He 111 of Stab KG 26 shot down on 29 November 1939
 

Hello,

At 0825 hrs on 29 November 1939 three Hurricanes of 111 Sqn RAF, which had moved from Northolt to Acklington during October, were scrambled after an intruding reconnaissance aircraft. Sqn Ldr Harry Broadhurst, the commander of 111 Sqn, was vectored onto a 'bandit' off the coast, and finding an He 111 of Stab/KG 26, shot it down at once 8 miles east of Alnwick. He was flying the Hurricane I N2340 and it was the first of the 13 victories he will score during the war.

The RAF side of this (short) air battle is well described by the above, but I am missing the Luftwaffe side. Can anyone provide more data about this He 111: confirm the unit and give type, code (and WNr if possible, but at this stage of the war it will be amazing) and especially the crew names ?

Thanks in advance

Re: He 111 of Stab KG 26 shot down on 29 November 1939
 

I don't have any losses for He 111s or any other type that match for that date.

Re: He 111 of Stab KG 26 shot down on 29 November 1939
 

Laurent,

We carry this loss in the EOE Luft Loss DB as:


"29. November 1939: Stabsstaffel KG26 Heinkel He111H-2. Reportedly shot down by S/L H. Broadhurst of No. 111 Squadron and crashed in the North Sea 10 km east of Amble 9.35 a.m. Four crewmen missing. Aircraft 100% write-off.
This aircraft was reported by Northumberland Police and, acting on Admiralty instructions, a motor boat and patrol vessels carried out a search of the vicinity but nothing was found. No corresponding loss is documented in surviving Luftwaffe records."

Obviously we weren't able to document any crew names to correspond with this a/c loss. Peter Cornwell might want to chime in here on this one. He is the "keeper" of our DB.

Regards,

Re: He 111 of Stab KG 26 shot down on 29 November 1939
 

Harricanes pilots are "supplemented" by others witnesses ???

Rémi

Re: He 111 of Stab KG 26 shot down on 29 November 1939
 

Thanks Jim and Larry,

Given that this loss is listed in every book I have on this subject, and the German unit and fate of crew was listed (with no name on the other hand), I was sure it happens.

But it now seems to me that all that we have is a claim by a RAF pilot with no corresponding loss found in German records.

Is the loss reported by any German documents on a higher level ? I mean with no crew or WNr details, but just saying an aircraft did not return from a recon this day.

Re: He 111 of Stab KG 26 shot down on 29 November 1939
 

I included Broadhurst's account of this incident in my book 'Luftwaffe Losses over Northumberland & Durham' (Pen & Sword Books, 2002.) Broadhurst did not see the He111 crash. He pursued it when it dived '..vertically into low cloud, its downward plunge marked by a trail of billowing smoke..' and he was very close to the sea when he broke through the cloud base. There was no sign of the bomber and Broadhurst assumed that it had crashed into the sea. His claim was subsequently substantiated by land-based observers. I could not find a record of the loss in the Luftwaffe Loss Returns for the period around that date and thus could not provide details of unit and crew. The book 'Blitz,then & now' vol.1 (Battle of Britain Prints International,1987) claims that the He111 belonged to Stab/KG26 but Rudi Schmidt's history of KG26 ('Achtung - Torpedos Los! [Bernard & Graefe Verlag, 1991] ) records no loss by KG26 for this date. If you would like a copy of the account in 'Luftwaffe Losses...' let me know.
Bill Norman
(www.billnorman.co.uk)