Photos later, but I had a close look at 202 Sqn’s hangar 21 (the K-type nearest Drainie road) this morning, and the door nearest the road does indeed have lots of bullet or shell holes, from the ground to the roof.
The door is made from ½” steel plate bolted to both sides of a steel frame, and the rounds have penetrated both sides, leaving both entrance and exit holes around 40mm diameter. The outer doors have been patched by bolting on small thin sections of square steel plate.
It’s hard to imagine the usual 1940 He-111 armament of MG15 or MG17 7.92mm machine guns doing this sort of damage, even if they used their armour-piercing rounds. These rounds were capable of penetrating 10mm steel plate at 100 metres if fired at right angles – but two plates?
StuartH’s theory that the station 20mm Hispano or 40mm Bofors AA was the culprit may not be too far from the truth! I wonder if anyone inside the hangar was hurt?
Here’s a transcript of the incident from ‘A Steep Turn to the Stars’:-
‘On 26th October Lossiemouth received its baptism of fire when three Heinkel 111s made a surprise dusk attack on the airfield. Two Heinkels came in low from the north east and bombed a line of Blenheims which were being prepared for night flying. A third Heinkel attacked from the south using machine guns but no bombs. One of the Heinkels crashed, brought down either by the explosion of its own bombs or the station Hispano gun. Like many similar incidents the exact circumstances will never be known. The four German crew were killed and are buried in Lossiemouth churchyard. The RAF losses were one officer and two airmen killed and others injured. Two Blenheims were destroyed and three damaged, and damage was also incurred by two Magisters, two Moths, and a Hurricane. Three hangars were slightly damaged…’
I understand that another hangar (used by 2622 Sqn) at Lossie still has the MU bore-sighting paintings for Spitfires, Hurricanes, Defiants, and Mohawks. I can feel another visit coming on!
Incidentally, the other K-type just to the north was completely demolished just this morning – photos later…
Sign In
