[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

I have some substantive info to add to this discussion. An earlier post by Petrusja asked about information that he'd heard that perhaps 20 downed British crewmen were reportedly picked up by He59 rescue planes that day.

For the past couple of years we've been translating all the maritime KTBs for 1939-40 for the EoE Project. According to the KTB of Seenotzentrale Nord, the air sea rescue seaplanes could be not operate that day due to icing conditions. Only one took off to try and locate a German fighter pilot who bailed out of a Bf109. No British airmen were rescued. If any other air-sea rescue unit picked up any British airmen down in the sea that day, it would have been noted in this unit diary. So, whatever the source of this information, it is not correct.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator