Spitfires from Northern Ireland +JU-88 COMBAT

This is the story of a JU-88 (4U-KH) which was on a mission to photograph the Belfast docks aera on 23/8/1942. It headed south along the coast of southern Ireland and it was being monitored from several places including Northern Ireland and Wales. Spitfires from 152 squadron (wales) were scrambled but failed to make contact. Also the American 5th fighter squadron USAAF based at Eglinton Londonderry (Northern Ireland) were scrambled but also failed to make contact. Shortly afterwards spitfires from 504 squadron Ballyhalbert (Northern Ireland) were sent up along with a section from 315 squadron (polish) that were on a detachment to Valley while the main of 315 was based at Woodvale.
The 504 squadron pilots were Sgt W E Francis (Blue2.BFlight) and Sgt Hawkins (Blue1.B Flight). The 315 squadron pilots were F/O Sawiak & Sgt. Lisowski (Black Section). Due to an accident on take off Sawiak continued the intercept alone. Upon intercepting the JU-88 504 Squadron Spitfires observed a lone spitfire already attacking (F/O Sawiak). He was seen to break off and start to descend. The Pole who had been hit twice and injured was able to make a forced landing in the South of Ireland, although unfortunately, after being transferred to Dublin's Military Hospital died of his wounds. Both 504 Squadron Spitfires continued the offensive - now over County Meath - delivering several successful attacks, expending all ammunition, but were not able to bring the German aircraft down. Low on fuel they returned to base.
The German aircraft, smoke streaming from its starboard engine, continued southwards at low level. It was again attacked by Spitfires from 152 Squadron, eventually force landing i believe in County Waterford.

504 SQUADRON COMBAT REPORT:
SGT Hawkins
23rd August, 1942.
E/A JU-88
Northwest of Drogheda
Height of Enemy - 18,000/19,000 feet.
Casualties one JU88 destroyed.

When flying at 10,000 feet I saw one JU88 2,500 to 3,000 yards ahead and slightly below. At the same time Blue 1 (Sgt. Hawkins) gave "tally ho"
Another Spitfire was approaching the enemy aircraft from another direction. E/A then made a stalled turn and dived steeply in a South West direction. Our section dived after it and when the E/A levelled out at about 600 ft we were within 700 yards of it. E/A immediately took violent evasive action by jinking. A single Spitfire delivered one attack then flew off in a N/E direction. I was flying approximately line adjacent of Blue 1 when the E/A turned slightly across my path allowing me to open fire from starboard quarter to dead astern, with both bursts of canon and MG, range 500-250 yds. Return fire was experienced. I altered my heading going just under his port wing. Second attack was delivered from starboard quarter to dead astern with no results observed. Third attack from port quarter to dead astern and slightly above, ranged 400 - 200 yds. Strikes on the cockpit cover were observed. Fourth attack from astern, ammunition ran out, no return fire was experienced. I made one dummy attack from starboard quarter to head off E/A who was turning away from my leader's attack. E/A turned very violently to starboard towards me and lost height. Subsequently I learned Blue 1 hit E/A starboard engine, which would account for this. Leader then called me to reform as out of ammo and low in fuel. E/A seen flying S/W direction, height less than 100 ft speed estimate 200 mph. In my opinion he could not remain airborne for long. Later confirmed enemy aircraft had crashed and crew haved been interned. The E/A is therefore clained as destroyed.

315 SQUADRON OPERATIONAL RECORDS

1942-08-23
Woodvale
The morning began with mist and low visibility. Black Section (F/O Sawiak & Sgt Lisowski) took off from Valley at 07.57, with orders to patrol Bardsey at 15,000 ft. in taking off, Sgt Lisowski ran into the sand and his a/c tipped on its nose. He off in a second a/c at 08.05 hrs. The Section was now ordered to intercept Raid 134. Black 2 (Sgt Lisowski) did not see his leader, because of his delayed take-off. Black 1 tally-ho’d at 08.34, after which R/T communication was broken off. The point combat was given by Operations as I.O.2379. Black 2 ran out of petrol and was ordered to land at Bally Halbert, which he did at approximately 09.30 hrs. He took of fro Bally Halbert at 13.hrs, and landed at Valley at 13.30. Black 2 said that pilots of a section ordered up from Bally Halbert saw Black 1 break away from combat at about 500 ft, and that, as they did not experience return fire, they assumed that Black 1 had killed the rear gunner of the Ju.88. they attacked the Ju.88 themselves, but could give no reason why Black 1 broke away, nor did they know what happened to him afterwards. Black 2 said that he did not see the e/a, and he was not interrogated at Bally Halbert. Valley Controller stated that Black 1 crash-landed near Dublin, and was taken to hospital badly injured, afterwards dying from his wounds.
Weather was 10/10ths cloud

IN ATTACHMENTS

picture of the actual JU-88 Crash
picture of Paul Stoermer the JU-88 pilot
picture of F/O Sawiak 315 Sqn ( he is first on left from left to right)

 

Also have found this. An account of the action from the JU-88 pilot involved.

