Heinkel 111 shot down 8/9 April 1941 over Leicestershire.

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17 years 9 months

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Hi
I wondering if anybody can help.The book No place for chivalry by Alastair Goodrum as a cover painting showing Heinkel 111 from KG55 with the codes G1+DL being shot down by a Defiant.This book on page 19 and others including 1941 The Turning Point by John Foreman say a Hurricane flown by Plt Off Richard Playne Stevens shot this Heinkel down.
I wondering who this right the painter of the cover or the authors.

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19 years 1 month

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The book ' RAF Victory Claims' Part Two - Forman, gives Stevens (151 Sqn - Hurricane) two HeIIIs destroyed on 8/9 April 1941. One at 0115 hrs, Wellesbourne, Warwick and the other at 0145 hrs, Desford, Leicester.

Defiant's scored the following HeIII victories on that night.....

151 Sqn Sgt. A D. Wager. (2) 1 destroyed, 1 damaged. Coventry. 0145 hrs.
151 Sqn. F/L. D A P. McMullen. 1 destroyed. East Coventry. 0140 hrs.
151 Sqn. F/L. D F W. Darling. 1 destroyed. Windsor Great Park. 0230 hrs.
264 Sqn. F/O. D A P. Hughes. 1 probably destroyed. South East Biggin Hill. 0015 hrs.
264 Sqn. A T D. Sanders. 1 destroyed. Hitchin. 2212 hrs.

Other claims that night were .........

266 Sqn. S/L. P G. Jameson (Spitfire) 1 HeIII destroyed. 0145 hrs.
310 Sqn. S/L. J. Latimer (Hurricane) 1 Ju88 probably destroyed. East Coventry. 0100 hrs.
604 Sqn. F/L. E D. Crew (Beaufighter) 1 HEIII damaged. Sopley 0101 hrs.
604 Sqn. Sgt. P F. Jackson (Beaufighter) 1 HEIII damaged. Middle Wallop. 0200 hrs.

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The night of 8th/9th April, 1941 was the second concentrated bombing attack on Coventry (the first being 14th/15th November, 1940).

Roger Smith.

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The simple answer is that it was believed that both the Defiant and Hurricane attacked the He111 at some point. When I painted the picture many, many years ago it seemed as if the Defiant had delivered the final blow, later research showed that it was almost certainly Stevens.

MP

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Heinkel 111 shot down 8/9 April 1941 over Leicestershire.

Hi
Thank you for that.Its still a great picture.

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16 years 10 months

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There is a prop blade from the Heinkel at Wellsbourne Mountford airfield museum. Good museum as well!

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14 years 5 months

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Interesting note, F/L DFW Darling, went on to become a Squadron Leader DFC with Mosquito's of 139 Squadron.
Sadly he was killed along with his Navigator, F/O Wright on the afternoon of the 31st January 1943 whilst carrying out a low level attact on a Nazi party rally headed by Joseph Gobbels.
This was the first Daylight raid on Berlin of the war.
(I have his log book and Uniform)

Jules

Defiant's scored the following HeIII victories on that night.....

151 Sqn Sgt. A D. Wager. (2) 1 destroyed, 1 damaged. Coventry. 0145 hrs.
151 Sqn. F/L. D A P. McMullen. 1 destroyed. East Coventry. 0140 hrs.
151 Sqn. F/L. D F W. Darling. 1 destroyed. Windsor Great Park. 0230 hrs.
264 Sqn. F/O. D A P. Hughes. 1 probably destroyed. South East Biggin Hill. 0015 hrs.
264 Sqn. A T D. Sanders. 1 destroyed. Hitchin. 2212 hrs.

Other claims that night were .........

266 Sqn. S/L. P G. Jameson (Spitfire) 1 HeIII destroyed. 0145 hrs.
310 Sqn. S/L. J. Latimer (Hurricane) 1 Ju88 probably destroyed. East Coventry. 0100 hrs.
604 Sqn. F/L. E D. Crew (Beaufighter) 1 HEIII damaged. Sopley 0101 hrs.
604 Sqn. Sgt. P F. Jackson (Beaufighter) 1 HEIII damaged. Middle Wallop. 0200 hrs.[/QUOTE]