude of 1200 metres and reported that there was a very large fire in the target area. As a result of the poor visibility at the beginning of the action bombing was mainly by Dead Reckoning and Knickebein. However, by 0200 hrs the weather had improved sufficiently to allow visual bombing through breaks in the cloud, although by then dense smoke covered the town. German losses were again small with only 8 crewmen being killed in the 2 aircraft which failed to return (one in the evening of the 16th and one in the early hours of the 17th).
Early in the raid numerous I.B’s were released over the dock area and a number of fires were started, but with the assistance of military personnel they were speedily extinguished, and damage to vital buildings was confined to small dimensions. A further shower of I.B’s fell in the early hours of the 17th, but on this occasion the fires started quickly got out of control, and damage done to docks’ property and industrial buildings in the area was considerable.
Unknown to the Luftwaffe they had infact succeeded in causing such serious damage at Avonmouth that January 17th was the only day during the entire war, that, due to enemy action, the Docks were prevented from working normally. Casualties were, however, mercifully smaller than in previous large scale attacks, with only 18 killed and 109 injured in the whole of the Bristol area.
_________________________________
The first of the two Luftwaffe losses that night was the He 111 H-2 WNr.5441 6N+CL of 3./KGr 100. It was last reported at 2046 hrs on the return flight from Avonmouth when it signaled that it was estimating radio beacon Max near Caen in ten minutes. It then vanished without traces and is presumed to have crashed into the English Channel.
Crew (all missing):
Fw. Erwin Schul (pilot)
Uffz. Heinz Bolle (observer)
Fw. Engelbert Buck (radio)
Gefr. Karl-Heinz Kayser (air gunner)
Sources:
http://fishponds.org.uk/luftbri2.html
http://fishponds.org.uk/luftbri10.html
http://www.maplandia.com/france/basse-normandie/calvados/caen/caen/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 16-Jan-2017 10:51 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
| 28-Jan-2020 11:16 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 18-Apr-2022 05:45 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation