Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Dear all,

I had the pleasure to recover last Saturday the wreckage of Ju 88 G-1 piloted by Gruppenkommandeur Wilhelm HERGET (I./NJG 4 based at Florennes).
The aircraft crashed in Pont-à-Celles (North of Charleroi), hamlet "Launoy" on the 15th June 1944.
As witnessed by F/Lt. Burbridge (85 Sqn) who claimed it, the Ju 188 (sic.) crashed with a tremendous explosion. Indeed both BMW 801 were found - albeit badly destroyed - at more than 5 meters deep. Very few parts of wings and fuselage were found as like cockpit items or ammo (recovered by Bergungskommando). However we found a MG FF mounted in "Schrage Musik" device so the ID of the aircraft was 100% archieved and the mission fully accomplished (the NVM quotes vaguely RAUM Charleroi)!
The Ju 88 took off from Florennes and I hope to display the artefacts in Florennes airbase museum soon, so "la boucle est bouclée". They will be displayed along with BMW 801 of FW 190 A-7 piloted by Oblt. Otto Hummel.

From the national TV:
http://www.rtbf.be/video/detail_jt-13h?id=1848243#

http://charleroi.blogs.sudinfo.be/ar...ttu-77422.html

BEnjoy

ClinA-78

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Congratulations, Nicolas,

well done, in a professional manner, with all relevant sectors involved (archeology, culture etc..)

just one reproach: we would like to see more pictures of what you found. can you post some ?

Thanks cheers et bravo.

Gilles

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Hi Nicolas ,

Great work.

Alain57

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Hi Gilles,

Here, one of the twin (not Jumo ah ah :D)

ClinA-78

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Ju 88 G-1 W.Nr. 710833 (info from Matti Salonen NVM) - If any airframe part numbers plate are recovered (Not likely as these were not supposed be in airframes produced after March 1943, and this was finished about middle of April 1944) these and main W.Nr. plate can confirm aircraft in question. There is also possibility of painted W.Nr. on removable items. Good work anyways, locating an G-1 and digging up is rare and praisworthy. -ed

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Starts at 0:26:07

Cheers, Franck.

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Not much of airframes parts were found, only from covers of engine nacelle. I have checked those items in vain.

However the CR of Burbridge is surprisingly precise :

-the combat took place North of Charleroi (aircraft was followed from Florennes)
-the crash location is given 5 miles SSW of Nivelles, on the East bank of a river (illuminated by the explosion). This perfectly matches for the Brussels-Charleroi canal situated 500 m of crashsite.

Here is another pic showing:
- Oxygen mask
- hydraulic vane (?)
and this odd thick blue glass found at the bottom of the hole, not part of the bullet-proof windshield and perhaps a glass waste?

More to follow.

ClinA-78

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Nicolas,

you could have a certain distance between the engines (heavy, with a lot of inertia) and the airframe (lighter).

Based on the positioning on the ground of the parts you found, were you able to reconstruct or visualize the trajectory of the aircraft? this could help you finding the balance of the aircraft;

And did you try to find the family of the JU88 crew ?

bravo again.

Gilles

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Gilles,

The distance between engines matches roughly the enginespan of the Ju 88. Between them we found little parts only, no fuselage.
Moreover, nothing was found of the main gear, annular radiators and oil tanks as such as the engines were simply torn off their mounting. No propellor blades also. The crash seems vertical. And judging a speed deceleration from said 500 to 0 km/h in just 5 meters, we have a violent kinetic isn't it?

Herget, Liebheer and Gröss relatives were not found at the moment (Herget killed himself in the '70s).

ClinA-78

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

"annular radiators" were not fitted to Ju 88 G-1, this had BMW 801 radial engines, air-cooled. So of course not ;-)

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

That's admittedly the first I heard Wilhelm Herget committed suicide, I thought he had died of natural causes.

Kenneth

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Nicolas,

by experience on the JU88 on site, you always find a lot of plexi on crash places;

If you have not found any, it is elsewhere, on another place.

Keep on searching around, the cockpit area is not far !! good luck.

Gilles

PS : it may be also 5 meter deep.. ?

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

I may be wrong but the oil radiator of BMW 801 is annular as like its radiator protected by the annular armour, isn't it?

I get Herget death by private correspondance.

ClinA-78

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Gilles,

Some tiny little pieces of plexi were on the surface during the superficial search. We have fully researched the cockpit, it simply 'vanished' and in the case of twin engined with 'soft nose' like the Ju 88, it was torn off as like the wings. The engines buried theirself through a bank of stone.

So Bergungskommando cleant it quite well, even the 2cm ammo, absolutely NO shells were found (only two 13mm cases were picked up).
You certainly know the motto: when digging, you rise more answers than replies.

ClinA-78

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Anyway, well done, Nicolas.

If I may suggest, you could publish some report about what you did, this will interest many people.

A question: do you know if the "Bergungskommando"took pictures of the wrecks they were collecting ? and if these pictures are today available ?

Thanks for your advice.

Gilles

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Hi Gilles,

I will publish an article in the local archaeology journal, as like in a famous British magazine but chuuuut...! ;)

I don't know if the Bergungskommando used to take pictures. However my friend Jean-Louis met some Flemish members related with Saint-Omer airfield; some of them took pictures of their work. Those men went even to Florennes in 1944. Jean-Louis wrote an article in Avions.

Here, the picture showing the 'masterpiece' of the recovery, along with the oxygen bottles and fishtail exhausts, the remains of the MG FF/M which was used as a "Schrage Musik".
This is a truly remarkable piece. A Minen-shell was in the chamber and explosed (ignited by the Mosquito's fire?), cutting the MG. We find also a lonely MG 151 barrel but, I repeat, NO ammo; quite odd, isn't it?

Enjoy

ClinA-78

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Great.

No plate found ?

Gilles

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

No relevant plate (Apparateraum Belüftung, Luftschrauben Regler), nothing interesting.

ClinA-78

Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Hello

Interesting thread as I had no idea that he was shot down at any time in his career. Could anyone please post any additional details regarding this incident such as tactical code of the aircraft if known, crew names and ranks and if any of these were casualties? Here is what I have been able to find on this ace. Any comments or corrections will be most appreciated.

Herget.zip

Horrido!

Leo

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

One last 'mystery':

Some witnesses said that German troops paid a tribute near the crashsite at the daylight. Oddly, aircrew escaped by chute.
Was this ceremony initiated by the high rank of the pilot?
Perhaps airmen were rescued far away in the country, unknown to the Bergungskommando or so? Communications at that time were far less effective than nowadays.
Bergungskommando dug also a lot, hoping to recover the airmen?

Unfortunately Herget left nothing about that story.

Best regards

ClinA-78

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Hello,

Since the Ju 88 G-1 recovery, I 'struggle' to identify some artefacts found as such as this part of yellow bakelite, badly burnt.

It looks like the rotary antennae of the Peil Gerät 6. As I have never seen such device, could you ID this part please?

It seems both parts are top and bottom of the antennae not the overall size as wrongly shown on the picture.

Best regards

ClinA-78

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Re: Major Wilhelm HERGET's Ju 88 G-1 found in Belgium!
 

Hope this pic would help.