He 111 crew murdered
 

Bernard asked a question on this subject which then went off on a tangent and was quite rightly binned by John Beaman. However, of interest, whilst delving at the AHB a number of years ago, I came a cross a captured file concerning the murdering of a KG 54 crew by French civilians.Although the content was quite gruseome, there was a photo of the crash-landed aircraft. The details of this are 18 May 40, He 111 P coded B3+JT of 9/KG 54. Beleived shot down by 56 Sqn and crash-landed near Vimy on the Lens-Arras road. Uffz Otto Ellinghaus, Gefr Ernst Reczniczek, Ogefr Helmut Jentzmik, Gefr Josef Bradack

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Some time ago the ' After The Battle ' magazine featured an article 'Show Trial At Luchy ' concerning the shooting of Uffz. Ross pilot of a Bf 110 of 9/ZG 26 shot down on 20-5-40. The article covering the incident and subsequent investigation dy the Germans.

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Both incidents can't be related to the one seen by Hallahan, that should have taken place on 12 or 13 May between Maastricht and Northern France....

Maybe those of us with extensive loss databases (sadly, not me) can list the German bombers lost with all crew killed in this area, and then we may eliminate well-known cases to try to find a crashplace....

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Ah Laurent, there is the rub - the actual loss reports for that timeframe, while they list numbers of casualties, hardly ever give any names beyond officers and in most cases do not list a specific location or cause of the loss. There are several publications out there that have made a great strides in filling in the holes, 'Twelve Days in May' and Gillet's 3-part series on French fighter actions in which I have just recently picked up, along with the works of Prien, Taghon and others, but there's still lots of work to be done. I know of at least 2 projects in the works to fill out this time period though I'm not sure that they've been publically announced as of yet.

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

If the alleged event happened on 12th. May , from a list of He 111 losses kindly supplies by another researcher, a crew from I(F)/122 were reported Killed/missing. Hopefully someone may have more information that could clarify details on the loss of this crew.

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Brian,

The crew you requested was as follows: (Ff) Uffz Otto KARNAPP, (Beo) Hptmn Edgar CAESAR, (Bf) Uffz Hans-Joachim MUELLER, and (Bordwart) Uffz Georg ABLEITHER. All reported killed, the only problem being it was on a sortie over Narvik - Tromso.

Happy hunting guys.

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

You are right Peter for area, 1.F121 belonged to X.FL.KORPS, thks names nd location are new for me, what about the Kgr.126 he lost 2 He111 one near Beveland maybe a bit too much north ???

remi

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

With regards to Chris Goss's original post, that of Uffz Ellinghaus's loss on the 18.5.40. with KG54. Could anybody provide details of this units losses the day previous 17.5.40.
I understand 3x a/c from the I/KG54 were lost nr Valenciennes.

Any help gratefully accepted.
Regards,
Steve.

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Hello Remi,

On 12 May 40 3./K.Gr 126 lost two planes - "beim Angr. a. Kapelle auf Beverland."

1) Abgeschossen durch feindl. Jäger - Hoogerheiden Calfven
FF Ofw Herbert Widmayer - POW - UK
Obs Oblt (Stkptn) Fr Wilh Sawade - KIA
Nav Ofw Herbert Klabunde - KIA
BM Uffz Jakob Dethlefsen - KIA

2) Abgeschossen durch feindl. Jäger - Woensdrecht Doelstraat
FF Uffz Otto Kippschull - WIA
Obs Ofw Paul Wittich - WIA
Nav Uffz Ernst Fischer - KIA
BM Uffz Heinz Gutteck - KIA

Regards,
Rob

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Good evening,

I am quite glad this thread has come up again.

Here are some clues.

Extract from AIR27/1 No 1 squadron ORB.

12th may :
…….The C.O. S/Ldr. Halahan, led a patrol over Maastricht on the border of Belgium and Holland and the Flight had much excitment in combat with various types of e/aircraft. The C.O . ( S/Ldr Halahan ) destroyed an Me.109 and an Arado, but being hit in the engine he force landed succesfully wheels up…………..
The C.O ( S/Ldr Halahan ) had a grandstand seat after landing and witnessed a battle royal between French and german tanks and remarked that the the belgian troops were running faster than the refugees. …..

