British Home Front losses 22 July 1917

Regulus · 13 April 2005, 02:41 PM

On the 22 July 1917 KG 3 attacked once more England and bombed a number of targets. Some claims were made on German Gotha's but no proof was found of that as far as I know...

However the British planes suffered some losses, due to the fact that in London the red alert had been given in mistake and maroon rockets were fired off which made some AA batteries in the southnern Essex area that the bombers were near them, which resulted in opening fire on their own planes of which some British sources said that 2 were shot down by them. However we did not find any proof of that either. Does anyone have any more on this ? They are not in Henshaw.

Thanks and best from Johan

Graeme · 18 April 2005, 10:35 PM

Johan

The notes I've got suggest that Harwich and Felixstowe were the targets, 13 people being killed and 26 injured in these places; all but 4 were sailors and soldiers. "Air Defence of Great Britain" shows more than 120 Home Defence sorties being made on this date, none of them resulting in an engagement. I also have a note of two RFC machines being forced to land after being hit by anti-aircraft fire, but without further details.

The only success was claimed by Captain B E Baker and Lieutenant G R Spencer of No 48 Squadron who claimed one of the bombers shot down off Ostende.

Graeme

Regulus · 19 April 2005, 11:07 AM

Graeme,

Thank you very much for the confirmation ! Harwich and Felixtowe were the targets indeed, Folkestone and the RNAS station were the main target. A total of 55 bombs, 13 killed and 26 injured, most of them service personnel it seems. Bombs fell from Bawdsley to Harwich harbour.

Again my thanks and best from Johan