KG 40 Fw 200 on an Atlantic-coast Flugplatz 'F8+EL'.
Condor 'F8+DL' flown by Oblt Bernhard Jope and seen at Mérignac in late February 1941. Jope spent a short spell during early 1941 in Stavanger, flying several sorties against British convoys. Jope was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 30 December 1940 for his attack on 26 October 1940 on one of the biggest liners in the world at the time, the 42,500 ton "Empress of Britain" being used as a troopship and cargo vessel;
In his book on the Fw 200 Condor Jean-Louis Roba wrote;
" ..On 21 October, Major Edgar Petersen (Kommandeur of I./KG 40) was awarded the Ritterkreuz for his effective command. Another would soon be awarded when, on 26 October, a Fw 200 struck a blow against the Royal Navy, an episode that would forge the reputation of the Condor and prove to be a coup for the German propaganda organs. That day, Oblt Bernhard Jope's crew on patrol spotted an imposing-looking ship off the south-west coast of Ireland. Jope turned towards this potential target while his men went to their battle stations - the ship was the Canadian Pacific Airline luxury liner 'Empress of Britain', leased to the British Ministry of Transport. It had left Cape Town several days earlier and was approaching Liverpool, its destination. On board were some four hundred servicemen and twenty-three passengers, as well as seven hundred tonnes of various cargoes (including sugar). Relying on the ship's speed, British officials had neglected to provide an escort (which would probably have had difficulty keeping up). The ship was of very modern design and offered its passengers a high level of comfort (including a swimming pool, sumptuous Renaissance-style lounges and radio in the cabins). Jope wasted no time identifying his target as an enemy transport ship, dropped his bombs accurately while his machine gunners emptied magazine after magazine (there was only one bullet wound sustained on board!). As fire broke out in the ship's holds, Jope set course for Mérignac, the nose of his Condor having been damaged by return fire. As the Empress of Britain was quickly evacuated, there were few casualties. With the fires contained, the stricken liner was taken in tow but was finished off virtually the next day by a torpedo fired by U-32 (itself sunk two days later). This loss struck a chord with public opinion on both sides. The daily Völkischer Beobachter, the official organ of the NSDAP, even went so far as to write: "Das Schiff der Plutokraten schwimmt nicht mehr" (The ship of the plutocrats will sail no more). For this action, Jope was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 30 December 1940..."
Like many enthusiasts no doubt we are looking forward to Chandos Publications' forthcoming history of KG 40 due later this year. In the meantime the large volume on the Fw 200 authored by Michel Ledet and Jean-Louis Roba and published by Lela Presse is still available from the Lela Presse web site (320 pages, 600 photos, 28 Thierry Dekker artworks, only 55 euros). Given that the Classic Crecy tome on the Fw 200 costs a small fortune if you can find one, the Lela Presse book is a bargain!
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