Ju88s in the Thames Estuary Jan 1941

[James Farrimond]

Any one help with identifying three Ju 88's shot down in the Thames Estuary on 16 January 1941? I think they might have been from III/KG30 (or was that KG4?)
Thanks

[Brian Bines]

James, for the 15/16-1-41 I have a Do17 of 4/KG3 shot down by Brentwood Essex and a He111 of KG63 shot down off Canvey Island,and on the 16/17th a He111 of KGr/100 and a Ju88 of 2/LG1 missing . I could not find the Ju88's you mention though. The 8/KG30 did lose three Ju88's on the 26-1-41 one crashlanded Gt.Yarmouth, one came down off the Thames Estausy and the third came down off Brightlingsea would these be the ones you seek ?

Regards

Brian Bines


Info on the KG30 losses 26-1-41


Ju88 A5 4D+LS 0634 FF Fw. Walter Guttmann, B Uffz Josef Schmalze, Bf Uffz Simon Gabor, Bs Uffz. Fritz Martin all POWs. Aircraft attacked HM Trawler Galvan ? and hit mast, damaged aircraft crashlanded at Somerton Holmes Yarmouth at 0905 hrs

Ju88A5 4D+AS 3261 Oblt. Ignatz Kraft +, B Ofw. Kurt Frohlig POW, Bf Fw. Rolf Kollmeier +,Bs Uffz Herbert Mollerstein + ( dead now buried Cannock). Shot down by HMS Wallace and crashed off Brightlingsea at 1600hrs. Next day at 1800hrs Ofw Frohlig was handed over to the police at Brightlingsea having been picked up by a Naval Patrol vessel . He said his companions drowned and a second Ju88 had been shot down. On 19-7-41 the body of Rolf Kollmeier was washed ashore at Dengie - source Essex Police
Records

Ju88A5 4D+GS 7198 FF Oblt Eberhard Gaul, B Gef. Joachim Eibert, Bf Ogef. Erich Stolzel, Bs Uffz Willi Rindfleisch all missing, believed came down off Thames Estuary, Eroch Stozel later shown as m-+ ( declared dead all as GQM report dated 22-1-1943).

[James Farrimond]

Thanks for that Brian. That explains a lot. Must be the three Ju 88's lost on 26th Jan that John Weals refers to in 'Kampfgeschwader on the Western Front' (p.63) as being lost on 16th.
Im aware of the 88's lost in Somerton and Brightlingsea but im not familiar with the loss of 4D+GS. Do you have any more info?
James

[Brian Bines]

Sorry James no more info. on that one only the details I have given from the Luft. Qms returns,

Brian Bines