Lt Hubertus Kordigien? Lost Algeria 27.03.1943.

[Joe Potter]

Hi All,
Is anything known about this guy?
Seasonal greetings
Joe

[Laurent Rizzotti]

According to "Fighters over Tunisia", on this day, 43 and 87 Sqn flew many patrols during the day to protect a convoy code-named Untrue and claimed two He 111 and four SM 79 shot down, and two He 111 and one SM 79 damaged.

Axis losses were the following:
_ two He 111 of II/KG 26 (according to the book, the two He 111 claimed by FO Thompson and Johson of 87 Sqn around 0900 hrs off Cap Takouch)
_ five Italian SM 79 from Sardinia
_ a Ju 88 of II/KG 54 off the Algerian coast (no link with an Allied claim).

[Brian Bines]

Ltn Hubertus Kordgien Ff of He111H11 8115 1H+BC of 5/KG26 missing to dead, B Ogef Karl Schied missing to dead, Bf Uffz Alfred Siebner and Bs Uffz Heinz Kruger missing- source Qm's returns and Achtung Toepedos Los,

Regards

Brian Bines

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hi Brian,

I forgot to say that according to Fighters over Tunisia, one of the two crews of II/KG 26 shot down was rescued and captured. Do you have also the details for this second He 111 ?

Thanks in advance

[Brian Bines]

Hi Laurent,

What I have from Torpedos Los is Ff Ltn Gerhard Campe, B Ofw Fridolin Dobele, Bf Ofw Willi Wissner and Bs Ogef Heinz Schwenke as missing to POWs. The QMs list has them in He111H11 1H+BP 8099 of 6/KG26. The spellings of the names is not the same on the original entry on the QMs list as in Torpedos Los, but has been changed by hand to the same as Torpedos Los. For the same day Torpedos los shows Fw Ernst Mende, Uffz Hans Christner, Fw Stefan Schikora and Uffz. Waltemar Steenbock as killed in a crash. However QM's list has this on the 26th off Cap Caocia in He111H-11 1H+CP 8114 all shown as missing to dead,

Hope this helps,

Brian Bines

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Thanks Brian,

Here is what is written in "Fighters over Tunisia" for 27 March (just the part about He 111 off North Africa):

" During the day Hurricanes of 87 Squadron and Spitfires of 43 Squadron flew many patrols over a convoy code-named 'Untrue', meeting Axis bombers on repeated occasions throughout the day. FO Thompson and FO Johnson of 87 Squadron on one patrol at 0900 met two He 111s of II/KG 26 about ten minutes apart. Both bombers were flying at sea level, and the Hurricane pilots shot down one each in the Cap Takouch area, one being seen by pilots of 242 Squadron to crash into the sea on fire; the crew of one bomber was later taken prisoner.
Two Spitfires of 43 Squadron scrambled at 0945 as the convoy reported that more than six He 111s were attacking. One of these was intercepted and attacked by FO Torrance without result, He and FO Turkington then attacked another, again without result, and Torrance attacked a third, seeing hits on the fuselage. Turkington then came out of some clouds to see three more bombers, and attacked until his ammunition ran out, inflicting damage on one."
(continued with the SM 79 action)

On March 26 there is nothing about a loss by KG 26, but the text on this day in my version is mostly about the fighter-bomber support for the 8th Army offensive and, for example, there is nothing about the Ju 88 claimed by a 82nd FG pilot on this date. Shores reported the following about German bomber losses:

"During the day III/KG 77 reported the loss of four Ju 88s; one crew was killed, a second taken prisoner, while the other two were missing. In one of the latter pair, the pilot was Hpt. Konrad Heydenreich, Staffelkapitän of 9/KG 77. II/KG 30 lost another Ju 88, this one over Algiers."

By the way he then describe on the 27th a battle between 145 Sqn and Ju 88s, two of the latter being shot down and three damaged, and said "It is possible that these bombers were the aircraft of III/KG 77, reported missing the previous day."

Best regards, and seasonal greetings

Laurent