Intended FJ role in Sealion

[Knouterer]

The book referred to above (G. Schlaug (ed.), Geschichte einer Transportflieger-Gruppe im II. Weltkrieg) contains the recollections of officers and men of the II. Gruppe of KGzbV1.

After the campaign in France had ended, this Gruppe was based at Hingene near Antwerp and carried out various general transport tasks until 12.8, when they returned to their home base at Stendal. After a much-needed general overhaul of the planes, they moved to Posen (Poland) where they engaged on a period of (re)training, concentrating on instrument flying (Blindflug) and towing DFS 230 gliders, which were present in some numbers there.

Mid-September the Gruppe was ordered to move to Laon forthwith, but this order was countermanded when they were already in the air and they landed first at Fürstenwalde (near Berlin), and subsequently moved to Stendal again and then to Parchim/Mecklenburg (where the Geschwaderstab also was), where they stayed (with interruptions) until April 1941.

[Knouterer]

Widely distributed leaflet, to aid in identification of German transport planes:

[Knouterer]

Very interesting footage (found by sitalkes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IIYMcdVW_I

For those who have little time, start watching at 5:00. The movie shows the procedure for jumping, which is controlled by the mechanic (Bordwart) sitting on the right in the cockpit and reading the map. As they approach the objective, he leans back and shouts: "Fertig machen!" at which the paras stand up and hook on. Then he shouts: "Fertig zum Absprung!" at which the first man positions himself in the doorway. Finally he presses a button and a buzzer sounds as the signal to jump.

At about 7:50 the dispatcher gets up from his seat (or climbs down from the dorsal gun position, not so clear) and after the stick has gone he pulls a handle which releases the containers.

The fourth crew member, the radio operator (Funker) does not seem to be present, at least I don't see him.

[Knouterer]

Information about the number of crewmen and their jobs in Ju 52s used for para dropping is in fact rather contradictory; some sources say the crew always numbered 4, others put the number at 5 or even 6.
The abovementioned book about the Ju 52 by Robert Forsyth says (p. 129): "The Absetzer represented a replacement to the observer in a standard military crew which also included pilot, flight engineer, radio operator and gunner."
According to other sources, the man sitting on the right in the cockpit and giving the commands had the job title of "Absetzer/Beobachter".

[Ypenburg]

If you take a look at the losses during 1940 you'll also find regular Fallschirmjäger from FJR1, FJR2 and Fallschirmschule Wittstock attached to the crews as Hilfsabsetzer, Absetzer, Absetzleitender and even Bordmechaniker, Bordschütze or Funker. F.e. K.G.z.b.V.1 reported 15 as MIA/WIA and 1 KIA.

[Leros87]

Having only recently joined this Forum and reading the old postings I thought that you may benefit from the research I have conducted on Op Sea Lion (which I have recently now published "We Shall Fight Them. Defeating Operation Sea Lion: the British armed forces and the defence of the United Kingdom". available through on line retailers). Having gone through the official records I can confirm that the defence of RAF Lympne in September consisted of C Troop 163 LAA Battery RA (55 LAA Regt) with 4 40mm guns, a platoon of 17 Company 5 Stevedore Bn RE and a RAF Defence Flight of about 57 men. I would like to attach a copy of the defence scheme dated 19 October 1940 if someone can advise on how I upload images (the insert image tab in preview doesn't seem to be working)!! Station HQ was in Bellevue, the house on the SW corner of the airfield. A further defence scheme dated January 1941 will also be posted. I also have the same data for the defence of RAF Hawkinge, which can follow.

Category A airfields (which included both Lympne and Hawkinge) were to have four pillboxes on the station, a sunken pillbox near the centre of the landing field, covered rifle pits near hangers and station buildings. In March 1940 the Air Ministry authorised an establishment of up to two platoons of the National Defence Corps per airfield for guard duties, though these were not trained or equipped for this role. Airfield defence began to be seriously considered in May 1940, though implementation was often left to the station commander's initiative. In August 1940 things were put on to a more organised footing with and establishment of 274 men for Category A airfields, to be found from the Army's newly formed home defence infantry battalions. These men were to be assigned as follows: 48 men to the inner line of pillboxes, 64 to the outer line of pillboxes, 6 in the sunken forts, 48 in rifle pits, 12 to the armoured lorries, 36 for AA defence and the remainder in reserve. However, this did not actually develop within the timescale of Sea Lion.

