He-177 attacks on US forces in Greenland?

[Propellorhead]

Occasionally I come accross a reference or two to a battle in eastern Greenland reported during WW2 by a Madrid newspaper. I have heard this from more than one source.

What truely puzzles me is that the report it is said refers to a pair of He-177 aircraft attacking US ground forces battling German ground forces in December 1944.

The only such unit operating from Varnes, near Trondheim Norway was 3/KG40, however they departed Norway in October 1944.

Can anybody please identify an original source for this article, or otherwise confirm, or even just explain the report please?

 

[Njaco]

I didn't know there were any land battles in Greenland!

 

[BikerBabe]

Njaco: There were, but it was very...erm, limited.
I'll put up a thread about it as soon as I've translated the relevant chapters from a book I've got, about the history of the Sirius patrol, which was and is located in eastern Greenland.

In the meantime, you can read a little about the Sirius patrol here:
http://www.sleddogcentral.com/features/sirus_patrol/sirus.htm

 

[Erich]

that would be a no.

there were several weather ships in the area the Allies discovered possibly one in 44 and disarmed the crew as the German ship as fast stuck in ice, it was actually quite a feat of stealth to do what the Germans did on that frozen hunk under the Allies noses. but we must realize it was indeed in the middle of nowhere. Several U-Boots were also involved in transport to the lonely piece of real estate.

 

[Erich]

that would be a no.

there were several weather ships in the area the Allies discovered possibly one in 44 and disarmed the crew as the German ship as fast stuck in ice, it was actually quite a feat of stealth to do what the Germans did on that frozen hunk under the Allies noses. but we must realize it was indeed in the middle of nowhere. Several U-Boots were also involved in transport to the lonely piece of real estate.

 

[T Bolt]

There is a novel about the U.S Coast Guard's Greenland patrol called Ice Brothers by Slone Wilson the author of The Man in the Gray Flannel Suite and A Summer Place. It's a fictionalized account of Wilsons own experiences as the skipper of one of the patrol boats. Very interesting reading about a part of the war that I hadn't known anything about.

 

[Propellorhead]

I've dug up some commentary on Greenland air attacks.

II/KG40 Kondor FW200 aircraft scouted potential U-boat bases along Greenland coast from m10 February 1941

In 1942, a German weather station established in Hansa Bay on Sabine Island (74'40N.) on August 26 operated until it was so badly bombed by U.S. aircraft from Iceland on 25 May 1943 that it was destroyed and abandoned.

Also the US Coast Guard Cutter North Star during 1943 was attacked by a Ju-88 off Jan Mayen Island on 20 July. On the North Star website it also notes that USCGC Northland was attacked by German planes on 15 July. At Eskimones about the same period German anti-aircraft guns drove off US aircraft.

NORTH STAR REMEMBERED

At least one Ju-290 is known to have made a flight to Greenland. 3 June, 1944 there was a harrowing rescue off the Shannon island of Greenland by II/FAGr 5, Ju 290-flown by Hauptmann Emil Sachtleben and crew.The aircraft landed on ice at Nordenskjörlds Bugt and picked up the 26 man crew of weather ship WBS 2 Koburg and flew unmolested back to Vaernes, Norway

For Ju-88 aircraft to be operating near Greenland seems a bit amazing for me unless they could land and refuel there.

Air Marshal Erhard Milch wrote in his memoirs about use of Greenland as a refuelling stop for a planned aircraft attack on New York, so I wondered whether anyone could add to the picture please?

I've also learned that the He-177 had a ferry range of about 5000 miles and in addition to installed tankage of 10,400 litres could carry another 8,000 litres in drop tanks under it's wings (something I had not realised previously)

 

[Erich]

by the way there was NO II./FAGr 5 the crew of the Ju 290 that rescued the weather ship was from 2./FAGr 5. the pilot was given the DkG for this wild escapade right under Allied noses and incredible feat landing on ice with limited runway space and then taking off with the crate for the mainland.