Luftwaffe Combat w/Sq Ldr Stanford Tuck-June 21,1941

[kaki3152]

Hi all,

I'v e always been interested in Sq Ldr Tuck's solitary combat over the English Channel on June 21,1941. While flying a solo patrol, he was attacked by Bf-109s and suceeded in shooting down two with one damaged.

After looking at the various Bf-109 losses (9 from JG-26 and 1 from JG-2), it seems to me that the unit involved in the Stanford Tuck combat was with II/JG-26 which lost Ofw. Franz Lueders and Uffz Otto Ewald as POW, with an additional Bf-109E-7 lost in the sea (Wrk No 3823--100%), for a total of three Bf-109s downed.

Does anyone have any more information? I have "Fly for your Life" by Tuck but the book is sparse on details.

[Andy Saunders]

A contentious one! Or potentially so.

The losses that day do not match the time/location of Tuck's claims.

Tuck was said to have been shot down himself. Certainly he ended up in the North Sea after having flown (apparently) almost to The Hague, although as I recall he should have been on an East Coast patrol.

With the distances involved, could it have been that Tuck made an error of judgement here and simply ran out of fuel before he regained the English coast?

I imagine that I am not alone in thinking there to be something decidedly "odd" about this incident.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Hello KAKI and Andy,
I am investigating the same combats of 21st June 1941.
There was another loss from JG 2 ( a crash landing with 20% damages ).
Would you have the werknummer and codes for the following LW losses:
1- Lt Hans Joachin Geburtig 8./JG 26
2-Lt Heinz Gries 8./JG 26
3-Fw Bruno Hegenauer Stab/JG 26
4-Gefr Christian Knees 9./JG 26
5-Obfw Franz Lüders 6/JG 26
6-Uffz Otto Ewald 6./JG 26

Apart from Obstl Adolf Galland, which were the other JG 26 losses on that day?
Many thanks in advance
Adriano

[G.R.Morrison]

Here's what we have, four of your six requests:

1- Lt Hans Joachin Geburtig 8./JG 26 Bf109F-2, WNr.5521
2-Lt Heinz Gries 8./JG 26 Bf 109F-2 WNr.6736, "schwarze 5"

5-Obfw Franz Lüders 6/JG 26 Bf 109E-7, WNr.6497, "braune 2"
6-Uffz Otto Ewald 6./JG 26 Bf 109E-7, Wnr.6462, "braune 13"

Hope this helps, GRM

[Adriano Baumgartner]

GRM, Thanks indeed for the help. I am particularly interested on the claims submited by 1 Squadron.
HOWEVER, the claims submitted by S/L Tuck are indeed odd. He was flying a lone sortie if my memorie do not fail me ( I read about it yesterday and am not home now )...Three claims alone, without wingman...Yes, as ANDY put correctly, one must have a close look at those claims x LW losses...
Yours
Adriano ( and thanks again! )

[ju55dk]

According to his logbook he went out a 100 miles of Southend where he was in combat with 3 109's. Claimed 2 shot down and the third damaged. His own maschine damaged so he had to bail out over sea, on the way back. He was in the air 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Junker