[sitalkes]

Hi, I think you may have to wait a while before being allowed to post pictures. Basically to put a picture in, you have to select "full editor". Then select the Attachments tab at the bottom of the screen. Then click "Add files". Once you are sure they have uploaded. you then have to place them in the document using the "place in line" option - or just leave them as attachments).these two pictures from the Battle Academy Sealion scenario were placed first using "place in line" and second not selecting that option.

[Knouterer]

I'm not 100% certain about the LAA guns at Lympne. The War Diary of HQ XII Corps (WO 166/344) notes for 17 Aug. 1940: “4 Bofors guns with personnel 55 L.A.A. Regt ordered to move to DETLING for protection of aerodrome. 4 Bofors guns also ordered to LYMPNE aerodrome.” So this was almost immediately after the attacks on Lympne on 12 and 15 Aug. These guns were taken from the defences of the Dover area, where the rest of the battery (163) remained.

WD of 28th AA Brigade, 17.8.1940: 4-gun troop (Bofors) of 163/55 LAA Regt ordered to Lympne.

WD 6th SLI 19 Aug. : "AA guns went into action at LYMPNE”

However, WD of 28th AA Brigade, 30.8.1940: “L.A.A. defences at Croydon are to be increased. 2 mobile Bofors will be moved from Lympne to Croydon by personnel of 163/55th L.A.A. Regiment on 30.8.” WD of 55 LAA Rgt mentions two Bofors guns withdrawn from Lympne to West Malling on 30 Aug. and two others from Lympne to Croydon on the same date, which would mean there were none left. However, the three soldiers wounded in the air attack on Lympne on 3 Oct. belonged to a Signals Section attached to 55 LAA Regt, and it is difficult to see what they were doing there if there were no guns. Then on 3 Nov. there is again a mention of 2 Bofors guns being withdrawn from Lympne. All a bit unclear.

[Leros87]

The data was taken from all the war diaries. Having researched this it was clear that there was a lot of moving around of these valuable guns. At the same time as I mentioned the deployment to Lympne a section from the same troop (2 40mm) was deployed to RAF Croydon, as well as 148 LAA Battery RA (equipped only with AAMG). RAF Detling had 4 40mm guns provided by 147 LAA Battery RA.
It was also clear from the records that the guns at Lympne had been withdrawn by 19 October, as their positions had been replaced by RAF manned Hispano cannons.
Although the RAF Defence Flight at Lympne was 57 strong, it had a station strength of 70 officers and 970 men and 97 WAAF. These figures include a care and maintenance party of 9 officers and 230 men.
I will try the uploading this week. Fingers crossed.

[Knouterer]

Sorry, but I think those numbers of RAF personnel are incorrect and refer to 1944, when the base had been enlarged and several squadrons were stationed there, which was not the case in September 1940. At that time, there was only the "Care and Maintenance Unit" of 260 men or so. I'm not sure if the "Defence Flight" is included in that total, do you have any specific information on that? From the Operations Record Book it appears that there were three or four RAF "Defence Officers" at Lympne, not one or two as one would expect for such a minor airfield.
Regarding the Bofors guns, if you say that two guns of the same troop were sent to Croydon, that would mean there were only two at Lympne and not four as in your initial post? Not that I want to engage in endless nitpicking, but I would like to establish clearly what we know and don't know?

[Leros87]

I can only reiterate that the personnel figures were taken from central RAF records held at Kew and not from the station logs. I do agree that for a largely non operational station the numbers seem high. Unfortunately I cannot yet recall the actual file ref, sorry.
As regards the LAA batteries, the numbers of 40mm guns varied. 55th LAA Regt had 163 Bty with 6 guns, 164 Bty with none and 165 Bty with 12 guns. 12th Regt had 34 Bty (5), 35 Bty (4) and 152 Bty (4 guns). I was in error earlier as C Troop had indeed moved to Croydon, leaving the remainder at Lympne (HQ, A and B Troops).
The defence scheme for Lympne in Oct 40 details the Defence Flight, as I have said. Defensive posts were concentrated on the more open northern side.