 

Thank you , I enjoyed reading that and seeing the photos of those concerned.
1942 was no time ,and the heart of the British Isles was no place for the Luftwaffe.
What does come across is the intrusion both sides made into Irish airspace , if the Luftwaffe was there the RAF were going in after them.

I picke dup a book called " The Easter Bunnies" about a group of Luftwaffe recon. pilots and what became of them. ( Published in paperback by Trafford Publishing.
Quite a good wee read, these crews made a number of flights into the Irish Sea in 1942 , it would seem to have been a regular occurence , the pattern of which annoyed the crews as it was almost "as regular as clockwork".





The Easter Bunnies: Long-distance Reconaissance by the German Luftwaffe Over Poland, France, England and the Atlantic 1938-1945: Wendy Von Well: Amazon.co.uk: Roman Gastager: Books

 

From that account it seems that the JU 88 crashed near Waterford, and the Spitfire crashed near Dublin. Air war over the entire east of the Republic!!

 

I found this book review which might answer some questions relating to the Irish Coastal watc service as per WW2.

Book Review

Watching the coast during World War II Reviewed by the Editor
Guarding Neutral Ireland:
The Coast Watching Service and Military Intelligence, 1939–1945
– by Michael Kennedy
Four Courts Press, 7 Mapas Street, Dublin 8
ISBN 978-1-84682-097-7
Hardback, 966 pages, monochrome photos, illustrations, appendices, bibliography, and index.
€29.95



It has often been said that during World War II Éire (the territory now called the Republic of Ireland) was neutral, but neutral on the side of Great Britain. Michael Kennedy’s history of the Coast Watching Service gives many examples of how Ireland’s neutrality was flexibly interpreted to give support to the Allies.
Since independence Ireland had no coastguard and no navy. Ireland’s Director of Military Intelligence Colonel Dan Bryan understood the significance of Ireland’s geopolitical position on Britain’s western flank and the sea lanes off western Europe. He understood that to defend Ireland in time of war it was necessary to keep the coastline under constant observation.
Following the Munich crisis the Government began to take steps to ensure that the coast would be under observation if conflict broke out. In September 1939, as the battle of the Atlantic began, a Coast Watching Service was formed, with 83 look out posts (lops) stretching around the coast from Carlingford Lough to Inishowen. Seven men led by an NCO manned each lop; most of them had seafaring experience and were familiar with weather, tides, and the coastal waters in the vicinity. Initially the Coast Watchers were accommodated in bell tents but permanent huts, each of identical utilitarian design using 137 precast blocks, were built without delay.
The supply of equipment, and training to ensure that the Watchers understood their duties, were organised through the winter of 1939. Subsequent inspections confirmed that the men were alert and understood their duties well.
Telephones were installed at lops to ensure rapid communication to intelligence officers at regional command headquarters, who relayed the reports for detailed analysis to GHQ in Dublin. The words ‘Defence Message – Priority’ ensured that telephone operators cleared the lines and put the call through without delay.
The duties of the Coast Watching Service were passive defence and information gathering, keeping constant watch for air and naval activity, enemy forces poised to invade, and potential fifth columnists seeking to assist invaders. These duties primarily related to events within the then three mile limit of territorial waters and overflights through Irish airspace.
Coast watchers also reported dead bodies, lifeboats, and rafts washed ashore; bodies were identified and relatives notified where possible, but often this was not possible. Mines were a deadly hazard, and many hundreds were washed ashore. Coast Watchers tracked drifting mines and reported their position to army ordnance officers. Numerous serious injuries and deaths were caused by exploding mines, including Patrick Scanlan and William Cahill, Assistant Keepers, who were injured when a mine struck Tuskar; Patrick Scanlan died of his injuries the next day.
As war at sea progressed Coast Watchers reported submarines of unknown nationality in Irish waters but rumours of German submarines refuelling and landing personnel on the west coast were pure fiction. The British Admiralty attempted covertly to watch the Irish coast. A Royal Navy Q-boat, the Tamura – a disguised trawler carrying hidden armaments – patrolled the west coast from October 1939 to March 1940, backed up by submarine H-33, with the objective of destroying U-boats. Neither Tamura nor H-33 saw any U-boats but their activities were reported by LOPs from Sheep’s Head to Malin Head.
With increasing numbers of British merchant ships being sunk by U-boats, the Dublin authorities agreed to an arrangement by which movements of submarines in Irish waters observed by Coast Watchers would be transmitted on known radio frequencies to the Irish coastal air patrol and could therefore be overheard by the British.
Irish merchant vessels were not immune from attack and the sinking of the Irish Lights steamer Isolda with the loss of six crewmen (not three as stated here) was not an isolated incident. During 1941 local shipping between Tuskar and Waterford was frequently attacked by German aircraft. The Holyhead–Dun Laoghaire mailboat was also often attacked.
From the summer of 1940 increasing numbers of overflights through Irish airspace of German and British aircraft en route to the Atlantic battle zone were observed. Aircraft used Inishtrahull, Eagle Island, and Bull Rock Lighthouses, as well as the radiobeacon at Tory Island Lighthouse, to navigate.
As the war progressed Irish–British co-operation increased, despite Churchill’s often aggressive demands for the return of the treaty ports. The Irish authorities’ view was that Churchill’s pre-1919 world view was dominated by outdated naval technology. It would appear that the British Admiralty and other members of the War Cabinet were embarrassed by Churchill’s outbursts, taking a more realistic view. By the summer of 1941 Lough Foyle was being used as a naval base rather than Britain re-occupying the ports.
Early in 1941 the Irish Government agreed to allow RAF seaplanes based on Lough Erne to fly out to sea over Ballyshannon and Donegal Bay. This ‘Donegal Corridor’ assisted the RAF in the search for the Bismark, which was spotted by a seaplane from Lough Erne on 24 May. Bismark was sunk by the Royal Navy on 27 May, and Coast Watchers reported the returning British ships passing along the west coast on 28 May.
Later in 1941 the British based a rescue boat, manned by civilians, in Killybegs with Irish agreement conveyed verbally to the British representative. The vessel was assisted in its operations by reports from Coast Watchers
. From May 1940 a German invasion of Ireland was expected. In response to the threat of invasion, anti-aircraft batteries were established around Dublin at Ringsend, Blackrock, Stillorgan, Ballyfermot, Clontarf, and Dublin Airport, as well as at Rosslare. From July 1940 all non-Irish aircraft entering a prohibited zone over Dublin would be fired on. Such firing was intended not to shoot down the aircraft but to put them off their aim. Luftwaffe aircraft on bombing missions to Belfast made landfall at Tuskar or Hook Head, flew up the east coast, five miles offshore, to Bray, and then to Rockabill which was visible to aircraft at high altitude from as far south as Wicklow Head. These flights were monitored by lops all along the east coast to Carlingford. On some occasions Luftwaffe aircraft lost their way and dropped their bombs harmlessly in the sea to lighten their load and save fuel for the return flight to Germany.
Michael Kennedy has analysed the events surrounding the bombing of Dublin’s North Strand on the night of 30–31 May 1941, based on lop logbook entries. He concludes that a scattered force of bombers, having failed to find their targets, were lost and low in fuel. Most of them jettisoned their bombs out to sea, as was normal practice. Two of these planes coming from the north were fired on by the batteries at Ringsend, Clontarf, Stillorgan, and Ballyfermot. Kennedy believes the aircraft jettisoned their bombs to make it easier to escape. Three bombs fell at North Strand and a fourth in Phoenix Park. At various other times bombs were dropped on Dublin’s South Circular Road, Sandycove (Co. Dublin), Rathdrum, Carrickmacross, Drogheda, Duleek, and Borris (Co. Carlow). The bombing of Campile was evidently deliberate.
After the United States entered the war in December 1941 U-boat activity intensified further out into the Atlantic. Coast Watchers reported large numbers of troop-ships passing off the north coast, and aircraft delivery flights across north Mayo using Clare Island, Blackrock Mayo, and Eagle Island as landfall points. Belligerent activity off the north and west coasts reached a high level. In June 1942 4,755 incidents off the west coast were reported.
In the year April 1943 to March 1944 21,000 military aircraft were reported near or over Ireland, and there were 40 forced landings, generally because crews were lost and short of fuel. To warn belligerent aircraft of their position the Minister for Defence issued instructions to construct EIRE signs, visible from the air, at lops. Remains of these signs can still be seen on some headlands around the coast. On 15 January 1943 a US Flying Fortress bringing seven high ranking US officers, including Eisenhower’s Chief of Staff, from Gibraltar to England, returning after a fact-finding tour of the North Africa war zone, strayed off course over the Bay of Biscay and crash landed outside Athenry. They surrendered to the Army and were given lunch in a local hotel, then brought to the border and released. The aircraft was dismantled and sent to Northern Ireland but was found to be beyond repair. Hempel, the German Minister in Dublin, protested to the Dublin Government that the crew had been released whereas Germans who crash landed were interned. The Irish authorities told Hempel that the Flying Fortress was a transport aircraft on a non-operational flight. After this all American airmen were instructed to claim they were on a non-operational flight if they came down in Ireland.
On 7 April 1943 a US Flying Fortress based in Northamptonshire was running short of fuel and landed in marshy ground near Galley Head. The pilot believed he was in Norway. The Navigator was injured and brought to hospital in Cork. The remaining ten were entertained in O’Donovan’s Hotel, Clonakilty, for three days then travelled to Northern Ireland. The plane was repaired and a replacement crew flew it to Northern Ireland, taking off from an 800 yard long runway constructed by the Irish Defence Forces using railway sleepers.
On 27 February 1944 an RAF Liberator, at the end of a 71/2 hour anti-submarine patrol in bad weather, crashed into the north side of the Skelligs and fell into the sea below, 24 miles off course.
On 12 March 1945, just two months before the surrender of Germany, U-260 hit a mine near Fastnet, sustaining substantial damage. The crew scuttled their submarine and took to their liferafts, coming ashore at Galley Head; they were taken to the Curragh for interrogation and internment. A search was made of the area where U-260 had gone down. Items found included the code books for the Enigma and other German codes, which the Irish military passed to the British.
Following the surrender of Germany the Irish Council of Defence agreed that no useful purpose would be served by retaining the Coast Watching Service. The Director of the Marine Service reported that the Coast Watchers had proved reliable and efficient and deserved commendation for their good work, particularly as their operations were largely unknown to the public.
The Defence Forces wished to keep on the service but the Government disagreed and the LOPs were closed down during the following months, with no official commendation or notice.
Due to the intervention of the Director, the logs of the LOPs were retained for future historical study. It was this foresight which enabled this book to be written when these logs were rediscovered.
These are just some of the incidents described in this most interesting book, which I recommend highly. The book is written in a lucid and readable style; sources are cited in footnotes, and there is a comprehensive index. Dr Michael Kennedy is a member of the Irish Manuscripts Commission and secretary of the Royal Irish Academy’s Committee for International Affairs.

