22/11/1939 He111 KG4

[Luc Vervoort]

Hi !

On 22/11/1939 KG4 lost a He111, shot down by Lt. Hirschauer (FAF). This plane crashed at Torhout(Belgium). Uffz. Wolfgang Just and Uffz. Helmut Klein lost their lives and are buried in Germany.
Any information regarding the other crewmembers available ?
Was the plane in question 5J+FA or 5J+KA ?

Many thanks and best regards

Luc

[Stig Jarlevik]

Luc
Not sure if you have Shores Fledling Eagles? The combat is described on page 117. Forcelanding said to have been at Wevelgem and code 5J+FA. Since this was the Stab./KG 4 it sounds more reasonable than +KA since that would mean the 11th aeroplane in the Stab flight. (Even though +FA sounds a bit much as well...)
Looks like the whole crew, except the pilot, parachuted and were killed, while the pilot, who stayed with the aeroplane, survived....

B Rgds
Stig

[Luc Vervoort]

Stig,

Many thanks for your reply.
I don't have a copy of Shores Fledling Eagles. Are the names of the crewmembers mentioned ?
Did the pilot made a (crash)landing at Wevelgem airfield ?

Best regards

Luc

[montana]

Hi Luc,

This He 111 of the Stab/KG 4 was chased in France by two Curtiss H-75 from the GC I/4 (Lt Hirschauer and Weis) and crashed at Torhout at 12.20 h at a place named "Kruiskens". Before the crash, the aircraft hit a pole on the road Thorout to Kortemark. Only the pilot (Uffz. Karl Weber) parachuted down and was alive (a slight wound to one hand). The other members of the crew were killed during the attack and crashed with the aircraft : Lt. Franz Wickartz (obs.), Uffz. Wolfgang Just (radio-gunner) and Uffz. Helmuth Klein (engineer-gunner). The French fighters mentioned Hurricane in the area while attacking.

Rgds

[Luc Vervoort]

Hi Montana,

Many thanks for your very interesting information. I have not been able to trace Lt.Franz Wickartz on the Volksbund website. I don't down if all German military personnel killed during World War II are mentioned or only those which were at cemeteries of the Volksbund.

best regards from another (?) side of Belgium

Luc

[robert]

Hi Luc,

he was Wichartz.

Robert

[Luc Vervoort]

Robert,

Many thanks for your correction. The Volksbund website mentions an Uffz Franz Wichartz buried at St.Quentin (France), but with date of dead 27/03/1918 ...

Best regards

Luc

[robert]

Hi,

the name and surname are correct but the rank is false.
He took part in polish campaign.

Regards

Robert

[Stig Jarlevik]

Montana

May I ask your source please?
Checking an earlier book, Les Aiglons by CJE, Shores,Weisse and Foreman, the statement that the only survivor was the pilot who remained with the aircraft is there as well. However the pilot is listed as Lt Kurt Wagner....

Since I doubt that any of these Gentlemen would pick details out of the blue, could the details listed in Les Aiglons and slightly amended in Fledgling Eagles be something that filtered through to the French?? The pilots name is stated in Fledgling Eagles to have been Franz Wichartz and that it was he who was interrogated.

Cheers
Stig

[montana]

Hi Stig,

My source is an official report from the Belgian Etat-Major Général de l'Armée written the day after the crash. It is a summary of the interrogation of the pilot, Uffz. Karl Weber, and several witnesses on the ground. It is noted that they found Lt. Franz Wickartz, Uffz. Wolfgang Just and Uffz. Helmuth Klein in the wreckage of the aircraft with bullets in their bodies. So it seems they were killed during the combat.

Rgds