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Re: German aircraft at Dakar July 1940
Thanks for the "flowers", Eggert. It is correct that Fw 200s were involved in the repatriation of German citizens from Dakar during July - September 1940. As agreed in consultations of the Franco-German Armistice Commission, this was to be done as a civil operations employing Lufthansa planes and crews since it involved also flying over neutral Spanish territory.
Two Fw 200 A-O, D-ADHR "Saarland" and D-ARHW "Friesland", were used flying in and out Dakar as follows with transit stops at Gando/Las Palmas:
26JUL/27JUL D-ADHR
28JUL/29JUL D-ARHW
29JUL/30JUL D-ADHR
31JUL/01AUG D-ARHW
01AUG/02AUG D-ADHR
03AUG/05AUG D-ARHW
10AUG/11AUG D-ADHR
The majority of the passengers were indeed German merchant seamen whose vessels had been seized in ports under French authority already at the beginning of hostilities. It is not known if the French had made any efforts of shipping German POWs to West Africa prior to the armistice. This might be the only possibility, but rather doubtful that they would have done it with "a badly wounded German flying ace".
I hope this helps.
Günther Ott
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