Do 215 landing at Querqueville

[Mikael Olrog]

Hello,
I'm looking for information on a reconnaisance Do 215 that made a crashlanding at Querqueville close to Cherbourg in France. Date and unit is unknown but I'd assume it is an aircraft from Aufkl.Ob.d.L. 2nd or 4th Staffel and 1940 or 41 would be the most likely year.

/Mike

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello Mike,

Is this info all you have or do you have perhaps info about what happened to the crew? My Do215 database reveals one loss in 'northern France' which is not very specific:

Do215 B-1 (Wnr. 0022), 4./(F)AGr. ObdL, code G2+HH (HM is more likely), 5 June 1940, 2 KIA, 2 WIA, crew of pilot Lt. von Brandt

and there is another loss in the general area of the Normandy:
Do215, (F)AGr. ObdL, further details unknown, near Le Havre, 2 KIA, 1 WIA

Other Do215 crashes in France were reported at
Neufchateau (31 July 1940),
Evreux (2 March 1941),
Le Bourget (10 March 1941),
Villeneuve-Orly (21 March 1941),
FlH. Orly (19 August 1941) and
FlH. Villaroche (3 August 1943)
all to far away from the Cherbourg peninsula.

Not a conclusive answer but perhaps a start in the good direction. All the best,

Marcel Hogenhuis / Study Group Venlo Airfield in WW-2

[Mikael Olrog]

Hello Marcel,

Thanks for your respons!

As you can see from the e-bay photo 350447402514 I would conclude that the crew made it without any fatalities and possibly only minor injuries. THe aircraft itself appear to have suffered say 30-50 % damage. No details are given to the fate of the crew.

I've not seen your entries:
Do215, (F)AGr. ObdL, further details unknown, near Le Havre, 2 KIA, 1 WIA

and
FlH. Villaroche (3 August 1943)
before but the other are familiar to me.

Best regards
/Mikael

[Brian Bines]

Luft Qm's returns for 28-5-1940 shows two Do215's damaged in crash landings at Charleville on 25-May-1940 one from 2/Auf.Ob.d.L damaged 40% and the other 50%.

[Mikael Olrog]

Hi Brian,

I've considered these losses, but Charleville is well to the east of Paris, some 500 km from Querqueville and I guess without additional information it is not possible to connect them.

/Mike

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello friends,

Is it possible - seeing that this Do215 has at least one flap lowered - that the seller has read the (likely) handwritten text on the backside as 'Querqueville' whereas it should be read as Charleville?

It seems to be a sunny day on the picture too! All the best,

Marcel

PS for Brian: I totally have forgotten to inform you (my apologies for that), that after some fruitless attempts to contact the Hurle family (III./KG 3) I don't expect an answer anymore, the old man was already dementing and has died perhaps already... A pity but I kept my mails to them as polite as possible, so perhaps any response in the near future will follow.