Damage Reports KGzbV106

[Tim O.]

Hi all

I am catching up on research and wondered if anyone has further information or damage/injury reports for the following incidents during the Norway campaign:

1. 24th April 1940 - Ju 52/3m SE+IA pilot Ernst Weible, radio operator Alfred Schmittka, force-landed Vörlesee at 19:00 due to fuel shortage after air landing troops.

2. 14th May 1940 - Ju 52/3m VK+BL pilot Ernst Weible, radio operator Alfred Schmittka, landed Stavanger at 17:37 with engine damage due to severe icing after transporting supplies.

3. 7th June 1940 Ju 52/3m RM+AC pilot Ernst Weible, radio operator Alfred Schmittka, crash-landed on island in Eelsfjord at 20:45 having been hit in the fuel tank while carrying Fallschirmjäger to Narvik. All were rescued by seaplane the following day. I have several photos of this incident, which have been shared previously but wondered if there is anything new to find!

4. 4th October 1940 Ju 52/3m RP+AY pilot Ernst Weible, radio operator Alfred Schmittka, landed Vlissingen at 16:35 having been hit by machine-gun fire from ships, which injured the flight engineer.

All help very welcome.

[srob48]

October 29th 1940:
4(Schl)/LG2.
Messerschmitt Bf109E (5593). Shot down by fighters following low-level attack on North Weald and force-landed at Langenhoe Wick, Essex, 5.00pm. Oberfw. Josef Harmeling (F) captured slightly wounded. Aircraft white +N a write-off.

Hope that's the same Josef Harmeling you are looking for?

Also, do you have ranks for Ernst Weible and Alfred Schmittka in June and October 1940?

[RT]

RM+AC was Wn 5246, seems damage was no so big as he flew later for the KGzbv108..
As the plane crashed near Oslo, I Wonder which type of "Foe" caused the crash ??


Rémi

[srob48]

I have checked the book 'Fledgling Eagles' for 7th June, and that makes no mention of the Ju52 from KG.z.b.V.106. I also checked where 'Eelsfjord' is in Norway. The only result I found is Elsfjord which is beside a Fjord, but there's no island there. That is about 350km south-west of Narvik and a long way north of Oslo.

[RT]

Indeed date is given on 8.th, unit KGrzbv107, many confusions with this loss

...

Rémi

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Maybe it is Velsfjord near Fornebu?

Regards,
Norbert

[Chris Goss]

He is not after information on Harmeling but is after finding his Ehrenpokal

[Tim O.]

Hi guys

Apologies for the late response - I have been away on business for a few weeks.

The entry in Schmittka's Flugbuch for 7th June 1940 looks like it was Velsfjord and then corrected to Eelsfjord. I also attach an image of the crashed RM+AC.

srob48 I think they would have had the ranks of Unteroffizier in October 1940.

Chris is correct - my footnote is meant to convey that I am looking for the Ehrenpokals for these men. I have their award documents.

Thanks for the help.

[RT]

So on return flight he crashed in an island on Velsfjord,

The Kz, U4+, for Erg.KGr.4 ,,??

Rémi

[Tim O.]

I think they were hit on the outward flight as they still had the paratroopers on board when they crashed. Other photos show men in their distinctive smocks. They flew from Trondheim (headed for Narvik), crashed and were picked up by seaplanes the following day and returned to Trondheim.