Crash info request - He 111 B3+FN of KG 54

[ChristianK]

Gentlemen,

is there any knowledge about the loss of this aircraft? : http://bp0.blogger.com/_6cCo5oLDQCc/...0184610111.JPG

This a/c should be B3+FN of 5./KG 54, most likely lost during the campaign in the West 1940. Any info on loss date, location, Werknummer, additional photos, etc?
It is further interesting to note that the skull and the diagonal fuselage band of a 5. Staffel aircraft from KG 54 should have been red, but they look to bright for that. Any idea?

Cheers,
Christian

[John Beaman]

possibly this:

He111P, 2515, Golz, Uffz. Günther, 5.KG 54, B3+FN, 21-Apr-40 Crew interned after Notlandung due to Luftkampf with S 5A from Swedish Sq. F2 (Lt.d.R. Andersson) during transfer flight., X.Fl.Korps/Norwegen,Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #1)-Vol.1; Radtke, KG 54, p.274, 343; Shores, Fledgling Eagles. p.277; Aero Journal #1, p.54, p.55 photo, Namsos-Steinkjer/Schweden100%FB Ogefr. Erhard Fischer, Bf Ogefr. Herbert Schröder & Bm Ogefr. Hans Wolfs

[Peter Cornwell]

Alternatively that lost on May 27, 1940:

5./KG54 Heinkel He111P-2. Badly damaged by Hurricanes of No.56 Squadron over Nieuport and possibly that attacked by S/L E.V. Knowles and Sgt R.D. Baker. Crew ordered out west of Bruges and aircraft belly-landed between Tielt and Kanegem 4.20 p.m. FF Uffz Erwin Stobbe captured badly wounded - died May 31, BF Uffz Theodor Bolle baled out and captured wounded, BO Oberlt Wilfried Gerling and BM Uffz Gerhard Ulke both baled out and captured unhurt – all later released. Aircraft B3+FN 100% write-off.

I believe that the April casualty mentioned by John was more extensively burned out.

[RudiS]

As far as I known B3+FN burned out after his forced-landing. A picture of the wreck can be seen, as John stated in his post, in Aero Journal #1 page 55.

So I think this is another incident all together. It would be nice to get a good scan of this picture.

Concerning the KG 54 emblem: after the Poland campaign the skull-and-bones emblem was grey/silver coloured.

Regards,
Rudi.

>Oops, Peter beat me to it.

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

This is the loss that Peter Cornwell indicated on May 27, 1940. I have an original print of this, won on eBay in 2007, plus similar enlargements, in the EOE DB.

Regards,

[ChristianK]

A big thanks to all of you for your help! I knew some of you would come up with something.

Rudi, what is your source for the grey/silver color of the unit insignias after the Polish campaign? I am pretty sure that I have seen images of KG 54 Heinkels from after 1939 that showed insignias in other colors than grey or silver, but I might be wrong.

Larry, sent you a PM!

Regards and thanks again,
Christian

[RudiS]

Christian,

colour pictures of He 111 of B3+BL which forced-landed in the Epinoy area on May 19th 1940 are published in:
- Luftwaffe in focus N° 8
- Bomber units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945 Vol 1 by Henry de Zeng & Douglas Stankey.

These coloured pictures and the many black & white onces that are around from the same aircraft show clearly (at least to me) that the aircraft has a white diagonal fuselage band and a grey skull-and-bones emblem.

Pictures of B3+KK shot down during the Polish campaign shows the aircraft with a white diagonal fuselage band and a white, although smaller, skull-and-bones emblem.

So as far as I'm concerned, somewhere between the Polish campaign & the campaign in the west, the KG 54 emblem changed from small to large and from white (or in the respective Gruppe colour?) to grey.

Regards,
Rudi.