[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

In the Eagles Over Europe (EoE) Luft Loss DB for 23.11.39, there were many losses and damages to German a/c on that date. I haven't had the time to check through your sources and match these to these, but the ones that came down in France or Belgium are listed below:

"23 November 1939:

Stabsstaffel KG2 Dornier Do17Z-2. Attacked by Curtiss H-75s over Fléville during photo-reconnaissance mission and badly damaged by Capt J-M. Accart of GC I/5. Then engaged south of Jarny by F/Lt J. E. Scoular and Sgt J. Winn of No.73 Sqdn and pursued north to crash and burn out on the railway line between Audun-le-Roman and Trieux, at Sancy-le-Haut 1.10 p.m. Also attacked by Sergeant C. N. S. Campbell. (Beo) Oberlt Alfred Winter and crew all believed killed. Aircraft 100% write-off. (Photos)

Stab KG53 Heinkel He111H-2 (5262). Shot down by F/O N. Orton of No.73 Sqdn during reconnaissance sortie and crashed and exploded at Verize, south of Boulay-Moselle. (Beo) Oberlt Friedrich-Wilhelm Franke and (Ff) Oberfw Ernst Domanski captured wounded. (Bf) Uffz Alfred Boormann and (Bm) Uffz Max Wagner killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.

3.(F)/22 Dornier Do17P-1 (3521). Shot down by S/L P. J. H. Halahan and F/O M. H. Brown of No.1 Sqdn during reconnaissance sortie between Verdun and Metz; crashed and burned out near Haumont-lès-Lachaussée 2.00 p.m. (Ff) Fw Franz Hallauer, (Beo) Fw Siegfried Dressler, and (Bf) Gefr Wolfgang Schulz all killed. Aircraft 4N+HL 100% write-off.

3.(F)/121 Heinkel He111H-2. Badly damaged in attack by Sgt R. Delarue of GC III/7 during factory test flight over the frontier. Chase abandoned over Belgium but finally crashed at Dielkirchen, south of Bad Kreuznach, 9.45 a.m. FF Oberfw Helmuth Gräber, BF Gefr Armin May, BM Oberprüfer Otto Schulz, and Fähnrich Johannes Schulz all killed. (None found in VDK) Aircraft 100% write-off.

2.(F)/122 Heinkel He111H-2. Attacked near Saarbrücken by Hurricanes of No.1 Squadron (F/Lt G. H. F. Plinston and Sgt A. V. Clowes), together with Curtiss H-75s of GC II/5 (Adjt P. de Montgolfier, Adjt Audrain, and Sgt A. Bouhy). Crashed at Koenigsmacker, north-east of Thionville, 12.00 p.m. Lt Robert Aeckerle, Uffz Anton Gumpp, Uffz Theodor Blattmann, and Obergefr Alfred Schidlitzki killed. Aircraft F6+FK a write-off.

3.(F)/122 Dornier Do17P-1. Shot down by F/O E.J. Kain of No.73 Squadron during photo-reconnaissance mission over Reims. Crash-landed ripping off starboard engine at ‘Le Fond de Bériotte’, La Besace, near Raucourt-et-Flaba 10.15 a.m. BO Oberfw Baptist Schlapp, FF Uffz Helmut-Heinz Gründling, and BF Uffz Alfred Molek all captured wounded, admitted to hospital in Le Chesne. Aircraft fired by crew 100% write-off. (Photos)

4.(F)/122 Dornier Do17P-1. Both engines crippled in attacks by F/O C.D. Palmer of No.1 Squadron over Ecury-sur-Coole during photo-reconnaissance to Cambrai and belly-landed at Moiremont, north of Ste-Menehould 10.45 a.m. Also attacked by F/O J.I. Kilmartin and Sgt F.J. Soper. BO Uffz Klaus Ehlers baled out over Mairy-sur-Marne but fell dead, BF Uffz Alfred Röder also baled out and captured wounded in left leg - admitted to hospital in Châlons, FF Uffz Arno Frankenberger captured unhurt. Aircraft F6+FM 100% write-off. (Photos).

5.(F)/122 Dornier Do17P-1. Shot down by S/Lt R. Martin and Adjt Le Gloan of GC III/6 during reconnaissance of airfields between Avesnes and Mont Cornet and crashed at Bras-sur-Meuse, north of Verdun. (Beo) Lt Kurt Behnke, (Ff) Uffz Hans Schrutek, and (Bf) Uffz Arthur Herrmann believed baled out and captured unhurt. Aircraft 100% write-off.

1.(F)/123 Dornier Do17P-1. Shot down by Lt Bissoudre and Sgt Tourné of GC II/3 over Saône, east of Besançon, and belly-landed at Côtebrune, east of Bouclans 9.45 a.m. (Ff) Fw Leo Knoch, (Beo) Uffz Hans Pötzinger, and (Bf) Uffz Friedrich Böhle evaded capture and crossed the Swiss border between La Chaux-de-Fonds and les Brenets three days later and interned. Aircraft 100% write-off.
This crew was repatriated to Germany at Stetten-Lörrach on June 28."

I have photos matched to at least three of these, and possibly a fourth. I'm hoping to find photos for all of these cashes and force-landings. Perhaps we can cooperate.

Regards.

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator