9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Hi guys

The above was shot down by German AA fire during the first day of the invasion of Norway. It crashed into Oslo Fjord with the deaths of three crewmen.

I urgently seek the identities of these airmen.

Cheers
Brian

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Found pilot Fw. A.Steenhold KIA on 40-04-09 from 3./KGzbV 102.
Crashed Fornebu (No)

Frans.A

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Sorry. Unit 3./KGzbV 103

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Brian,

'Urgently' ? Here is what I currently have listed and I can find no record of these airmen in the VDK:

3./KGr.zbV 103 Junkers Ju52/3m (6423). Badly damaged by ground fire during aborted landing of troops of II./IR 324 at Oslo-Fornebu 8.05 a.m. Crashed and burned out. BO Hptmn Richard Wagner (Gruppenkommandeur) killed, FF Oberlt Robert Sandt (Staffelkapitän) injured, Fw Alfred Steenhold, Uffz[ ]Biemer, and Gefr[ ]Röhrs believed unhurt. Aircraft NG+VD 100% write-off.

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Thanks Frans and Peter

Urgently? Yes! Information required for memorial list of German aircrew lost to 'friendly fire' for inclusion of Volume I of my forthcoming series. So, again my thanks.

Cheers
Brian

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Were does it say that it was shot down by own FLAK? There was heavy fighting going on at Oslo Fornebu. A lot of Luftwaffe planes were destroyed/damaged due to ground fire, from Norwegian troops.

Junker

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

6423 or 6483 ??


Rémi

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Hi guys

Now I know why I hadn't entered this in my manuscript! My source was the Nordic Aviation website, but it was the aircraft flown by Fw Merzenich that fell to German ship gunfire on this date, though there were no fatalities. I had looked at the wrong entry. So my problem is solved!!

Thanks for helping with this
Cheers

Brian

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

I have WNr. 6423 with WNr. 6483 listed twice for later dates. The former would appear to be the correct WNr.

Ju 52/3m, 6483, n.n., , I., KG.z.b.V. 1, , , , , 31-May-41, Bruchlandung., , Lfl.4/Transportverbände/Einsatz Kreta, Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #3)-Vol.5, , Iraklion, 20%, F, , ,
Ju 52/3m, 6483, n.n., , , Transpst.V.Fl.Korps, , , , , 13-Jul-41, Pilot error., , Transportverbände/Eins.Osten, Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #3)-Vol.5, , Tyranowka, 20%, H, , ,

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

On 13.04.1940 Transportchef Land (commanding all land-based transports for Denmark and Norway) issued the following loss report for 09.04.1940:
K.Gr.z.b.V. 103: Gr.Kdr. Hptm. Wagner killed, Flugzeugführer Obfw. Gürther killled, Staffelkpt. Oblt. Köder killed, Flugzeugführer Lt. Papke killed, Bordfunker Uffz. Brückner killed, Bordmech. Fw. Klawitter injured, Bordfunker Uffz. Brimann injured and Staff.kapt. Oblt. Sand injured.
These are crews of two different aircraft. Hptm. Wagner was killed by groundfire from Norwegian troops defending Fornebu airfield. It is claimed that the rest of the crew in his aircraft (apparently W.Nr. 6423) survived and that the plane returned to Denmark. Can someone clear up this problem ??Who belonged to which aircraft and did Hptm. Wagners aircraft crash at Fornebu ?

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Seaplanes,

I will try. Here is what I have currently listed for KGr.zbV 103 on 9 April 1940:

3./KGr.zbV 103 Junkers Ju52/3m (6423). Badly damaged by ground fire during aborted landing of troops of II./IR 324 at Oslo-Fornebu 8.05 a.m. Crashed and burned out. BO Hptmn Richard Wagner (Gruppenkommandeur) killed, FF Oberlt Robert Sandt (Staffelkapitän) injured, Fw Alfred Steenhold, Uffz[ ]Biemer, and Gefr[ ]Röhrs believed unhurt. Aircraft NG+VD 100% write-off.

KGr.zbV 103 Junkers Ju52/3m (6370). Shot down by AA fire attempting to land troops of II./IR 324 at Oslo-Fornebu 8.05 a.m. BF Uffz Ferdinand Brückner killed, rest of crew believed baled out unhurt. Aircraft 100% write-off.

KGr.zbV 103 Junkers Ju52/3m (6385). Shot down by AA fire attempting to land troops of II./IR 324 at Oslo-Fornebu 8.05 a.m. No crew casualties. Aircraft 100% write-off.

KGr.zbV 103 Junkers Ju52/3m (6100). Damaged by AA fire during landings at Oslo-Fornebu 8.05 a.m. No crew casualties. Aircraft 20% damaged but repairable.

KGr.zbV 103 Junkers Ju52/3m (6069). Wrecked in taxying accident after landing troops of II./IR 324 at Oslo-Fornebu 8.05 a.m. No crew casualties. Aircraft 100% write-off.

