He 111 down on 5 june 1940

[jan_ti_sphinx]

Hi !

It's quite a very long time since I hadn't posted on this forum. But I'm happy to come back again, even if I still have more questions than answers...

For a probable article in a communal paper, I am looking for informations about He 111 of 1./KG 27 which were shot down near Rouen by GC II/10 (or, in fact, are credited to GC II/10), in the morning of 5th june 1940.

First of all, does anyone have the first names of the aircrew members of this 3 airplanes and their task onboard ?

I only managed to get the name of airmen flying in the ship in wich Uffz. Conrad Nuhn and Ofw. Erich List died. But I'm not sure for Uffz. F. Deimling. So, comes the others questions. Was he Fritz Deimling, who flew with 1./KG 27 until 27 novembre 1940 ? If yes, what happened to him after this time ? Was he posted missing ?

And what about Lnt. Hugo Lavallée ? I only know he was captured but I can't find wether he was released with the fall of France or not. The French pilot's report stated that he stayed above the crash site before English cars reached it and made the crew POW. So is it possible that Lavallée was send overseas for the rest of the war and not Deimling ?

I know this are many questions, on a very trouble period. Having the first names I'm looking for and the task onboard, would be quite a good start.

Regards

[Peter Cornwell]

1./KG27 Heinkel He111P-2. Crash-landed damaged by Blochs of GC II/10 during attack on Rouen 6.15 a.m. BF Uffz Conrad Nuhn and BM Oberfw Erich List both killed, BO Lt Hugo Lavallèe and FF Uffz Fritz Deimling both captured unhurt – later released. Aircraft 1G+DH 100% write-off.

[jan_ti_sphinx]

Thank you for this reply Mr Cornwell, it's helpfull.

What about the two other aircrews oh 1./KG 27 lost on this mission ? I khink I've found some airmen (three) but I want to confirm my search results (and feed my curiosity also). Do you have information about them ? Or someone else ?

Regards

[Peter Cornwell]

Here is what I have on the additional losses to I./KG27 on that sortie:

1./KG27 Heinkel He111P-2. Shot down by Blochs of GC II/10 during attack on Rouen 6.15 a.m. FF Fw Heinrich Grube (of Stab I./KG27), BF Uffz Heinrich Richter, and BM Uffz Karl-Heinz Pioszyk baled out and captured badly wounded, HB Uffz Paul Herbold baled out and captured unhurt – all later released. Aircraft 1G+KH 100% write-off.

1./KG27 Heinkel He111P-2. Shot down by Blochs of GC II/10 during attack on Rouen 6.15 a.m. FF Fw Karl-Heinz Hoffmann, HB Uffz Helmut Bertram, BM Uffz Martin Töpper, and BF Gefr Rolf Ahrenholz all captured unhurt – later released. Aircraft 1G+AH 100% write-off.

3./KG27 Heinkel He111P-2. Shot down by Hurricanes of No. 1 Squadron during sortie to attack Rouen 6.15 a.m. FF Lt Gert Franck, HB Fw Joachim Scheunemann, BF Uffz Willi Forster, and BM Uffz Alfons Jenau all captured unhurt – later released. Aircraft 100% write-off.

3./KG27 Heinkel He111P-2. Shot down by Hurricanes of No. 1 Squadron during sortie to attack Rouen 6.15 a.m. BM Uffz Kurt-Wilhelm-Karl Meier and BF Uffz Fritz-Siegfried-Karl Wolff both killed, FF Oberlt Hans-Georg Bätcher (Gruppenadjutant) and BO Oberlt Siegfried Scholz (Gruppen NO) both captured unhurt – later released. Aircraft 100% write-off.

3./KG27 Heinkel He111P-2. Returned damaged by Hurricanes of No. 1 Squadron during sortie to Rouen 6.15 a.m. BM Uffz Albert Ullmann slightly wounded, FF Fw Reinhold Böer, BO Fw Hans Hegemann, and BF Uffz Rudolf Hengst all believed unhurt. Aircraft under 10% damaged - repairable.

[zorglub]

Hello ,

1G+KH crashed at Ste Geneviève-en-Bray , reported shot down by french DCA .

