[Larry Hickey]

Richard,

I've scanned all the KG53 Loss Listings (which include all known FL and damages), for the late fall and winter of 1939-40, and found only this serious candidate:

"7 March 1940: I./KG53 Heinkel He111H-2. Landed outside airfield boundary during night landing at Roth. No crew casualties. Aircraft 10% damaged – repairable."

The a/c in the photo appears to be coded A1+DB, which makes it the Gruppenstab of I./KG53, so this could match. March was a snowy month in parts of Germany so that fits. However, this entry suggests that the a/c might have landed on its wheels and not on its belly, which may well have done more than 10% damage. However, the damage estimates are no always completely accurate. Other codes and markings could be compatible with this date. I don't think that this would have been the winter of 1940-41.

All other entries over the winter of 1939-40 were to the Geschwaderstab or individual Staffel of KG53, and wouldn't fit the unit codes, although there were other belly landings.

Hope we can solve this one.

Regards,