After this force landing, Wing Commander Walter ( O.C 67th Wing ) forbided S/Ldr Halahan to fly operationaly.

Extract from Paul Richey in Fighter Pilot :

….A short time after I was told all this ( the 12th may air battle ) the Bull ( Halahan ) rolled up unheralded in a belgian car. He had crash-landed with his engine riddled with bullets. He had witnessed some rough scenes in Belgium, among wich he described four regiments of French Senegalese troops proceeding to the front at the trot, looking neither to right nor left, with implacable expressions on their faces. A Heinkel crash-landed in a field beside the road, and a section of Senegalese doubled across to it, dragged the german crew of four and promptly decapitated them on the spot. They then resumed their progress, without a word or even a change of expression.
That same day- 13th may………


It is to note that No1 squadron ‘s O.R.B Was rewritten in England after evacuation from France. Sometimes there is some mixing in the dates.
The tanks battle could be the first squirmishes of Montcornet.

Bernard.

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Steve: On 17 May, I/KG 54 lost 4:

2 Staffel, target Maubeuge, Uffz Oskar Schuenemann + 1 POW, 2 killed
3 Staffel, target Valencienne, Fw Paul Lenz + 2 POW, 1 killed
3 Staffel, Valencienne, Fw Adolf Lau POW, 3 killed
3 Staffel, Amiens,,Fw Willi Kuemmel + 3 POW

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Gentlemen,

This thread simply won't expire. My current understanding of all He111 losses on the 12 May 1940 is as per the attached - feel free to pick it over as you see fit.

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Hello Chris,

I hv just 2 3.KG54 for the 17.mai, where come from the third the one above Amiens, do you hv a bit more details about it ???

REMI

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Remi

Fw Willi Kuemmel, Ogefr Paul Friebe, Gefr Karl Guhl, Gefr Johann Ebner. Source: Radtkes' KG 54 History

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Is it there, where you hv find the 18.may event ???

REMI

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Hi Chris and Remi,
The a/c of Fw Willi Kummel of 3/KG54 i have as, crash landed 18miles south east of Arras on the 18.5.40?
Kummel and his crew being captured by French forces.

Is it the 17th or 18th of may anybody?

Rgs,
Steve.

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Quote:

12th may : …….The C.O. S/Ldr. Halahan, led a patrol over Maastricht on the border of Belgium and Holland and the Flight had much excitment in combat with various types of e/aircraft. The C.O . ( S/Ldr Halahan ) destroyed an Me.109 and an Arado, but being hit in the engine he force landed succesfully wheels up………….. The C.O ( S/Ldr Halahan ) had a grandstand seat after landing and witnessed a battle royal between French and german tanks and remarked that the the belgian troops were running faster than the refugees. …..

The first contact between French and German tanks took place near Hannut (Belgium) in the afternoon of May 12th 1940. Perhaps the incident occurred halfway the towns of Tongeren (Tongres) and Hannut. Hannut is situated about 30 miles SE of Maastricht.

Dirk

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Made a typo, Hannut is located 30 miles SW of Maastricht.

Dirk

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Hi All,
I have some slight variations in the spelling of some of this crew's names, all are now buried at Bourdon, but not together, they have been reburied twice, first burial, Arras, second, Tilloy les Mofflaines.
Gefreiter Ernst Rzezniczek.
Obergefreiter Helmut Jentznik, EM, 61415/28.
Gefreiter Josef Bradac, EM, 67475/37.
Unteroffizier Otto Ellinghaus, EM, 67475/8.
Joe.

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Let's again get back to the original question: which could have been the Heinkel of which Sqn Ldr Halahan supposedly witnessed the decapitasion by Senegalese troops.

