LW losses in Iraq in V 1941?

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

Luftwaffe losses in Iraq in May 1941

Regarding the Luftwaffe losses in Iraq in May 1941 (15-31 May), you can find divergent data.

Some data say about losing all Me 110 (14), and five He 111 (or seven).
In contrast, other data say about the loss of only seven Me 110
For this lost at least two Ju 52 on flights to Iraq or from Iraq. One Ju 52 lost on May 31, 1941 during a flight from Aleppo to Rhodes.

Has anyone seen well summarized Luftwaffe losses during operations in Iraq in May 1941?

Regards,
mw

[GuerraCivil]

The memoirs of Martin Drewes Sand und Feuer. Jagdflieger im Irak und über Deutschland (2011) give some modest light on this:

One He 111 was lost due to friendly fire over Baghdad on 12.5.1941, its pilot Axel von Blomberg was the only Luftwaffe KIA loss during the operations in Iraq.

Another He 111 (KG 114) was lost during an air raid on 16.5.1941 when attacking British airbase near Habbaniyya lake on 16.5.1941 due to AA hits and was force-landed at the desert. The plane had to be abandoned but the crew was saved by Iraqi soldiers.

More of "Special Command Junck" in Iraq:

During the transfer flight from Rodos to Iraq the "Special Command Junck" landed to airfield of Palmyra and which was attacked by British bombers on 15.5.1941, when some of Bf 110´s were damaged and could not continue further. Of those who continued to Mosul on 15.5.1941 one Bf 110 was damaged on landing.

The possibilities to supply small Luftwaffe detachment in Iraq were weakened by the great losses of Ju 52´s during the Crete operation.

The supply situation was weakened further by the fact that in Iraq there was no oil refinery and the modest available gasoline supplies in Iraq were lost during the air raid of RAF´s Gladiators. Thus the flying gasoline had to be imported by Ju 52´s flying from Rodos.

There was not any realistic chance to get enough spare parts for the German planes located in Iraq. This meant in practice that the damaged planes had to be written off and cannibalized to keep the remaining planes flying.

[Mirek Wawrzynski]

Hi
thanks

One He 111 was lost due to friendly fire over Baghdad on 12.5.1941, its pilot Axel von Blomberg was the only Luftwaffe KIA loss during the operations in Iraq.

If right remebr he was from Brandenburg unit (commander of demolish team), and he was not a pilot but passanger, (VIP). A single bullet had hit and killled him during landing of this He 111, This plane was not destroyed during this landing, very small damage.

The supply situation was weakened further by the fact that in Iraq there was no oil refinery and the modest available gasoline supplies in Iraq were lost during the air raid of RAF´s Gladiators. Thus the flying gasoline had to be imported by Ju 52´s flying from Rodos.

There were one special Ju 52 with small rafinery on the board as a "petrol station plane". Germans did not have problem with asquired benzine from the oil. They did not transported benzine from the Rodos, it was pointless and too far.

regards,
mw

[RT]

The Bf110 that force-landed by Mossul was Bf110D-3 4237 an other was 4035 an D-2, on 17.Mai a Bf110 was lost over Bagdad Offermann+Fischer
Around 16.Mai 3 He111 were also lost ...

If some complements could be added

Rémi

[Larry deZeng]

Full details can be found here:

G. Ott-, “1941: Als die Luftwaffe für den Irak flog” (history of Sonderkommando Junck), Jet & Prop, 3/1991 (1.Teil): 23-26, 34; 4/1991 (2.Teil): 50-53.

L.

[RT]

Der brave Günther, at least I know how to end my next mail to him, thks, Mr De Zeng

Rémi