Heinkel III IG+HL. Crashed Eire 3.3.41

[Oxby R]

Gentlemen – I have some sketchy details which require corroboration/more detail. Maybe someone can help :


On 3rd March 1941 a Heinkel III from III/KG27 coded 1G+HL crashed in the Republic of Ireland (possibly following a daytime shipping strike in Irish sea area). My information is the surviving crewmembers were interned for the duration. The pilot’s name may have been Ofw Lorra. Can anyone confirm further details of the operation maybe inc names of other crew members, and if poss details of any casualties/fatalities. Where was the a/c operating from - Brest possibly ? Atb, Richard.

[Pawel Burchard]

According to cronicle by W. Waiss a/c was operating from Brest/Morgat

He 111 H-5 W.Nr. 3664 1G+HL from 3. Staffel/K.G. 27
FF Heinzl, Alfred
BO Voigt, Arthur
BF Hengst, Rudolf
BM Rister, Gerd
BS Galler, Max

[Steve Brew]

Hi Rich

On pages 52-53 of "Guests of the State" (Brandon, 1994), Irish historian T. Ryle Dwyer writes, "The next belligerent plane to arrive made deliberately for Ireland on 3 March 1941. Viennese Leutnant Alfred Heinzl's Heinkel 111 bomber had been hit during an attack on an Allied convoy in the Atlantic. On engine had been knocked out , the other damaged and the 23-year-old rear gunner, Gefreiter Gerd Rister, shot dead. They had been able to put out a fire in the rear of the aircraft but had no hope of returning to their base in France. When the navigator, Feldwebel Athur Voigt, explained they would have to choose between landing in Britain or Ireland, the choice was straightforward.

"All we knew was that Ireland was supposed to be neutral so we opted for there," Voigt recalled. "I picked out a spot in Co. Wexford and we limped in our battered aircraft towards it." It was three o'clock in the afternoon when the plane landed with its wheels up at Rostoonstown.

The four surviving crew members immediately alighted, dismantled a machine-gun from the turret and removed Rister's body. They walked about a hundred yards into the sand dunes and began firing on the plane. As some local people approached, the crew warned them to take cover because the plane was about to blow up. Suddenly there was a loud explosion and bits of the plane went hurtling into the air. Heinzl, Voigt and their two comrades, Gefreiter Maximillian Galler and Feldwebel Rudolf Hengst, were taken into custody and interned in the Curragh with the minimum of delay."

I hope this is a help

Guests of the State is out of print but you can (I could) obtain a copy on Abebooks, and Dwyer is currently a political correspondent with the "The Examiner" in Cork city.

Regards
Steve

[Oxby R]

Hello Pawel and Steve, Many thanks fellas for your input here. I knew the Irish Heinkel was one of two aircraft involved in a shipping strike on 3 March 1941, as you say in the Western approaches. They both came off badly. The other a/c was coded IG+AL, and crashed on Lundy Island where the crew gave themselves up to the lighthousekeeper, a gentleman by the name of Felix Gade. (can you imagine the scene - he must have been terrified to have four German crew for company). Anyway, I have the 'k' reports and statements made by two survivors from that crew, but had no idea (until now) what happened to the other a/c, or who the crewmembers were. Your information fills in a few details which is helpful. Incidently the guys taken POW on Lundy ended up in Canada. I wonder what happened to the Irish internees ? Anyway, thanks once again, your information is much appreciated gentlemen. Atb, rich )

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi, guys

This is how the GenQu reported these losses.

Apparently both wireless operaters notified the home base that they were attacked by fighter aircraft and indicated their intended emergency landing sites:

http://www.ahs.no/ref_db/lw_loss_pub...?lossid=113493

http://www.ahs.no/ref_db/lw_loss_pub...?lossid=113494

Regards,
Andreas B

[Oxby R]

Thanks Andreas for your info. I have Botchers and Bongers handwritten personal accounts of the Lundy incident, which mentions these guys thought they had reached the Scillies, but I didn't know they'd managed to radio a message back detailing their estimated position. All good stuff filling in gaps in the story.

So, from the convoy attack - they must have figured they were headed South East whereas actually they clearly headed due East. An error in navigation is forgivable I suppose, particularly when your a/c's engines are about to pack up..

[Tony Kearns]

Hello all, hope I can add a little more.
Ernst Lorra was the pilot of the Heinkel 1G+LH which force landed at Co Waterford later, on 1 April 1941.
It was during the second attack on the vessel Port Townsville that Lt. Heinzl's aircraft 1G+HL was hit by fire from the ships and not by aircraft. I can confirm that Rudolf Hengst did send off two messages and also sent a message to 1G+AL but was not aware of its fate.
They had great difficulty in setting fire to the aircraft including soaking their parachutes in petrol and setting them on fire. It was not until Arthur Voigt fired at it and as explained by Rudi Hengst that it exploded and "got airborne once more".
After the war Freddie Heinzl, Arthur Voigt and Rudi Hengst married Irish women (the latter two to sisters) and lived in Ireland (Hengst for a short time ) Heinzl became part of the gliding community in Ireland and was an accomplished pilot.
HTH
Tony K

[Oxby R]

Hi Tony - thanks - any of 'em still with us do you know ?

[Tony Kearns]

You are welcome Richard, sadly all have since passed on, but at least was in touch with Voigt and Hengst for a brief period.
Regards
Tony K

[Oxby R]

Hi Tony, Sorry to hear that. Sadly we lose a few more each year. However, that fact alone means the work of so many dedicated people on this forum is all the more worthwhile.

Atb, richard