What seems to be facts:

• Halahan was shot down on May 12 around 09.30 local time by Bf109's of I/JG21
• He came down west of Maastricht, where he said to witness a fight between french and german tanks
• he was reported back to his base at Berry-au-Bac, which is close Reims
• the Heinkel of which the crew was killed landed near the road along which Halahan was returning to Reims

Now it becomes trickier, but let's give it a try:

• As already suggested, Halahan landed somewhere in the area between Hannut and Waremme, where at that moment the Pz Rgt 5 and 6 had broken through the belgian defenses along the Albert channel. No big tank battles took place on the early morning of the 12th, that would take place on the 13th just west of Hannut against de french Corps de Cavalerie.
• The voyage of Halahan from the Waremme area to Reims was not a short one, and to be able to get back (probably late) on the 13th he must have taken the main roads. However these were full of troops marching up to the front as well as fleeing refugees. To make the trip in 2 days he must have taken the main roads behind the front line. The most logical path is then Waremme-Namur, behind the 9th Army towards Philippeville and then Montherme, then Charleville-Mezieres, and there Vouziers-Reims.
• I checked the French order of battle, and there was only 1 Army that contained a large and distinct contigent of Senegalese troops: The 1st and 3rd Division d'Infanterie Colonial (DIC) of the 2eme Armee. This Army had positions starting on the left side just above Sedan, along the frontier to the east. The 3eme DIC was operational and probably positioned along the frontier, but the 1eme DIC was part of the reserve. Given the situation at the front this unit was probably moved towards the front at Sedan around the 12th or 13th of May
• Now the Heinkel. The list of Heinkel losses on May 12 provided by Peter Cornwell shows that no Heinkel landed in the area just behind the 9eme Armee front west of the Meuse in Belgium. So my conclusion is that it then must have been a Heinkel either in France of on the 13th. For a Heinkel in France that landed along the probable road of Halahan there is one candidate: the machine of 4./KG55.
• This Heinkel, G1+DH, made a fairly intact belly landing at 14.30 on May 12 in Machault, a place right along the route from Vouziers to Reims. The book "Batailles Aeriens and Rupture sur la Meuse" of Jacques Sacre shows a picture of the plane which shows it made a good belly landing.
• However, of the crew (Lt Johannes Juenk, Uffz Ernst Rasper, Uffz Heinz Thoene, Uffz Wilhelm Ege, Gefr Harald Wendt) all but the 2nd were reported killed. Rasper was wounded and made PoW. Now this is strange, that of a plane which made a nice belly landing the whole crew died. To me this is therefore a likely candidate for the incident IF it happened at all.
  There are also KG55 Heinkels that landed roughly in the same area on the morning of the 13th, but none of these have "unexplained" crew faiths.
• One contradiction to be solved then: it seems unlikely that Halahan was at Machault only 4 hours after being shot down, a distance of a few hundred kilometers. My interpretation is that Halahan did not witness it himself, but saw of course the plane, the corpses and probably heard the story from people around. In other words a hearsay story. Interestingly, IF it happened Uffz Rasper should have been able to say something about it.

So far my reconstruction, which is admittedly highly speculative.
But at least a first attempt.
Hope somebody can confirm or reject the assumptions with hard facts.

Pieter

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Pieter,
there is a problem regarding German losses reported to the OKL at that period, which I will describe in another thread. If possible you should compare the He 111 losses on later days, maybe there is one of many date errors again (late reports noted on the day they arrived at the OKL without the correct date of the loss).

And I would look for a twin engined airplane, not only He 111, but maybe a Ju 88A or Do 17Z. In Poland for example the recognized "He 111" were often just ... Ju 87 or even Bf 109!

I hope you will find what you`ll looking for.

Many regards,
Marius

Re: He 111 crew murdered
 

Pieter,
'KG 55 In Focus' by Hall and Quinlan also has a picture of the bellylanded GI+DM and of Ltn Hans Junk . The text states Junk was hit in the head and died instantly Uffz Thone , Uffz Ege and Gef. Wendt were killed with only the Observer Uffz. Rasper surviving. Crash location is given as near Rethel NE of Reims. If this crew was the the one that is the subject of this thread as your well reasoned post suggests then it would appear that three Luftwaffe airmen met this unfortunate fate. It would also appear that Rasper may have landed the Heinkel if the pilot Junk? died instantly in the fighter attack.
The incident was first reported in a book published in 1941 when the exact truth may well have been exaggerated, or the story added to with the telling.