Help wanted on identifying Luftwaffe records on an encounter on 6th July 1942 in Egypt

[timobeanie]

I am seeking the exact details of Hauptmann Heinz Harmstorf's combat claim on the night of 5/6 July 1942 of a Wellington bomber near El Daba in Egypt. The location of the attack was designated within the Mediterranean/North African grid sector Planquadrat 20 East / 4820 (the coastal frontline sector encompassing the El Daba and forward El Alamein tactical zones in Egypt).

I understand the details are preserved via the Reich Air Ministry (Reichsluftfahrtministerium) and Luftwaffe night-fighter command data.

Operating under visual guidance and localized searchlight coordination (as advanced airborne radar deployment was still in its infancy in the North African theater), Harmstorf's heavy-cannon-armed Ju 88 stalked the low-flying Wellington DV508 as it targets motor transport columns. The interception occurred at 02:46 AM, causing the Wellington to crash in the forward desert lines (according to RAF records) where it was entirely consumed, leaving no traces for recovery teams. The German location was thought to be over the sea near the coast of El Daba. I would like to know the exact location if that was possible.

I am seeking any official information on this encounter from the German side.

Many thanks.

 

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Tim,

What is your source for Pl.Qu. 20 Ost/4820? That does not match up with the Luftwaffe Pl.Qu. for the El Alamein area: El Alamein is located at Pl.Qu. 23 Ost/8126, and El Daba is at Pl.Qu. 23 Ost/8279.

Cheers,
Andrew A.

 

[timobeanie]

Hi Tim,

What is your source for Pl.Qu. 20 Ost/4820? That does not match up with the Luftwaffe Pl.Qu. for the El Alamein area: El Alamein is located at Pl.Qu. 23 Ost/8126, and El Daba is at Pl.Qu. 23 Ost/8279.

Cheers,
Andrew A.

Hi Andrew. I copied and pasted that part of my initial message - someone sent me that (I have asked lots of people on this subject) and can't remember who - sorry. The coordinates I gave on here - what isn that location please? I am trying to search where I got that info from! Tim

 

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Tim,

Pl.Qu. 20 Ost would place it somewhere over central Africa, in the area of South Sudan. Therefore, I suspect it's either not a Luftwaffe map reference, or there is a typo.

I checked all the sources I could think of, including the I./Nachtjagdeschwader 2 history from the Bundesarchiv, file reference RL 10/558. That source includes Harmstorf's combat report for his 22 July 1942 claim, but only notes: "Hptm. Harmstorf shot down a Vickers Wellington on 6 July 1942" for his 5/6 July 1942 claim.

Shores, Massimello, Guest, Olynyk and Bock in their A History of the Mediterranean Air War Volume Two only give the location as "N Africa" on page 664.

Cheers,
Andrew A.