Embedded Files
We only know about the German version due to the excellent work performed by historians Marc Doucet and David R. McLaren.
In 1996 and 1997, when the internet was in its infancy, they managed to find a report in the German Bundesarchiv of the only claimed kill by the Flak battery stationed at Blois, a P47 Thunderbolt that fell at Molineuf the 15th of July 1944.
Their initial report, based on the American version of events was published in edition 13 of the annual bulletin of 'Vallée de la Cisse' (The Cisse valley), but a year later the German version they had found and analysed was published in edition 14. Both editions can be purchased here : Vallée de la Cisse.fr
The German report in full, listed as RL5/429 is available et the Bunderarchiv here: Bundersarchiv.de
Position of Flak battery 'Leichte Alarm Flak Batterie 36/VIII (L)' at Blois
The anti-aircraft battery of two Hotchkiss 25mm (0.98") guns was installed south of the Loire at Blois
It was placed on the levee giving a clear view to the North-West so it could defend the road bridge from attack. Image 2023 from: Geoportail.gouv.fr
The following documents are from the 11 page archive stored at the Bunderarchiv, only the most significant pages are shown. The translation (German to French by Nathalie Gauthier and French to English by David Fletcher) is shown next to each document.
Combat report
Light anti-aircraft battery 36/VII (L) O.U. = Ortsunterkunft (Local accomodation - to hide the real sender's address, used in postal letters in the field) 17 July 1944.
Firing unit: Light anti-aircraft battery 36/VII (L)
Time of shooting: 7:29 p.m
Aircraft type shot down: Thunderbolt
Location and grid square: Sheet Blois, No. 108, 1:80,000,
r= 516200, h=287350
Projection de Gauss-Krüger or UTM Universal Transverse Mercator r = Rechtswert (Y) = Latitude h = Hochwert (X) = Longitude
Fighter reporting network: 040N F C 81
Method of destroying the enemy: impact at a steep angle or almost vertical.
Other Information :
On July 15, 1944, at 7:03 pm an order was given by the Light-anti-aircraft service 673(v). (DF: based in Orléans), to the light anti-aircraft battery to be ready to fire as they had seen a Thunderbolt formation of about 30 aircraft flying into the Blois area from the north-east.
Initially, the aircaft circled over the auxilliary airfield of Le Breuil, which is 15 km north-west of Blois on the road to Vendôme. From here 4 aircraft turned and flew down the Loire at a height of 1800m to Blois.
At 7:25 p.m., the aircraft came within the effective range of the anti-aircraft battery 36/VII(L), which was deployed to protect the Loire Bridge. The leader gave the green light and the 2 guns suddenly opened fire. The first shots were a little too low, but the second burst and the following were very good. The Thunderbolts immediately took evasive action, pulling up and turning north to west.
However, one of the 4 Thunderbolts was already hit and flew off to the west with a black plume of smoke, where it then crashed vertically at 7:29 p.m. 9km west of Blois near Molineuf.
Both guns were under on-board fire during the combat activity.
Ammo consumption: 2 guns 25mm (0.98 inch) Hotchkiss 86 rounds.
The shooting was done with an anti-aircraft sight.
There were no friendly fighters in the area during combat activity.
Weather conditions : 10/10 overcast, clear visibility, cloudbase 3500m (11500 feet).
Signed STADLER, first lieutenant and local flak leader
F.d.R.d.A. Lieutenant and adjutant
More information about the deployment of the flak battery at Orléans that informed the battery at Blois can be seen here: Leicht-Flakabteilung 673(v)
Note the weather conditions described here, cloudbase at 3500m (11500 feet). In the American version, a successful dive-bombing attack was performed at Le Breuil airfield from 8000 feet.
Witness statement from Erich Gayko, commander of Flieger-Regiment 91
Gayko Erich
First Lieutenant and Battalion Commander.
L 53 700, Paris
O.U., July 17, 1944
Eyewitness report
When visiting the crash site of the American aircraft (Thunderbolt) in Forest of Blois near Molineuf, French people present, including the Frenchman Eugen Sourioux, resident of Buxeuil (Indre) who saw the incident from rue Beauvoir (in Blois), were questioned about the crash.
Sourioux said: "After the second salvo, the aircraft made a sudden turn and soon crashed." This statement was confirmed by several French people.