[Knouterer]

Frankly, it does seem too much of a coincidence that the numbers of RAF personnel at Lympne would be exactly the same in Sept. 1940 as in Dec. 1944: 70 officers, 970 airmen, plus WAAF. And the Operations Record Book of RAF Lympne (AIR 28/509) for June 1940 – Jan. 1941 does not mention any such numbers. The first entry is:

9.6.1940: "Formation of Care and Maintenance Unit at R.A.F. Station LYMPNE. Establishment: Nine officers, 234 airmen, 14 civilians (WAR/F.C./164 dated 7.6.40). Arrival of four airmen for essential duties prior to arrival of personnel."

(Before that date, the airfield had been used by the Fleet Air Arm (as HMS Daedalus II) as a training establishment, although some Lysanders of Nos 16 and 26 Squadrons also operated from it during the Dunkirk evacuation)

Also, the Station Commander until 1941 was Flight Lieutenant D.H. Montgomery; if there really had been over a thousand men (and women) there the commander would have been of rather higher rank, I would suppose. The ORB also faithfully records the movements of RAF officers (not other ranks) who were posted to Lympne, or away from it, and from that it can be calculated that there were about ten officers there by the end of Sept., certainly not seventy.

Example: 11.8: "P/O R. Cunningham-Jones attached to LYMPNE from HAWKINGE as relief for F/O C. Huddlestone, attending course of instruction at FARNBOROUGH"

[Knouterer]

The defence scheme for Lympne in Oct 40 details the Defence Flight, as I have said. Defensive posts were concentrated on the more open northern side.

The Luftwaffe had noticed the construction of those pillboxes, as appears from this fragment of a Befestigungskarte (map of fortifications) of Sept. 1940. Triangles are pillboxes and crosses are wire barriers.

[Knouterer]

As regards the LAA batteries, the numbers of 40mm guns varied. 55th LAA Regt had 163 Bty with 6 guns, 164 Bty with none and 165 Bty with 12 guns. 12th Regt had 34 Bty (5), 35 Bty (4) and 152 Bty (4 guns). I was in error earlier as C Troop had indeed moved to Croydon, leaving the remainder at Lympne (HQ, A and B Troops).

It is indeed even harder to pin down the LAA units than with the HAA batteries, as they moved around so much. I found this bit, memories of a member of 55 LAA Regt. (Ted Cogdell):
http://www.dover-kent.com/prince-regent.html
“A brief composition of our Regiment. It was the 55th Light Anti-aircraft Regiment. It consisted of 3 Batteries - 163-164-165 all Light Anti-aircraft. The 3 Batteries between them were deployed at most of the airfields around Dover, Deal and Folkestone. My Battery being 163 was deployed around Dover and St. Margaret's, at one time having a gun inside the castle grounds."

WD of the 28th AA Brigade, Op Order No. 36 of 17.8: “4 guns will be withdrawn from the DOVER area at the discretion of A.A.D.C. DOVER, and Officer Commanding, 16th L.A.A. Regt. and will be despatched to LYMPNE. The necessary adjustment of guns so as to admit one Troop of 163rd Battery to proceed as a whole will be made under local arrangements.”

Assuming this to be Troop C, it was apparently moved on to Croydon at the end of the month, then with only two Bofors guns (?). It also seems an established fact that one troop of this bty was at Hawkinge during the BoB period, with 4 Bofors. Op Order No 39 of 28th A.A. Brigade of 25 Aug.: “One troop 163/55th LAA Regt will proceed to HAWKINGE to relieve one troop 35/12th L.A.A. Regt, which will move to FARNBOROUGH.”

That would leave the Bty HQ plus one troop without Bofors guns (so presumably with a dozen or so Lewis LMGs) at Lympne. That would also explain the presence of (part of) the regiment's Signals Section there on 3 Oct. Each LAA Regt had (in principle ...) a Signals Section of 1 off and 32 ORs, consisting of HQ, two cable detachments and one operating subsection.

[Leros87]

It has always surprised me that of the surviving plans there was no detail as to the specific objectives of the fallschirmjager, unlike in earlier operations. This is especially the case with Steinzler. It was, as we know, due to land just west of Paddlesworth and next door to Hawkinge, yet no mention of it? Knowing the terrain well I would be dumbfounded that this force would leave the high ground and an intact Hawkinge, then move down narrow steep lanes to arrive at Sandgate, where it would achieve little of value. In my book I have discussed the potential routes open to KG Hoffmeister, moving on Dover later that day. In my opinion Steinzler would best serve a purpose by attacking Hawkinge and controlling the high ground above the Elham Valley, a likely British reinforcement route from Canterbury.