Quote:
Originally Posted by Seaplanes
Only one He 59 was lost on 18.08.1942 (I presume this is the correct yoear you are looking for), no He 115 was reported lost or damaged this day.
18.08.42 2. Seenotstaffel (Cherbourg). He 59E W.Nr. 2871 St.Kz. PY+NO Shot down by enemy fighters over the Channel about 15 km north of Barfleur. Lt. Helmut Eckenfels (B) killed, Ofw. Wilhelm Heefchen (F) wounded, Ofw. Josef Bertels (Bm) missing and San.Uffz. Theodor Vennemann missing. A fifth crewmember was rescued unwounded.
Later the same day He 59D W.Nr. 1840 St.Kz. RC+BN of the same unit, was sent out to search for the missing 2871. This aircraft was also attacked by enemy aircraft, but the aircraft commander Lt. Wagner, brought the plane back to Cherbourg with only 10% damages. Ofw. Oswald Mai (F) was killed and Fw. Paul Slabon (Bm) was wounded. Before being attacked the crew of RC+BN managed to rescue two crewmembers of 2871 alive, although one seriously wounded. Also Lt. Eckenfels was found dead and brought back to Cherbourg.
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Interesting old thread! I have Heefchen's Flugbücher and on this day it simply says shot down by a spitfire!
The crew were according the log book:
Lt. Helmut Eckenfels (B) killed
Ofw. Wilhelm Heefchen (F) wounded (lost his right leg)
Ofw. Josef Bertels (Bm) killed
San.Uffz. Theodor Vennemann killed
Quade (?) Survived
Obfw. Heefchen was one of four members of the Seenotdienst to be awarded the German Cross in Gold. One of the others being Leutnant Wagner the pilot of the second He 59 to be shot up on this day!
Never noticed it before but the entry in the log book is closed 24.8.1942 in Cherbourg by Lt. u. B1 Dr. Wagner!
Engelhorn, Eduard. Oberleutnant. Seenot-Dienst-Führer 2 (Süd)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold 20.3.1944
Hahn, Willy. Stabsfeldwebel. 8./Seenot-Staffel
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold 23.2.1943
Heefchen, Wilhelm. Oberfeldwebel. 2./Seenot-Staffel
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold 24.9.1942
Wagner, Theodor. Oberleutnant. 4./Seenot-Staffel
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold 16.4.1944
/Ian