[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

We've checked the NVM for "Beermann" and it says: May 10, 1940: "4./KG30 Ju 88A-1 4D+AM 07.15 hrs S of Ypenburg "Absturz infolge Beschuss von 2 Koolhoven. Fallschirmabsprung beobachtet. Bruch 100%". Beermann Theodor FF Staffelkapitaen gefangen....Maar (BF) also POW and Gefr. Mueller with Fw. Alfons Stahl both killed."

This means that all Luftwaffe key sources now agree that "Beermann" was the Kap of 4 Staffel. This raises the question of what Ju88 was down "in the Tedingerbroekpolder, Leidschendam, north of Ypenburg (Netherlands) 5.10 a.m.," as Pieter Hooijmanns reports? Did the fire distort an "M" into an "N" or does this photo perhaps show an altogether different a/c from some other unit? The photo that Pieter steers us to above doesn't look like a plane in which the crew either bailed out or were killed. The Beermann a/c should be badly smashed. This looks like a Ju88 that force landed on fire or was subsequently fired by its crew.

I have a proposal. The only other 5./KG30 a/c lost during this time that might be the a/c in Pieter's referenced photo is: "May 12, 1940: 5./KG30 Junkers 88A-1. Shot down while attacking shipping off IJmuiden by No. 264 Squadron Defiants and No. 66 Squadron Spitfires, and belly-landed with port engine alight at Hazerswoude (Netherlands) but crashed into the Hazerwoude to Koudekerk railway embankment 2.30 p.m. BS Flgr Siegfried Lahm, and BO Uffz Willi Borowka both killed, BF Fw Theophil Schwarz captured badly wounded, died May 21, FF Oberlt Herbert Schneider captured wounded – later released. Aircraft 100% write-off." Could the photo in question but be the one down at Hazerwoude instead of the one in the Tedingerbroekpolder? It does look like the front of the engine may have smashed into something (the railway embankment??) before it stopped sliding on its belly. Since the port engine was on fire in the Hazerwoude crash, that would also account for the burned out port engine, wing and front section of the a/c in the photo. It does look like the crashed plane could be coded (4D)+AN, as Pieter suggests, but this might well be the Hazerwoude crash rather than the Tedingerbroekpolder crash. There is some information to suggest that Oberlt Herbert Schneider was the Kap of 5 Staffel at the time, which would be appropriate for the coding of 4D+AN. This should be resolvable by a consult with the NVM. Peter Cornwell compiled a list years ago showing Schneider as 5./KG30 StaKap, but our current loss listing doesn't carry him that way. Does anyone have any other photos of either crash that might help resolve this? Does anyone live near enough to either site that they could visit them for comparison of the houses in the background, if they are still there, to confirm which location this is?

If this should turn out to be the Hazerwoude crash, then we're still looking for photos of the Beermann crash and did his crew still come down ""in the Tedingerbroekpolder, Leidschendam, north of Ypenburg (Netherlands) at 5.10 a.m."

Further comments and evidence appreciated.

Regards,