German Fighter Attack on RAF ASR Launch

[All Things Polar]

Dear All,

I am new to the AHF, and this is my first post.

On Jan. 23, 1943 RAF Air/Sea Rescue Pinnace 1289 was proceeding on her course some 15 miles south of St. Catherine’s Point, Isle of Wight, when she was heavily attacked by enemy aircraft. Four diving attacks were made by fighters who pressed home their attacks at very close range.

The crew of the pinnace suffered killed and wounded by splinters from cannon shell and bullets, and this leads me to think the attackers were FW 190s armed with machine guns and 2 cm/3 cm cannon. The boat made so much water that she could not reach her base, and had to be beached east of Shanklin Pier, Isle of Wight.

I am keen to obtain information from the German side, especially the specific pilots and aircraft involved in this encounter. Many thanks in advance for any assistance.

Glenn

[Peter]

I know JG2 and JG26 were active on 23 Jan 1943 because 9/JG26 and III/JG2 were in action against the 8th USAAF which attacked the U-boat bunkers at Lorient. Other staffel of JG26 were in action with RAF fighters over the Pas de Calais where Mustangs and Whirlwinds of the RAF's Army Co-Op Command carried out "Rhubarbs". In the early afternoon two of 5 Staffel JG26 relieved a pair of 6 Staffel aircraft which had been on patrol and soon after Uffz Peter Crump shot down two 168 Squadron Mustangs in the Dieppe/Somme area. It seems that during the day Jabostaffeln of JG26 made attacks on targets of opportunity on the south-coast of England and a 10/JG26 Fw190 (Wk nr 5636) flown by Uffz Alfred Immervoll was hit by Canadian Army AA light fire and crashed just off Beachy Head, killed, approx. 0950 hours. I have no specific mention of an attack on any MTB type vessel.