26 February 1944 He 111 Zwilling unknow ...

[Dan Gilberti]

Dole - Tavaux base in France was a secondary ground of the base of Dijon,bigs planes were observed there and in particular Me 323 and He 111Z.
Am 26 February 1944 in full day of return of a successful "Straffing", (probably on Luxeuil) and in the search of targets of opportunity, two Mosquitos BFR MkVI of the 418° Squad R.C.A.F (Lt Howard Douglas Cleveland (Canadian) and Lt Charles SCHERF (Australian)) will attack one He111Z with 2 Gliders Gothas 242 B1 transporting of the troops at the time of a training flight.
They began the attack with the top of the city of Pares to the camp of Tavaux.
One people from Dole observed the scene and took a photograph.
The "Train flying" of almost 300 meters length will lose a first Gotha, detached violently and which will leave to be probably crushed in the sector BAVERANS (near Dole).
While fleeing in direction of Tavaux, it will lose the second gothawhich will be posed without large damage near the zone of the crash landing, the cable will damage the tiles of the Mill of ACORT near CHOISEY.
Continued by SCHERF and CLEVELAND, which drew a very great number of ammunition, the giant plane of which three of the engines were touched will still lose its central engine and after a slow fall in spiral will be crushed on fire in fields in full shift between PARCEY and CHOISEY,near the Airfield of Tavaux.
A witness remember the very great number of casings of Mosquito which strewed the ground around... The plane will burn all the night from the 26 to February 27, undoubtedly the Germans were they more occupied helping the occupants of the Gothas, wounded or in annoying posture, there was nothing any more to make for the crew of Zwilling...
the place of the crash landing of the second is now known with certainty.
Lw will make collect by the workmen of the Camp of Tavaux the largest remains of the 111, and especially the engines using an enormous tractor Slovaque CKD Praga T 9 (76 are built between 1937 and 1943, 16 bought by Turkey, 5 by Slovakia,55 used by Germany.)
The vehicle used to move the Large planes had probably come from the east at the same time as the unit who using Heinkel 111 Z (I/Luftlandgeschwader 2) and doubtless on board same Gigant 323 that they were charged with manouvrer on the ground...
The village of Parcey, near of the crash point and at the time the way obliged to go place of the Crash landing to the camp.
It is seen the Slovaque caterpillar in the streets of the village.
One can recognize on the trailer engines JUMO F of the plane. The recent examination of some relics confirms the fire and some casings struck among those destroyed by fire indicate that the crew made use of his weapons to defend himself until the end...

I am always with research about :
Codes and exact unit for this 111 Z,Gothas and identity of the victims.

I found nothing in Bama loss, so many datas are missed .

Thanks by advance for your help

Best Regards, Dan