Hptm Guenter/Guenther Hartwig

[Chris Goss]

The above Luftwaffe officer was killed either 21 or 31 Mar 44 and is buried in France; any ideas as to his unit or reasons for death?

[brewerjerry]

Hi Chris,
Just a stab in the dark, could he be from the crew of the ME 410 shot down near Ile de Batz by Racine, 263 Sq 31 march ?
cheers
Jerry

[Chris Goss]

Doubtful as I have never managed to trace this 410

[Laurent Rizzotti]

According to the Volskbung website, an Hptm Günther Hartwig who died on 21 March 1944 is buried in Andilly, in the departement or Meurthre-et-Moselle. This cemetery is supposed to have only casualties that were initailly buried in the departement of Nievre, Saône-et-Loire, Côte d`Or; Haute Marne, Jura, Doubs, Haute-Saône, Vosges, Belfort, Meuse et Meurthe-et-Moselle during the war, so I guess this is narrowing the search area to 10% of France and one day.... at least if the above date is the good one.

He may be a victim of the Day Ranger flown by 418 Sqn to Luxeuil area, that is into the area covered by Andilly. Both british crew were credited with 1 Ju 52 and 2 W34 shot down. Two aircraft really shot down by this attack were the Bü 131 B-3 WNr 404 (Gefr Hans Labouvie killed) and the Ar 96 B-6 Wnr 430161 (Uffz Kurt Hoffmann (P) and Gefr Karl-Heinz Dettmering killed) both of FFS A-2.
So Hartwig may have been a crew or a passenger aboard the Ju 52 but I have no ID for it. Or have been killed on the ground in Haguenau ot Luxeuil by the two Mosquitoes strafing them.