Do 18 landed near Dortmund (May 1945)

[CJE]

Close to war's end in Europe, a young NCO and his fiancée flew off aboard a Do 18 from some base around Kiel and crash-landed in a field near Dortmund; as the day was dawning, he had feared to be shot down.

However, I have absolutely no clue as to:
- the date (around 4/5 May I guess)
- the pilot's rank and identity
- his unit
- his subsequent fate (and his fiancée's).

If anyone could help me, I'd me most grateful.

Chris

[Chris Goss]

I believe I have photos of this but no identification

[CJE]

This is a US NARA photo.

[Chris Goss]

Not the ones I have-they came from a private source

[Nick Beale]

There was a Do 18 unit (about four machines, possibly a scratch formation) flying anti-submarine patrols over the Baltic in early 1945. I've seen an ULTRA message about it but I can't guarantee that I could find it again quickly.

[Hans Mcilveen]

This could be the one. Code DD+NB?
The anti-submarine unit Nick mentioned was called Ubootjagdübungsstaffel and it had, or was supposed to have, 12 Do 18 and 5 BV 138, according to an undated document in BAMA RL 24.
Not sure if this Do 18 belonged to that unit. No FuG 200 as far as I can tell.

[CJE]

Hans,
It's not the same plane.
"Mine" was RU+?? and the swastika had been erased.

[Hans Mcilveen]

That is interesting Chris. I know of 6 Do 18 in that range: RU+AU-RU+AZ. All were apparently lost in 1940 and 1941 except RU+AZ. This last one was still flying with SNSt 4 in September 1943.
Would you care to show the picture?

[RT]

An RU+AU was at the Erpr.St. Warnemünde in 42, your plane is given as possibly the RU+KH ,3.KG200, who flew from Schleswig See on morning of the 4.May 45 place where he landed is Wickede ostw. Dortmund, most probably RU+KH come from the "reading" of the picture no RU, known apart those on the RU+A range, I type for RU+AZ...

Rémi

[CJE]

I have not been able to read the SKZ on the fuselage, however "R+U" can be clearly seen under the starboard wing.