View Single Post
  #1  
Old 29th July 2012, 03:49
Larry Hickey Larry Hickey is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Boulder, Colorado USA
Posts: 2,982
Larry Hickey
Seeking date and incident info for He111H of 5./KG26 reportly downed on beach near Dunkirk during 1940-41

Hello,

I'm trying to ID the incident for the beach forced-landing of a 5./KG26 He111H, carrying the code 1H+FN, that was later stripped, partially salvaged and later abandoned on a wide beach, reportedly (by the eBay auction seller) as near "Dunkirk." You would presume that this would be around mid-1940, but II./KG26 was in Norway during this period, and didn't come south to take part in the Battle of Britain until about 1 Sept., 1940. It participated in the BoB and early Blitz operations until it withdrew to Germany at the end of 1940, thereafter moving to the Mediterranean. If this FL took place in the West, this must have been during this 4-month period. The plane must have been carrying bombs as the bomb-bay was later blown up as the plane, minus its tail and outboard wing panels, sunk deeper into the sand.

The only 1H+FN that I can find lost during this period in the EoE Luft Loss DB is: "Sept 11, 1940: 5./KG26 Heinkel He111H-3 (3935). Returned damaged by fighters during sortie over London. Crew all unhurt. Aircraft 1H+FN 40% damaged but repairable."

This doesn't sound like a beach landing at "Dunkirk" but it's possible that the Luft record is not very helpful, that the plane did land on its belly on a French beach somewhere near Dunkirk and subsequent efforts to salvage it were never completed. The initial condition of the plane would be consistent with 40% damage, but this one would have eventually been deemed a 100% write off, and it was finally abandoned in place after unexploded bombs in the bomb bay were detonated by the EOD people.

1) Does anyone have photos of this He111 on the beach before it was partly stripped?

2) Can anyone ID the specific a/c and crew for this incident?

3) It appears likely that this plane may still be there; anybody heard of a recovery of the remains of an He111 from a beach anywhere near Dunkirk since the war? If not, the aircraft could still be deeply buried in the sand.

Thanx for your assistance.

Regards,
__________________
Larry Hickey
Eagles Over Europe Project Coordinator
http://airwar-worldwar2.com
Reply With Quote