 

Thanks James. very interesting reading.

 

Sorry for bumping this thread, but does anyone know the individual letter of the codes for the two 504 Sqn Spitfires of Sgts Francis and Hawkins.
Could skyhawk please tell me what the source of the German pilots version of the combat.
Many thanks from a newbie

 

Hello RAF1 and welcome to the forum.

The source for the German pilots account came from a book entitled "Landfall Ireland" by Donal MacCarron.

 

Thank you skyhawk for the welcome and for your reply
RAF1

 

my father witnessed this from a field south west of drogheda ,he said the german bomber was flying just over the treetops closely pursued by 2 smaller british fighter planes.on hearing the machine gun bursts he didnt hang round for long and took cover in a nearby ditch.he reckoned most of the firing was coming from the german rear gunner. one of the fighters crashed about 10 miles away in curaghagh near ashbourne co. meath.he is in his mid 80s now and remembers it as if it was yesterday.

 

Cripso , welcome to the forum , hope you enjoy your time here.
You should get your Dad to tell you his account and record it , sounds like something which should be retained for the future.
Thanks again.
js

 

Crispo,

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Great advice from James.

Regards
Tom

 

Hello Crispo,

Welcome to the forum.

Regards
Peter

 

Welcome

 

Hi Crispo. If it would be possible to make a record of your fathers account that would be great. Another perspective on the action that day.
Regards skyhawk.

 

Hello Gentlemen , I am new here but I am very interested in this story .The reason being is that Paul Stormer was a personal friend of mine and I stayed with him many times at his home in Hamburg . I also knew Josef Reiser who was also a member of that crew , I have tons of photos and material that I got from Paul before he sadly passed away . I am also very interested in all Luftwaffe crashes in Ireland from 1940-1945 . Please feel free to contact me if you can help , thanks.

 

Hello Schnellmeyer and welcome to the forum. I would be delighted to help with any information i can on this action or any others i know about.
Regards Skyhawk.

 

And maybe you would show us some of the tons of photos that you have!
Cheers
RAF1

 

Thanks skyhawk for your offer of help , that would be super . I have had the honour and pleasure of meeting some of the Luftwaffe airmen who were interned here in the South and still to this day I have contact with the last few living veterans and their families.
RAF1 , what kind of photos do you want me to exactly post , some just from Paul Stormers crash or from the other crashes also ?
Skyhawk , the photo you posted of Paul standing by the tail of his trainer is originally in colour , did you take this from Donal Mac Carron's book because it was me who gave it to him plus alot of the other Luftwaffe photos too and he did not even have the manners to credit these photos to me , ah well this kind of thing will not happen again !

 

schnellmeyeer,

Hello and welcome to the forum.

Hope that you enjoy your time on this forum and look forward to your posts.
You will be hard pressed to find a better WW2 forum than this.

Regards
Tom