August 13 1940 attack on Aalborg West

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August 13 1940 attack on Aalborg West.

On August 13 1940 12 Blenheims of RAF 82 Sqn were detailed for an attack on Aalborg West airfield. One of the aircrafts had to turn back due to fuel problems while the remaining eleven aircrafts pressed on. When crossing the Danish west coast near Søndervig flying at 8000 feet in a clear blue sky they were spotted by a German observation post and the flak at Aalborg was alerted.
Eight Bf 109E fighters of 5/JG 77 based on Aalborg East airfield were scrambled at 12:05 hours. The attack on the airfield started at approx. 12:15 and all eleven Blenheims were lost to flak and fighters within 20 minutes.
They are listed in the sequence in which they are believed to have crashed. Who actually claimed who is impossibly to say due to the fact that the fighters claimed 15 Blenheims.
The flak is known to have made claims for Blenheims at 12:16,12:17,12:18 and 12:18. 1./615, 3./615 and 5./615, being those who are known to have made claims.
See the list for fighter claims from Tony Woods home page below.

13.08.40	Ofw. Robert Menge: 8	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.18
13.08.40	Ofw. Robert Menge: 9	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.20
13.08.40	Gefr. Esser: 1	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.20
13.08.40	Ofw. Robert Menge: 10	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.21
13.08.40	Fw. Werner Petermann: 4	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.22
13.08.40	Gefr. Rudolf Schmidt: 2	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.22
13.08.40	Uffz. Helmut Fröse: 1	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.23
13.08.40	Fw. Robert Menge: 11	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.24
13.08.40	Oblt. Erich Friedrich: 1	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.24
13.08.40	Uffz. Helmut Eißler: 2	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.24
13.08.40	Fw. Werner Petermann:	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.24
13.08.40	Oblt. Erich Friedrich: 2	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.30
13.08.40	Uffz. Helmut Eißler: 3	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.30
13.08.40	Uffz. Helmut Fröse: 2	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.31
13.08.40	Gefr. Rudolf Schmidt: 3	5./JG 77	Blenheim	Raum Aalborg	12.35

The funeral in Vadum Cemetery 16/8 1940:

(Carsten Petersen)

(J. Tjell)

Cross on the grave in Vadum Cemetary

(Via Clausen, Aalborg)

(Detective C. Frost Larsen)

The Memorial wall as seen in March 1946

(Ole Rønnest)

The wall as seen in May 2005 with new nameplates

Just after the end of the war, a group of people from Aalborg started to raise money for a memorial wall and after no more than a month the goal was reached. The wall was commissioned to a local stonemason who erected it during the summer and fall of 1945 and on 11. November 1945 it was unveiled during a ceremony. After 60 years it was decided to change the nameplates and The Commonwealth War Graves Commission had bronze plates made for this purpose in Australia. These were inaugurated in May 2005. (Ole Rønnest)

From German newspapers: