A bad day for the JG 2

[Shado]

A couple of paragraphs which opened my eyes a bit.

Taken from the 11th of July 1940.

After 1100 hours considerable activity started with an attack on Portland and a convoy off the coast, some fifty enemy aircraft taking part. These aircraft were plotted from Cap Hague and Jersey. Five of our squadrons intercepted and succeeded in shooting down 8 Me110s for certain and 8 Me110s and 1 Ju87 probable. In addition, one Hurricane which attacked one of our sections and which bore red and blue checked markings on the wings was shot down.

Taken from the 14th of July 1940

At about 1500 hours, a number of raids were plotted, assembling behind Calais. In consequence, 3 fighter squadrons proceeded to investigate and intercepted an enemy force of 40 Ju87s, escorted by a number of Me109s over Dover and the Channel. Our aircraft shot down 3 Ju87s, 3 Me109s, and probably destroyed 1 Ju87 and 1 Me109. Our loss was one Hurricane. During this combat, a Hurricane which failed to answer a challenge was attacked by our fighters whereupon it dived towards sea level and flew off towards France., Two merchant vessels were attacked and a naval unit hit during this engagement.

[SNAFU]

Reading through the diary on the webside I noticed the high number of casulties of the balloons. Are these figures personal of the home guard or just balloons, which were lost?

[csThor]

The losses suffered by III./JG 52 aren't particulary surprising to me. First the Gruppe itself was "brand-new", having been formed from scratch only in March 1940, secondly according to the literature I own it didn't see much combat before the fateful combats in late July 1940 and last but not least the Gruppe was pretty much exclusively engaged in close escort missions for Stukas. Which meant you had a very inexperienced Gruppe chained to abysmally slow Stukas ... a hideous tactical position. Of course losing the Gruppenkommandeur and two Staffelkapitäne within days was a particularly nasty string of bad luck but in itself the losses aren't surprising.

[Danelov]

Coming back to the combat the Aug 11, 1940. In detail:

Hour: Between 10.20 and 11.20 hours(11.20 and 12.20 for the Luftwaffe)
Weather: Fair in morning.
Area: Portland-Isle of Wight-Swanage-Weymouth.

Luftwaffe(Luftflotte III)Units:

JG 2(Stab I, Gruppe I, Gruppe II, Gruppe III)
JG 27(Gruppe I, Gruppe II, Gruppe III)
JG 53(Stab III, Gruppe I, Gruppe II, Gruppe III)
ZG 2(67 Bf 110)(Gruppe I and III)

KG 54(56 Ju 88A-1)(Gruppe I and III)
KG 27(20 He 111)

RAF units

152 Sqn(Spitfire)(Warmwell)
609 Sqn(Spitfire)(Middle Wallop)
1 Sqn (Hurricane)(Northolt)
87 Sqn (Hurricane)(Exeter)
145 Sqn(Hurricane)(Westhampnett)
213 Sqn(Hurricane)(Exeter)
238 Sqn(Hurricane)(Middle Wallop)
601 Sqn(Hurricane)(Tangmere)

Luftwaffe kill Claims

JG 2

11 Spitfires, 8 Hurricanes and 2 Curtiss

JG 27

3 Spitfires and 2 Hurricanes

JG 53

8 Spitfires

ZG 2

unknown

Total Spitfire claims: 22
Total Hurricane claims: 10

Lufwaffe losses

10 Bf 109(8 JG 2, 2 JG 27)
5 Bf 110(Including Maj Ott, Gruppekommandeur of I./ZG 2)
5 Ju 88
1 He 111

RAF Losses

14 Hurricanes(2x 145, 4 x 238, 2 x 213, 4 x 601, 1 x 1 and 1 x 87)
1 Spitfire(one Spitfire of the 152 Sqn)(eh yes sir)

The Spitfire kills overclaims by the Bf 109 pilots is near to be scandalous(And we dont know the number maybe claimed also by the ZG 2). Claimed 22 Spitfires for only one really shot down, is really a confirmation of the "Spitfire Syndrome" by the Luftwaffe. The Messerschmitts pilots see Spitfires also in the soup...The good old Hurricane in silence and few fanfarre accounted for a hugue number of Bf 109 destroyed, including aces like Hptm Horst Tietzen from 5./JG 51.

Curious also claims for Curtiss, and one was by Oblt Helmut Wick, not exactly a rookie.

[Danelov]

The "Curtiss" were maybe Blackburn Skua from the Royal Navy.

[Danelov]

Already, speaking about Hurricane. In August 24, the Sgt Antoni Glowacki, a Polish pilot flying with the 501 Sqn and utilising his prefered Hurricane, the SD-A(VZ234), destroy in three sorties this day, three Bf 109s and two Ju 88s over Ramsgate area. Top skill, ace in a day, seven kills all together and counting.

[Danelov]

Or the other ace of the Battle of Britain, James Harry "Ginger" Lacey. Flying Hurricanes with the 501 Sqn he accounted for 18 kills in the Battle, including 3 Bf 109s, a fourth damaged and one He 111 the Sep 15, 1940. In one of this sorties this day with his Hurricane engaged no less of 12 Bf 109, destroying two and escaping into clouds. Also, the 13th he had shot down one of the He 111 from KG 55 raiding Buckingham Palace. And all that with the old good Hurricane.