The dead pilot received a serious gunshot wound to the right thigh, which appeared to have been caused by an explosion, observed by me and Chief-doctor Schmidt.
First lieutenant and battalion commander Erich Gayko
Note: Schmidt is the doctor who certified the death of the pilot.
At the crash site, Gayko interviewed Eugen Sourioux, Zeuge 1 (witness 1) on the German map. He's on rue de Beauvoir which is quite high up the hill in central Blois, its pretty well the first street that wasn't destroyed in the 1940 bombing. All the buildings further down the hill were destroyed so he'd have had a good view of the bridge, anti-aircraft battery and the aircraft. Sourioux would have been almost directly underneath where the aircraft was hit.
Witness statement from Baaske, Captain of Flieger-Regiment 91
Baaske, Hauptmann
1./Flieger-Regiment 91
L53 700, Paris
0.U., July 18, 1944. -
At
I./Flieger-Regiment 91
On July 15, 1944, after 7 p.m., Thunderbolt fighters approached Blois. The 25mm anti-aircraft gun standing on the railway embankment opened fire on the fighters approaching at about 1700 m. The flak fire was accurate.
I observed that during the detonation of the anti-aircraft shells, an aircraft swerved to the left using its aileron and then made a sharp right turn to avoid the anti-aircraft fire. A further observation of the aircraft was not possible, as my view was blocked by tall trees.
On the following map, Baaske is shown as 'Zeuge 2' (witness 2), he's shown on the main D766 road to Molineuf at the junction with the Allée de Bégon. This is at the West exit of Blois where the forest starts so, as he says, his view would have been rapidly blocked.. This is 2.5km (1.5 miles) after the aircraft would have been struck but no smoke is yet visible as it flies above him. At 300 mph, it would have taken 19 seconds to cover the distance.
Baaske also describes the anti-aircraft guns being on a railway embankment rather than a levee. The railway he refers to is the 'Tramways Electriques de Loir et Cher', it had been out of use since 1934.
Flight path diagram
The map is the French map N°108, updated in 1940.
The 4 aircraft are shown approaching from the north-east (ie from the direction of Orléans) at 7:23pm. They're targeted by the flak at 1800m (6000 feet), the note says a 5 second salvo of 68 shots (the other documents say 86 shots) at 7:25pm. Two aircaft are seen quickly turning back to the north-east. One aircraft is seen flying due west where it crashes at 7:29pm. Its accompanied by another who does a large loop before turning north-east to rejoin the other two.
Light anti-aircraft service 673(V) Command post, July 22, 1944.
Statement by Major Weissig on the shooting down of July 15, 1944
On July 15, 1944 around 7 p.m. a group of 30 Thunderbolts flew into the Blois area and circled over the auxilliary aerodrome of Le Breuil, northwest of Blois. Four of these machines left the formation and flew east down the Loire to Blois.
At 7:25 p.m. these four machines reached the city of Blois and were targeted by the anti-aircraft battery 36/VII(L) with destructive fire. Immediately after the salvo, the Thunderbolts flew defensive manoeuvres, pulled up and turned west to north.
However, one of the aircraft was hit and flew, emitting a black plume of smoke to the west, where it dived vertically and crashed at Molineuf, 9km Western Blois, at 7:29 p.m.
Based on the above facts, I am of the opinion that this enemy fighter was brought down by the well-placed fire of the light anti-aircraft battery 36/VII(L).
The report here, on page 9 is from Major Weissig. His unit, at Orléans was the one that told the battery at Blois to be ready. He was 55km (34 miles) away from Blois so couldn't have seen what happened. He gets the direction of flight wrong, west to east rather than east to west in all the other documents. He's the head of the flak batteries in the region and his statement is really only intended to add weight to the file that was sent to Berlin for approval. A further demand for approval by the next up the command chain is attached on page 10 but it just repeats the information already seen and again comes from someone who didn't see the event.
The final document I'm showing from the Bunderarchiv is the page 1, its a photo of the Thunderbolt in the forest. The tail is intact but the rest is burnt debris laying on the forest floor. There has been a fire and the markings have been burnt off the tail but the French were still able to read the number as it's recorded on his death certificate as 276578. Two Germans are visible, one an officer (perhaps Erich Gayko). In the background is a (presumably) French family, looking at what's going on. The broken tree is a pine but the trees in the background are a different species. The smoke from the crash still hangs in the air between the trees.
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