Newmarket was bombed in Feb.1941 and there is still discussion as to whether the 10 bombs that fell were the whole load of the Dornier, or whether it still had another 10 on board. I maintain that the Do17z at that time would have had insufficient operating range with 20 x 50Kg bombs and would have had the forward bay re configured to take an extra fuel tank instead of bombs, thus negating the supposition that it was turning to carry on bombing when intercepted by a Wellington from the nearby airfield. The Wellington claimed a half kill but the eventual fate of the Dornier has never been confirmed. Another anomaly was that bombs 1 and 2 were more than double the distance apart compared to the rest of the stick, which were every regularly spaced. I would appreciate some expert opinion here. Thanks in advance Tony
Is either of these the same incident?? Newmarket Heath The next attempt, on 3 Feb. 1941, was more successful: nine HEs were dropped, causing two casualties and damage to two Wellingtons and a visiting Whitley. By far the serious raid of the War in the area took place on 18 Feb. 1941, when a Do.17z attacked a convoy of military vehicles in Newmarket High Street. The Post Office and White Hart Hotel received direct hits, the hotel being almost destroyed. 22 people were killed and over a hundred injured and rubble and glass covered the road. Eighteen-year-old Sgt. J.R.Goodman of 99 Squadron, taking off on an air-test at the time, saw the German aircraft and brought his Wellington up to fly alongside it. As soon as they were close enough, Sgt. Goodman's front and rear gunners opened fire and the Dornier quickly climbed into cloud. Sgt. Goodman gave chase, but lost the German aircraft in the murk. Later it was learnt that a Dornier had crashed in the Thetford area and had been claimed as a 'kill' by Army gunners, but Sgt. Goodman, who eventually rose to the rank of Group Captain, was given permission to claim half a kill. This may have been the only time that a Wellington bomber was used as a fighter. and here - Wellington encounter 18 February 1941 [Archive] - Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum TD
Luftwaffe Crash Archive which gives details of all German aircraft brought down over UK soil has no listing for any Do-17z brought down over Suffolk/Norfolk on 18th Feb 1941 (Volume 7). It does have a DO-17z of 3./KGr-606 as having been brought down in Berkshire on the night of 17th February and also a Ju-88A-5 of 6./KG-76 that failed to return from operations to West Raynham (Norfolk) and is still recorded as lost without trace so no doubt went down in to the sea. As for the 18th February the only aircraft brought down over UK soil was a He-111H-3 of 4./KG-53 that was brought down at Ovington near Watton (Norfolk) by PAC rockets after dropping part of its bomb load on the aerodrome and machine gunning the station. The next date for a Do-17 to be brought down over British soil was on the 25th February when a Do-17z of 4./KG-2 was brought down near Lavenham (Suffolk) by a Hurricane night fighter.
