Loss of a Fokker T.8 W (W.Nr. 5646) 16.09.41 Insel Milos

[byron-]

Loss of a Fokker T.8 W (W.Nr. 5646) of Stab A.Gr. 126, 16.09.41 Island of Milos, near the rock of Falkonera.

In the following doc is refeared a loss of two airmen and one heavily wounded. As far as i know FF. Ofw. .... Zimmermann was killed, who was the rest?

[Brian Bines]

Luftwaffe loss returns dated 19-9-41 has three handwritten names entered under Personnalverluste so I do not know if these were travelling on the aircraft rather than aircrew - 16-9-41 Ltn Rolf Wille , Uffz Karl Dorn and Ofw Franz Zimmermann. Admendment dated 26-9-41 then shows Wille and Dorn as dead and belonging to Auf.Gp.126, while admendment dated 30-9-41 shows Zimmermann as died of injuries and also of Auf.Gp. 126.

[byron-]

Hello Brian, thanks

As one can see, on the document i posted is writen "zwei Mann der Besatzung tot, ein Feldwebel schwer verletzt" that means "two men of the crew dead, one Fw. heavily injured". Apparently the injured man died soon aswell.
My conclusion, all of them belonged to the crew, Franz Zimmermann was the pilot, Ltn. Rolf Wille the observer (?).
Can you tell me please the Nr. of the returns page you found these infos?

Byron

[Seaplanes]

In the KTB of Gen.d.Lw.b.Ob.d.M. for September 1941 the following crew of this aircraft was listed as:
Lt.(M) Rolf Wille (observer)
Uffz. Karl Dorn (pilot)
Ofw. Franz Zimmermann (observer)
I personally think that Franz Zimmermann was a radio-operator rahter than observer. The cause was said to be pilot error and the location west of Milos.

[byron-]

Thanks for the contribution Seaplanes,

Are there any Codes-letters of this plane in your saurce?

[mathieu]

Hei,

This T.8W was the former R-14 of the Dutch Navy air arm. It was a G type that means that it had a mixed construction. The forward fuselage was made of Dural, the centresection and wing made of wood and the tail of welded tubes covered with fabric. The Germans also used the M type, this T.8 was an all metal aircraft. During its ferryflight from the Fokker factory to Travermunde it registration was TD + CA

Best regards,

Mathieu.

[byron-]

This is a very interesting info Mathieu, thank you

Byron

[Stig Jarlevik]

Hallo Mathieu

The continuation of building the Fokker T.VIIIW for Luftwaffe is badly known by me. How much is known today?
Most of those TOS by the MLD went to England in 1940 but what happened to former R-12 to R-38 (including those intended for Finland, R-37 and R-38)? Are Fokker c/n known for all of them?
My guess is that
R-12 to R-36 were c/n 5644 to 5668 but is that correct?
R-37 to R-38 ought to be c/n 5637 to 5638 but is that assumption correct as well??
R-37 and R-38 were coded KD+GG and KD+GH during testing by Lw
R-12 became KD+GB
R-13?
R-14 became TD+CA (see your own statement)
R-15 to R-36 did they become TD+CB and up?

Cheers
Stig

[mathieu]

Hei Stig,

I'll try to find the information, can take a few day.

Regards,

Mathieu.

[Seaplanes]

The Luftwaffe took over the following Fokker T.VIIIW-G-2 mixed construction aircraft:
C/n 5644 - 5656 (ex. Dutch Ser.Nos. R-12 to R-24). Most of these went to 1./Aufkl.Fl.Gr. 126 in Greece. C/n 5647, 5648 and 5651 were written off for use as spares on 17.02.42 while in Greece. C/n 5649, 5652 and 5653 were written off and to be broken up in Athen-Phaleron in August 1942. I have the following Stammkennzeichen identified: 5647 TD+CB, 5648 TD+CC, 5649 TD+CD, 5650 TD+CE, 5652 TD+CG and 5653 TD+CH.
Three aircraft were never sent to Greece but stored at the Luftzeugamt in Travemünde until written off on 18.02.43.

Fokker T.VIIIW-M alll metal aircraft taken over by Luftwaffe:
C/n 5657 - 5668 (ex. dutch Ser.Nos. R-25 to R-36). C/n 5657 was taken by a Dutch crew and flown from Amsterdam to Broadstairs in UK on 05.05.41. The remainder seems all to be transferred to Greece for service with 1./126. The following were written off and to be broken up in Athen-Phaleron in August 1942: 5658, 5660, 5662, 5663, 5664, 5665, 5667 and 5668. C/n 5666 was lost on 30.05.42 while on a test flight. I have no Stammkennzeichen tie-ups for this batch.

Finally Luftwaffe also took over two Fokker T.VIIIC intended for export to Finland. C/n 5636 (reserved Finnish Ser.No. FW160) St.Kz. KD+GG. This aircraft was badly damaged during a storm in Amsterdam in November 1940. It was dismantled and stored until written off on 18.02.43. C/n 5637 (reserved Finnish Ser.No. FW161) St.Kz. KD+GH was stored until written off on 18.02.43.