KGr.zbV 103 Junkers Ju52/3m (6257). Wrecked while taxying after landing troops of II./IR 324 at Oslo-Fornebu 8.05 a.m. No crew casualties. Aircraft 100% write-off.

KGr.zbV 103 Junkers Ju52/3m (6464). Wrecked in taxying accident after landing troops of II./IR 324 at Oslo-Fornebu 8.05 a.m. BM Fw Herbert Klawitter injured, rest of crew believed unhurt. Aircraft 100% write-off.

4./KGr.zbV 103 Junkers Ju52/3m (2862). Crashed and burned out in Kyrresvei, Stabekk, while attempting landing at Oslo-Fornebu 11.30 a.m. FF Oberlt Karl Köder (Staffelkapitän) killed, (Not found VDK) FF Lt Friedrich Papke, and BM Uffz Ferdinand Brückner both missing, BF Uffz Theodor Bienemann captured, admitted to hospital in Bærum with broken right arm – later released. Aircraft 100% write-off.


KGr.zbV 103 Junkers Ju52/3m (5410). Damaged in aborted take-off at Stade for sortie to Oslo-Fornebu. No crew casualties. Aircraft 30% damaged but repairable.

KGr.zbV 103 Junkers Ju52/3m (5223). Forced-landed at Wiepenkathen, south-west of Stade, cause not stated. No crew casualties. Aircraft 30% damaged but repairable.

If anyone can add anything or offer any corrections I will be grateful.

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Thank you Peter, that was quite impressive.

Seaplanes

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

I can give some additional info on some of the aircraft you listed. Apparently not all were 100% write-offs, but were reassesed as repairable.
This concerns W.Nr. 2862 that was reported received on 16.06.1940 for repairs at Kjeller Airfield, now a repair facility for Luftwaffe under Junkers supervision. It used to be the old Army Air Forced factory at Kjeller now in German hands. This aircraft left Kjeller on 01.10.1940 and saw further service in Luftwaffe, i.e. with K.Gr.z.b.V. 60 and III./T.G.3.

W.Nr. 6257 was received at Kjeller on 16.06.1940 and left on 20.12.1940.
Unfortunately, I have no further history on this aircraft.

W.Nr. 6069 also arrived at Kjeller on 16.06.1940, but did not leave the repair facilities until 27.10.1941. The aircraft was then issued to 2./K.Gr.z.b.V. 108 in Norway and in the spring of 1942 was given the unit code 7U+OK. It was reported with the same designation with 2./T.Gr.20 on 21.10.44. However, at the time of capitulation, the aircraft was at Fornebu airfield (Oslo) on 09.05.1945 with the unit code 7U+EM of 4./T.Gr.20. The plane was taken over by R.No.A.F. on 18.06.1945 but was rejected due to the poor condition of the aircraft. It was then transferred to RAF at Gardermoen 22.06.1945 and to EASSU Hamburg-Fuhlsbüttel on 28.10.1945 and given RAf Ser.No. VM916. To No 6 M.U. 14.02.1946 and to Short & Harland on 27.06.1946. Used as spares for the rebuild of other Ju 52's.

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Seaplanes,

Many thanks - that is even more impressive. Amendments noted.

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Hello Peter
In your list you state that Uffz. Ferdinand Brückner was killed both in WNr. 6370 and WNr. 2862. Uffz. Brückner, 22 year from Breslau, was in fact killed in WNr. 2862. This aircraft had earlier landed on airfield Fornebu. It took off from Fornebu around 11:30 and after 30 seconds its left engine stopped and it then crashed at Kyrres vei 27, Stabekk, SW of Oslo.
It is probably Ofw. Gürthen who was killed in WNr. 6370 after ordering his crew to bale out.

Knut

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Knut,

Many thanks for that. Most helpful.

Peter C

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

Hello Brian
It was the Ju 52, PF + PU that was brought down over the outer Oslofjord, with 4 safe and 1 killed.

Onboard was
- Fw. Wolf Mensenich pilot (landed successfully at Fornebu earlier)
- Uffz. Johann Brehm stern gunner
and as passenger this crew from destroyed Ju 52 WNr. 2463 NG + VD
- Fw. Alfred Steenhold (pilot)
- Uffz. Biemer
- Gfr. Christian Röhrs

They took of from airfield Fornebu with fuel enough to reach airfield Aalborg West in Denmark. The flew low level and at the beginning of Skagerrak the became aware of a naval unit who soon openerd fire and hit the Ju 52. Burning the pilot put the aircraft down to do a successfully landing on the sea. Four of the crew was picked up alive from the water by Wachtschiff 703 and 707. However Uffz. Brehm jumped out of the aircraft in panic in 10th meters high and in a speed of 130 km/h. Wachtschiff 709 found him soon after in the sea but he was badly injured and died 2 hours after he was picked up.

Knut

Re: 9 April 1940 Ju52 3./KGrzbV.103 shot down
 

..should be Merzenich .....