World War 2 Trivia

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I'd need to check actions for that day. But certainly in the early war period, the majority of Luftwaffe raids were small, often single aircraft 'probes' mainly against shipping, naval installations and coastal facilities.
Don't know which text it is you're looking at, but the author seems to need re-educating in the case of the BoB !
 
Further research looking further:
Peter Townsend was a member of No. 43 Squadron RAF. The first enemy aircraft to crash on English soil during World War II fell victim to fighters from Acklington on 3 February 1940 when three Hurricanes of 'B' flight, 43 Squadron, shot down a Heinkel 111 of 4./KG26 near Whitby. The pilots were F/L Townsend, F/O 'Tiger' Folkes and Sgt. James Hallowes. He was awarded the DFC in April 1940. Two more He 111s were claimed by Townsend, on 22 February and 8 April, and a sixth share on 22 April.
Old boy had quite a romance with Princess Margret in the early 1950s and is the author of "Duel of Eagles"
 
Whilst technically, the He111 of KG26 was the first enemy aircraft to be brought down on English soil (I have photos of it), it wasn't the first enemy aircraft brought down on English land. This was a He115, of 3/KuFIGr406, which collided with a radio mast on 6 December, 1939, and crashed onto the shore at West Beach, Sherringham, Norfolk.
Between the outbreak of war, and February 3rd 1940, a total of 19 other enemy aircraft, excluding the KG26 Heinkel, were brought down on Scottish or English land, and in immediate coastal waters.
 
I was thinking of the Dornier forced down by the Skuas as per redcoat's answer.
The crew were picked up by the destroyer HMS Somali and the aeroplane then sunk by gunfire from the destroyer. I'm not at home at the moment but I'll post details of the Dornier and crew in a couple of days when I get back.
I guess that's over to redcoat !

Cheers

Steve
 
GrauGeist said:
Dunno...if I was the pilot of the Dornier, I would never live down the fact that my plane was sunk by a destroyer...
Click to expand...

On the other hand he was lucky it was so early in the war. Later those British aircraft might well have continued the attack, destroyed his aeroplane and very probably killed him and his crew after he had landed.
Cheers
Steve
 
Airframes said:
Off the top of the head guess - Hudson ?
Click to expand...
The top of your head is correct
The first US built aircraft in RAF service to shoot down a Luftwaffe aircraft was indeed the Lockheed Hudson which is credited with shooting down a Do18 on the 10 November 1939.

Your turn
 
Two Luftwaffe airmen almost escaped from the UK in 1940. One of them was shot down on the same day as Franz von Werra, the only one who did escape and make it back to Germany.
What were their names, units, and how did they make their escape?
EDIT: Correction - they were downed in September 1940, but made their escape bid in 1941. Apologies for any confusion.
 
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