[Larry Hickey]

Hello Peter,

Thanks Peter for also making this thread available on the LEMB Board, and to Goran for posting the photo of Z5+D? (probably Z5+DH, despite the color of the D). There are a lot of private exchanges going on between members of the EOE WG (Working Group) on this issue, and I want to keep the members of both TOCH and LEMB apprized of where this is going.

Rob van den Nieuwendijk made an excellent post on the TOCH thread from a Dutch website (in Dutch) on 09.07.11, and, on the theory that no good deed go unpunished, I asked him to do a full, nuanced translation of this, since it appears to have application to both my TOCH post on the identity of the "Z5" code and the question about the identity of the shot up Do17M or P, and a AufklSt 7 Fl Div Hs126 (4Q code), both badly damaged on or about 10.05.40 on the airfield at Waalhaven, Netherlands. Neither of these clearly written off planes apparently appear in the German QM loss records or the NVM system.

Here is Rob's translation, sent directly to my private email account:

"As promised the translation - made by myself not using google etc. in order to find all the nuances for you.

Division Aufklärungstaffel. The division had his own small flying reconn unit, which were small and larger reconn aircraft, which not only took care of the reconn, but also had to take care of the signals. From Luftwaffe sources we have been able to get some more background about the composition of this unit, which - according to several sources - was put out of action during the battle days. The unit was actually the Aufklärungsstaffel (Fernaufklärung) of II. Flakkorps, which was stationed initially at Köln-Ostheim. But on 10 May it was completely subordinated to the Luftlandekorps and therefore - in many sources - indicated (named) as Aufklärungsstaffel 7. FD, which is not correct, but makes the direct link with division of Kurt Student. Commander of the Staffel was Oberleutnant G. Langguth. The unit consisted of a Korpsführungskette with 6 Do-17M reconn. Furhermore there was a reconn unit with 4 Do-17M and a reconn/signals unit with 4 Hs-126B aircraft. It is for sure that at least a part of the unit operated from Waalhaven as from 10 May. Pictures of a parked Hs -126 at Waalhaven are also known. To the division force - apart from the both large transportgroups KGzbV 1 and 2 - was also an unknown transport aircraft attached. Probably these were two Ju52's for signals. No futher details are known, despite that this unit was lead by Oberleutnant F. Schäfer.

My advice is to find more info on Oberleutnant G Langguth - perhaps Doug (Stankey)/Larry (de Zeng) might know more."

The Do17M or P at Waalhaven does not have a 4Q code, but apparently a code of ?4+EA, possibly B4 or P4+EA.

Commenting on a photo of the partial codes of this a/c, Peter C. has commented: "I make out B4+EA with a very distinctive style of ‘open’ 4." Robert further commented, after seeing Rob's translation: "it could be possible that (the Do17 at Waalhaven) was from Korpsfuehrungskette of Luftflandekorps."

So that is where things stand now. We really want to get these two photo-confirmed Luftwaffe losses added to our massive, narrative, EOE Luftwaffe loss/damage/casualty DB for 1939-1940. However, we need more details on dates of incidents shown in the photos (on or about May 10, 1940), units (for the Do17), and circumstances of these two loss/damage incidents. Robert has suggested to me that the Hs126, which carries the insignia and codes for the recon staffel for 7 Fl.Div. may have had it's back broken (the principal damage observed in the photos) by artillery fire after it landed at Waalhaven. The Do17 has about 50 machine gun bullet holes in it, which could have been inflicted in the air by a fighter (forcing it down), or after it landed with the left main gear collapsed, by a Dutch machine gun position--or a combination of both.

We're making serious headway on the subjects of both of my posts, and I hope that we can make the final link between the Z5 code and it's unit, as well as the full codes, identity and details of the Do17 crack up at Waalhaven. The latter is probably going to require a clear photo of the a/c codes, which I'm convinced is out there somewhere due to the extensive photography taken at Waalhaven after its capture by the Germans. For those not familiar with the geography, Waalhaven was the airfield at Rotterdam.

Regards,