Strana 20
(EW160 „B“), Sgt. F.M. Watson (EV839 „J“),
S/Ldr. J.H.C. Lewis (BZ946„L“), Sgt. J.B. Rush
(EW231 „R“), Lt. T.E. Knight (EW106 „U“),
F/O K. Travena (KG835 „A“), Lt. G.C.E. Gibson
(EV959 „T“), F/O G.E.S. McNaughton (BZ947 „N“)
a F/O J.H. Hosken (EV822 „V“).
As part of the 240th Wing, the South African
31st Squadron also took part in the raid. For
South Africans, this was the first raid on
a target in Europe. The squadron offered
command to deploy 10 machines, but from
21:01 to 21:10 only the requested six crews on
Liberator planes took off from the home airport.
They were B-24 marked EW248 „P“ (Lt.Col. D
Nel), EV970 „F“ (Maj. JA Mouton), EW104 „Y“
(Lt. DJS Haggie), EW144 „A“ (Cpt. IJM Odendaal),
EV941 „Q“ (Lt. PR Klette) and KG950 „V“ (Cpt. RB
Bird). Through Mali Drvenik and Lake Balaton,
they got over the target, where they dropped
72 pieces of 500 lb. GP bombs.
Operating Commander of 31st Squadron,
Lawrence Isemonger, after years wrote about
this event:
“Our eight (sic.) Liberators attracted the
attention of fifteen headlights, which was
accompanied by heavy anti-aircraft fire; the
bomb aimers were blinded. Photos from the
raid showed that our bombs were scattered
in various ways, and most of them landed at
the Weiss armaments plant south of the target.
All our 8 (sic.) Liberators have returned safely.”
The bombing of the Shell Koolaz refinery
was inaccurate. Most of the bombs landed
on the target area and individual explosions
were scattered throughout the city. Most of the
bombs hit the Western and Eastern Railway
Stations (Nyugeti and Keleti pályaudvar), as
well as the Rákosrendező Railway Station
and their surroundings. The bombs also hit
residential areas in the suburbs of Csepel,
where the refinery was located, as well as
in the parts of Újpest, Pestszenterzsébet and
Budafók.
On June 15, the 8. Jagddivision was
established. This measure was forced by the
activities of the Strategic Allied Air Force,
which attacked targets in Central Europe
from the southern direction. Along with the
air units of day fighters, two groups of night
fighters were included in the 8. Jagddivision.
They were III./NJG 6, which was armed with
Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4. In June, this group
was transferred to the Szombathely base. The
second group in this section was II./NJG 101,
which was equipped with Dorniers Do 217 N and
operated from the airports Vienna - Seyring
and later Budapest - Ferihégy.
Both units were deployed against RAF
bombers, which flew on the night of June
25-26, 1944 at a refinery in Budapest.
The memory of this period was described in
his memoirs by Oblt. Wilhelm Johnen, pilot
III./NJG 6:
“At the beginning of June 1944, an order to
transfer to Szombathely in Hungary struck
us like a bolt from the blue. I‘ve never heard
the name of this city. But Germany‘s borders
changed from the ground up, and one was not
surprised that Budapest was suddenly called
a „Germanic fortress“ and that our brothers and
sisters in Bačka were hailed as „compatriots
who had returned to the great Empire.“ One of
the friends described Szombathely as a suburb
of Vienna, half an hour from Grinzing. The rest
of Hungary is a country of noble Tokaj, fiery
peppers and spirited Juliska. But who - what
are we to pursue here at night? When one
knows nothing certain, rumors spread like
asparagus in a flower bed after the spring
rain. I didn‘t worry, and after my „state visit“ to
Switzerland, I was looking forward to the trip
to Hungary (from our previous Hagenau base).
In Szombathely - the German name
Steinamanger - our Gruppe will be subject to
the orders of the commander of the 8th Fighter
Division, Oberst Handrick. He is a commander
according to our taste: sporty, friendly and
has his heart in the right place for his fighters.
He explained to us what our task would be:
to protect the capitals of Vienna and Budapest
from the RAF‘s night raids from Italy, as well
as to fight the planes arriving at night from
the east and supplying the partisans. While
in the West, night pursuit bound by guidance
has been replaced by free prosecution „Wilde
Sau“, we will fly according to the old system.
The days of waiting are over. Nothing happens
during these hot clear nights in Hungary
with a starry sky. Every evening we sit in the
barracks and wait for the fish to jump on the
hook. The mood of the pilots and ground staff
dropped to zero. Some talk about exile, others
about spa relaxation ...
... On the night of June 26, 1944, an Englishman
struck the Hungarian capital. Flying bombers
have already been reported over the Adriatic.
At 10:45 p.m. we took off from our airport.
North of the city of Baja, far from the capital,
we intercepted an English combat formation
and decimated it. Only scattered bombs fell
on Budapest, fires appeared only rarely. Our
Gruppe scored 16 shots. Oberleutnant Sepp
Kraft also claimed two victories during the
attack - one Wellington and one Mitchell. We‘re
a little surprised, Mitchell from Italy - that‘s not
entirely possible. The unpleasant explanation
comes right away. They call Budapest and ask
if one of our fighters accidentally shot one
Do 2 17. Ice silence. T he c ommander immediately
compares the shooting time from the report
with the shooting time Do 217. It can only be
the shot down „Mitchell“, which claimed Sepp
Obranná reakcia Luftwaffe
(III./NJG 6 a II./NJG 101)
Oblt. Wilhelm Johnen achieved 34 victories during World War II. The victory of June 26, 1944 was his 20th
and first, but not the last, achieved over Hungary. On October 29, 1944, he received the Knight‘s Cross.
HISTORY
INFO Eduard20
October 2024