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Re: Axis airmen rescued by German U-boats
U-405 (Krvkpt Rolf-Heinrich Hopman) rescued the crew of a Heinkel He 115 and two airmen of a Junkers Ju 88 in M.Qu. AC 1438 (approx. 75°57'N, 22°30'E, about 50 nautical miles south-west of Hopen Island) at 1550hrs on 14 September 1942. The Heinkel sank after a float broke off when it attempted to land to rescue the men from the Junkers. The U-boat reached the rubber dinghy from the Ju 88 one hour afterwards, but the three occupants that clung to it were unable to catch the lines thrown to them, so Matrose Giese jumped into the ice cold water to pull the dinghy close enough to recover the airmen. However, the U-boat men discovered that one of them was already dead and the other two were unconscious. Both died shortly after being picked up (Ofw Haase from his head injury and Uffz Gutzend from internal injuries or exposure) and were buried at sea.
The same day 2 others He115 force-landed at sea in the same area, the crew were saved, do you know by who ??
Rémi
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