The area around Blackpool, known as the Fylde, suffered 11 civilian casualties from enemy bombing during WW2. The first was Seed Street, Blackpool, on 12 September 1940, the second was Church Road, St Annes, on 1 October 1940 and the last was Kirkham on 28 September 1941. Anyone any idea where I might look for the units that mounted these attacks? PeterJM
Hello Peter Possibly be in after the battle then and now if nobody else does a look up I will tomorrow Regards Clive
This the period where the Luftwaffe were using the Knickebein VHF radio beam system to navigate and bomb targets in England and for greater accuracy the X System X Verfahren which was credited with the success of raids against English targets during the Blitz. The unit responsible for the western England raids (industrial and military installations) was the Kampfgruppe 100 which was based at Meucon a few miles north of Vannes in Morbihan,Brittany from August 1940 and were working up to handle the beam system with their HE 111s. At their maximum effort, the unit could put up 36 aircraft at maximum availability....... ....referred to by some as the first pathfinders. I think that Blackpool would be at the extreme range of the navigation and bombing aid...the line, south from the Mersey to the Humber being the recognised range. This article,one of many available including RV Jones's excellent book gives the background to the battle against the beams and the countermeasures employed to neuter them. Prof. R V Jones Such was the effectiveness of Kampfgruppe 100 that the British authorities made a decision to mount the SOE Operation Savannah to assassinate the aircrew. Based on intelligence that the crews were billeted in a hotel in Vannes and were bussed daily to the Meacon airfield,the SOE party found that this arrangement had been discontinued and the operation was aborted.
Harry - I am always impressed by your knowledge of France - however in this instance (and you have splet it correctly before) I need to 'adjust' the spelling of this place to Meucon Meucon Airport - Wikipedia TD Operation Savanna - Wikipedia
TD,........Meacon I must have subconsciously been thinking about "Meaconing" which was the name given to the TRE radio countermeasures technique of countering the Knickebein beams..."beam bending" by reradiating the signal at a higher strength.The Luftwaffe genuine beam signal being weaker than the British generated one, would be likely discounted by the navigator. Luftwaffe crews would receive these distorted beam signals which resulted in the malnavigation of the aircraft,confusion and risk of the loss of the aircraft.Returning Luftwaffe crews were shown to be vulnerable after operations in the North West and West of England...the return route would be via the Bristol Channel and if navigation was confused,the SW peninsula could be easy confused with Brittany.I think that there was an incident when a Luftwaffe aircraft landed at Chivenor near Barnstaple,the pilot thinking he was in Brittany.One Luftwaffe aircraft was put down in the sea close to Brighton beach with the crew hopelessly lost. It is recorded that the Brittany Brest radio beacon signal was corrupted by a retransmit from south coast of England transmitter and caused navigational problems for returning Luftwaffe aircraft. I add..... confusion...... confusion...... confusion......WTFAW.