Plane 003 HAM P1173 - The North Sea

Airman	Surname	Init	Rank	Service	Sqdn	P_link	Plane	Operation	Crash_site	Crash_d	Buried_d	C_link	At_Next
e777404.htm	Evans	J H	Cpl	RAF	44	p003.htm	HAM P1173	Not DK/G	The North Sea	d120440	e777	e777.htm	NO KNOWN
e777402.htm	Evans	WHG	Cpl	RAF	44	p003.htm	HAM P1173	Not DK/G	The North Sea	d120440	e777	e777.htm	NO KNOWN
e777403.htm	Johnstone	KJA	P/O	RAF	44	p003.htm	HAM P1173	Not DK/G	The North Sea	d120440	e777	e777.htm	NO KNOWN
a019001.htm	Robson	H W	F/O	RAF	44	p003.htm	HAM P1173	Not DK/G	The North Sea	d120440	b270540	c019.htm	Frederikshavn

Den 12. april 1940 styrtede HAM P1173 i havet. FAF skriver:
"Den 12. april 1940 angreb RAF fly tyske krigsskibe i Kristiansand havn, hvorunder formationen af bombefly blev angrebet af tyske jagere.
Et Hampden fly blev ramt, og det blev set styrte brændende i havet ca. 100 miles fra den norske kyst. Hele besætningen omkom."

Flyvehistorisk Tidsskrift skriver:
"Den 12. april 1940 blev en engelsk ekspeditionsstyrke sendt fra England til Narvik. (Tyskerne foretog den 9. april 1940 Besættelsen af Norge.) Engelske rekognosceringsfly observerede en større tysk krydser ("Karlsruhe") ved Kristiansand og en større sydgående fjendtlig flådestyrke på vej ned mod Skagerrak.
83 fly forlod England for at angribe de tyske skibe, men vejret var dårligt i området, og styrken blev hurtigt opsplittet i mindre enheder. Syv Hampdens fra no. 44
og fem Hampdens fra no. 50 BS lettede kl. 08.15 fra Waddington flyvepladsen i Lincolnshire.

Alle 12 Hampdens nåede frem til havnen i Kristiansand og angreb de opankrede tyske skibe. Trods intensiv flak lykkedes det alle de engelske fly at kaste deres
bomber, men ingen af skibene blev ramt. To Hampdens blev ramt og styrtede ned i målområdet. Tyske jagerenheder på Sola og Kjevik flyvepladser var blevet
alarmeret umiddelbart inden angrebet, og da de resterende ti Hampdens forlod målområdet blev de angrebet af Messerschmitt Bf109E fra II/JG 77. Efter en intensiv
kamp styrtede tre Hampdens og to Messerschmitt ned i Skagerrak.
P1173 var et af disse fly, og flyets 22-årige pilot, F/ O Harry Wood Robson, blev begravet på Frederikshavn kirkegård den 27. maj 1940.

Yderligere to tyske fly totalhava

rerede, og et andet nødlandede ved Mandal. De engelske fly fik på hjemvejen benzinmangel, og en enkelt Hampden måtte derfor
nødlande på havet ud for Newcastle, medens de øvrige fly Iandede på deres baser med betydelige skader. Det havde været krigens hidtil største bombeangreb, men
de svære tab medførte, at det også blev krigens sidste større dagangreb med Hampdens og Wellingtons." (FT 89-30-1)

1 flyver fra HAM P1173 blev begravet i Frederikshavn. Se p003MACR. 3 flyvere har ingen kendt grav. 4 flyvere.

On 12 April 1940 HAM P1173 crashed into the sea. FAF writes:

"On 12 April 1940 the RAF attacked German naval ships in Kristiansand Harbour. The formation of bombers was attacked by German fighters.
A Hampden was hit and it was seen, burning, crashing into the sea about 100 miles off the coast of Norway. All of the crew perished."

(Danish) Aviation Historical Review writes:
On 12 April 1940 a British expeditionary force was sent from Great Britain to Narvik. (This was part of the Norwegian Campaign.) British reconnaissance aircraft
observed a great German cruiser ("Karlsruhe") near Kristiansand and a large enemy naval force heading south towards the Skagerrak. 83 aircraft took off from Great
Britain to attack the German ships, but the weather in the area was bad and the formation was soon split into smaller parts. 7 Hampdens from 44 Squadron and
5 Hampdens from 50 Squadron took off from RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire at 08.15 hours.

All 12 Hampdens reached the harbour of Kristiansand and attacked the German ships lying at anchor. In spite of intensive flak all British planes succeeded in
dropping their bombs, but none of the ships were hit. 2 Hampdens were hit and crashed into the target area. German fighter units in the airfields Sola and Kjevik had
been scrambled just before the attack, and as the remaining 10 Hampdens were leaving the target area they were attacked by Messerschmitt Bf109E from II/JG 77.
After an intensive aerial battle 3 Hampdens and 2 Messershmitts crashed into the Skagerrak.
P1173 was one of these planes and the Pilot, F/O Harry Wood Robson, 22, was buried in Frederikshavn Cemetery on 27 May 1940.

There was a total loss of 2 more German planes and another made a forced landing near Mandal. On the return flight the British planes were short of fuel and one Hampden had to ditch off Newcastle while the other planes landed on their bases with considerable damage. It had been the greatest bombing attack of the war
so far, but due to the heavy losses this also became the last great attack in daylight with Hampdens and Wellingtons." (FT 89-30-1)

1 airman from HAM P1173 was buried in Frederikshavn. 3 airmen have no known grave.