Yeah that's pretty clear to anyone capable of maintaining an objective point of view.José M. Rico wrote:I'm afraid the FAA would still have heavy losses in any case. The Luftwaffe had been alerted prior to the raid and the Messerschmitts were superior aircraft overall.
FAA raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo
Re: FAA raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo
I just finished First Team about three months ago. Beats hell out of watching Star Trek reruns...
Re: FAA raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo
I got my book, Carrier Combat, by David Wragg, but unfortunately it doesn't contain much in the way of new hard data, but it does confirm that the Victorious' Albacores of 828 and 827 squadrons were engaged by a large force of Me110s and JU-87s and that they also encountered heavy flak:dunmunro wrote: . I have a book coming in the mail that might provide more detail as it contains some first hand accounts of the battle.
P.O. TAG Francis Smith, 828 Squadron:"...we're flying up the fjord and the Germans are firing down, from the cliffs with light ack-ack..." and at the end of the fjord there was a mountain that had to be climbed over and on the other side Kirkenes bay and "...before anything can happen there were 110s and Stukas all over the place..." p57.
Re: FAA raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo
Can someone please help me?
The Fleet Air Arm Archive pages about the Petsamo / Kirkenes raids begins by saying that they were on 31 July 1941. See here:
http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Rollo ... _1941.html
In fact, they were on 30 July. The FAA Archive page actually confirms that in the first paragraph.
My uncle, TAG Alf Fox, was killed on the Kirkenes raid. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission confirms that he and the other FAA personnel died on 30 July.
For some reason, I am unable to contact the FAA Archive site for them to correct their statement that the raids were on 31 July.
Please can someone do this for me? Perhaps it's a petty thing, but I feel deeply about the loss of my uncle and the other men and would like the FAA record to be accurate.
Thanks.
The Fleet Air Arm Archive pages about the Petsamo / Kirkenes raids begins by saying that they were on 31 July 1941. See here:
http://www.fleetairarmarchive.net/Rollo ... _1941.html
In fact, they were on 30 July. The FAA Archive page actually confirms that in the first paragraph.
My uncle, TAG Alf Fox, was killed on the Kirkenes raid. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission confirms that he and the other FAA personnel died on 30 July.
For some reason, I am unable to contact the FAA Archive site for them to correct their statement that the raids were on 31 July.
Please can someone do this for me? Perhaps it's a petty thing, but I feel deeply about the loss of my uncle and the other men and would like the FAA record to be accurate.
Thanks.
Re: FAA raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo
Petsamo at that time was in Finland, part of the territory taken by the USSR as a result of the Winter War. Britain at that time was not at war with Finland (until 5 December 1941). Were any Finnish forces involved in defending against this attack?dunmunro wrote: Attack on Petsamo: 9 Albacores and 9 Swordfish (12 TBs and 6 bombers) and 5 Fulmars (fighter bombers)
Opposition: Me109 fighters (at least two, but probably more)
Losses: 1 Albacore, 1 Fulmar (+ 1 previously ditched - Operational Loss) both to fighters
Claims: none
some damage from flak.
''Give me a Ping and one Ping only'' - Sean Connery.
Re: FAA raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo
I suspect that Finnish forces must have been manning the flak guns at Petsamo. There was, I think, a defacto state of war between the Commonwealth and Finland, as soon as Churchill made his famous speech.RF wrote:
Petsamo at that time was in Finland, part of the territory taken by the USSR as a result of the Winter War. Britain at that time was not at war with Finland (until 5 December 1941). Were any Finnish forces involved in defending against this attack?
Re: FAA raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo
Luftwaffe claims by JG77 against the Kirkenes raid.
Date__________pilot________________squadron__Group__aircraft claimed_Location_Front.
30/07/1941 Oblt. Felix-Maria Brandis Z. JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 Oblt. Felix-Maria Brandis Z. JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 Oblt. Max Franzisket Z. JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 Oblt. Max Franzisket Z. JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 Oblt. Karl-Friedrich Schloßstein Z. JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 Oblt. Karl-Friedrich Koch Z. JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Skua Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Skua Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Hurricane Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Hurricane Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Hurricane Kirkenes - Eastern Front
Squadron Z/JG77 = Me110 based at Kirkenes, 14/JG77 probably equals Me109e4 based at Petsamo.
Date__________pilot________________squadron__Group__aircraft claimed_Location_Front.
30/07/1941 Oblt. Felix-Maria Brandis Z. JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 Oblt. Felix-Maria Brandis Z. JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 Oblt. Max Franzisket Z. JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 Oblt. Max Franzisket Z. JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 Oblt. Karl-Friedrich Schloßstein Z. JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 Oblt. Karl-Friedrich Koch Z. JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Albacore Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Skua Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Skua Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Hurricane Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Hurricane Kirkenes - Eastern Front
30/07/1941 n.n. 14 JG 77 Hurricane Kirkenes - Eastern Front
Squadron Z/JG77 = Me110 based at Kirkenes, 14/JG77 probably equals Me109e4 based at Petsamo.
Re: FAA raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo
Link for above data:
http://www.roberttayloraviationprints.c ... uadron=231, it is possible that 2 more claims were made by Me109 fighters from 1/JG77.
http://www.roberttayloraviationprints.c ... uadron=231, it is possible that 2 more claims were made by Me109 fighters from 1/JG77.