KG26 experten

[Brian]

Hi guys

I'm looking for crew details/aircraft markings etc for the following:

20 March 1940:
He111 2/KG26 crash-landed west of Cuxhaven, one crewman killed.

10 April 1940:
He111 of I/KG26 - Oblt Otto Houselle and crew lost
He111 of 2/KG26 Ltn Hubert Schachtbeck and crew survived

TIA

Cheers
Brian

[DDT]

Hello Brian,

In Rudi Schmidt's book "Achtung - Torpedo Los" I found the following info :

20/3/40: Gefr. Hans Baehr;
10/4/40: Oblt. Otto Housselle and Uffz. Franz Gruber, other crew members are uncertain. For the same date the book notes the following other names a :
Uffz. Herbert Hoffmann wia after crash over Germany;
Oblt. Heinz-Joachim Müller kia - seezielgebiet Norwegen;
Gefr. Robert Mollik wia - seezielgebiet Norwegen;
Gefr. Karl-Heinz Fass wia - seezielgebiet Norwegen.

I suppose the last 3 losses belonged to 1 aircraft with 1 or 2 members unhurt. So its possible that Uffz. Hoffmann was also the only casualty in a second plane (crashed over Germany). If we think further in this way, it would indicate the other 2 or 3 crewmembers in Otto Housselle plane were unhurt. Crashes without wounded or killes members are not filed in the loss list. So no information found about the second loss on 10/4/40.
Perhaps someone else on this board has more information.
Best wishes,

Dirk

[Brian]

Many thanks, Dirk, that's a great start.

Much appreciated.
Cheers
Brian