First ejection-seat use?

[Stephan Wilkinson]

It is commonly published that the first operational ejection-seat use was from a Heinkel He-219 in April 1944. I have found a reference to an ejection-seat save from a Heinkel He-280 in January 1943. It was supposedly during a ferry flight, so that would still make the -219 jump the first COMBAT ejection-seat use.

However, a quick search shows no He-280 loss in January 1943.

Is the -280 story a canard?

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello,

I can confirm that the 2./NJG 1 crew which escaped by ejection seat use on 11th April 1944 was rewarded by Ernst Heinkel himself because they were the first people who escaped by ejection seats during combat.

Apparantly you haven't checked the German loss registers, but the He280 story is true: on 13 January 1943 the He280 V-1 (Werkenr. 001) from the Erpr.Stelle Rechlin crashed east of Lärz due to technical failure(s) and was 85% damaged. According to Smith & Kays 'German Aircraft of the Second World War' the pilot may have been Helmut Schenk.

All the best, Marcel