Bätcher's He111 ( possibly # 87 ) went down at Isneauville , lieu-dit Le Mesnil . Both Meier and Wolff reported badly wounded .

Lavallée / List / Nuhn / Deimling He111 went down at St Denis-sur-Scie , lieu-dit Le Bocage . Erich List , born 29 November 1912 , buried at Auffay . Nuhn badly wounded sent to Hotel Dieu hospital in Rouen .

Possibly another He111 crashed near Bacqueville-en-Caux that morning .

Zorglub

[jan_ti_sphinx]

Hi

Thank you for the other Heinkel's details ; considering Zorglub's reply it was necessary for me.

I thought that 1G+KH crashed at Isneauville and, after reading what I found about Bächter crash, it seemed to me his plane landed south of Rouen...
A/C Gilles, who claimed the He 111 down at Isneauville, wrote his prey was first attacked by an English fighter. A thin smoke trail poored from it. He then made a stern attack. The He 111 dived with his port engien one fire and crash landed at Isneauville.
The ORB of GC II/10 stated that tow airmen were badly injured, one, the pilot, was killed and the last one was captured unhurt. It matches better with Grube's crew than Bächter's, doesn't it ? But I don't know how true is the French ORB for this period.

Saint-Denis-Sur-Scie lies at, approx. 5 km, from Bacqueville-en-Caux. In the ORB of GAO 3/551, wich was stationned at Bacqueville, their was one "feldwebel" dead in the wreckage. I don't know how this ORB is credible since it may have been written some times after the battle ; it stated the bomber crashed 2 hours before approx 13h00. But I believe this could be Deimling's airplane and that hour is untrue.

Regards

[zorglub]

Hello again ,

Does the GAO 3/551 ORB report a Hurricane crashed at Bacqueville-en-Caux ( près de la popote du groupe ! ) , in the morning of either 5 , 6 or 7 June ? This is also mentionned in ICARE 59 .
Since many years I havent' been able to identify this plane , I strongly believe it is the case of a missing RAF airman .
Another bomber is reported at Bosc-Bordel on June 5 , crew captured but alas no identification .

I've also been told about a picture of Bätcher's He111 but never seen it .

Zorglub

[jan_ti_sphinx]

Hi

Originally Posted by zorglub

Does the GAO 3/551 ORB report a Hurricane crashed at Bacqueville-en-Caux ( près de la popote du groupe ! ) , in the morning of either 5 , 6 or 7 June ?

Yes indeed. The ORB stated the crash took place in th morning of 5th June and that their was very few remains of the pilot's body. As far as I know, no RAF's pilot are posted missing in this area that day but P/O Anthony Claydon (No. 501 Sqn) was killed near Dieppe on the evening, his body was found far from the crash site. The day after Sgt Samuel Hollman (No. 17 Sqn) is posted missing, during an escort above the Bresle river. He was last seen above the coast line and I've read some authors though he came down at Bacqueville-en-Caux.
GAO 3/551 left Bacqueville on 7th June, at dawn (ORB). So they can't have witnessed the battles that happend betwenn No. 43 and 601 Sqn and Jagdwaffe this day. And as far as I know there was no RAF's pilot missing in this area that day, only dead, wounded or unhurt.

Originally Posted by zorglub

Another bomber is reported at Bosc-Bordel on June 5 , crew captured but alas no identification .

S/Lt Dietrich claimed a He 111 who crash-landed at Estoutevile-Écalles, some 3 km west from Buchy ; the crew was captured. Bosc-Bordel is 4 km est of Buchy. Tow other bombers, from III./LG 1, were brought down in the evening, their was two injured airmen in each crew.
Cdt Ronzet's (CO of GC II/10) report for credit didn't mention any wounded man in Dietrich's victim. For the evening, it stated one He 111 was attached between Darnetal et Cailly and left diving toward Nefchâtel-en-Bray (Buchy lies between Rouen and this city and some 10 km est of Cailly) and another diving far north from Darnetal (it coul'd match with Bacqueville-en-Caux, but the hours aren't concurring...).
No. 501 Sqn also claimed for 3 He 111 but I don't have further information.

[zorglub]

Thanks ! Especially regarding the unidentified Hurricane pilot .

I send you a PM .

Zorglub