Need First name of Oblt. Schopper, of 4./KG3 & Location of his FL in a Do17Z on 15 Sept 1940

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

In his well-known book on 15 Sept. 1940, Alfred Price tells the story of a Do17Z of 4./KG3 that force-landed on the sand dunes near Dunkirk after combat damage over Britain that day. The story is accompanied by photos of 5K+AM sourced to one of two crewmen who was badly wounded.

My questions:

1) What was the full name of Lt. Schopper and was he the 4 Staffel Kap, although only a Lt? His name does not appear in the Luft Officers Career Summ. DB. He must have been the Observer aboard the a/c.

2) Where more precisely that a sand dune near Dunkirk did this Do17Z force-land? The two badly injured crewmen aboard were hospitalized in Antwerp, which seems like quite a distance from a crash location near Dunkirk. Something doesn't seem right here.

Our entry in the EoE Luft loss DB presently reads: "Sept 15, 1940: 4./KG3 Dornier Do17Z-3 (2879). Returned damaged by fighters following sortie to bomb railway targets along the Thames 2.50 p.m. BF Fw Felix Gwidziel and BM Fw Heinz Kirsch both badly wounded - admitted to hospital in Antwerp, FF Oberlt Gerhard Granicky and rest of crew unhurt. Aircraft 5K+AM 40% damaged but repairable. (Source: Perry)."

Any help would be appreciated.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator