Crashing He-111 at sea
 

From an E-Bay auction. He-111 about to hit the water.

Where, when ,unit, any information welcome

Re: Crashing He-111 at sea
 

Jo kaki

I can't answer your question but what a great shot!

Cheers
Brian

Re: Crashing He-111 at sea
 

Said to be taken late May 1940 from an French destroyer under attack not far from Cherbourg.... Anyone knows more ?

Cheers
Marc

Re: Crashing He-111 at sea
 

Cannot be then due to the Russian Front fuselage band

Re: Crashing He-111 at sea
 

Just a guess...Black Sea torpedo operations w/ 6./KG-26 and 1./KG-28 March 1942? That would account for the Eastern Front band and the low altitude over the sea.

Re: Crashing He-111 at sea
 

All:

Another possibility could be an aircraft from from 2. or 3. Staffel of I./KG-26 during operations against Arctic convoys PQ 11, 15, 16, 17, and 18.

This a/c appears to be coded M on the underside of the wing and could be He 111 H-6, Werknummer 7156, coded 1H+MH. This aircraft was shot down 4 July 1942 attacking PQ-17 (info from the excellent Luftwaffe in Norway website - http://www.luftwaffe.no/SIG/Losses/tap422.html).

I could be completely off, however, if KG-26 in Norway didn't use the Eastern Front band.

Re: Crashing He-111 at sea
 

It could also be pilot error of a crew showing off next to a Kriegsmarine ship.

Re: Crashing He-111 at sea
 

Nothing definite to suggest it's Russian Front... fuselage band could have been white and therefore anywhere over the Mediterranean.

I always thought this was a little too 'well-flown' to be in danger of crashing. I like the idea of a pilot showing off to the Kriegsmarine... nothing like a little dip of a wingtip into the water, eh...? ;) Also, there's no smoke (not that there needs to be) suggesting any obvious damage. Perhaps we will never know...