Seeking Staffel for I.(Z)/LG1 Bf110C crew loss 4.10.39

[Peter Cornwell]

Gentlemen,

Have finally got around to this query following modem failure, illness, and prolonged Christmas festivities - my apologies for the delay. It does seem clear that there has been some confusion in interpreting these early losses to V.(Z)/LG1 but I am satisfied that the photo lately acquired by Larry indeed relates to the following casualty:

4 October 1939: 14.(Z)/LG1 Messerschmitt Bf110C-1. Flew into ferry-boat cable and crashed in the River Main while low-flying near Grossheubach, north of Miltenberg. FF Oberlt Heinz Höhler and BF Uffz Ernst Krenz both killed. Aircraft 100% write-off. (EOE photo & TOCH 12/10)

Thanks to Matti Salonen we can now be reasonably sure of the following:

16 October 1939: 13.(Z)/LG1 Messerschmitt Bf110C-1. Abandoned 8 km west of Alzey after port engine caught fire and crashed near Nieder-Wiesen. FF Oberlt Joachim Glienke baled out landing injured, BF Uffz Walter Titzck killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.
After the Polish Campaign, V.(Z)/LG1 had transferred to Würzburg on October 4 for operations over the western front.

The reference to a further loss on 16 December 1939 cannot be further substantiated and, given its similarities and likely confusion with the 16 October loss, this has been deleted from our database.