236 Squadron Claims

[Peter Cornwell]

Thanks to revisions from Peter Hasselgren I can now add the following:

September 23, 1940: Wettererkundungsstaffel 2 Heinkel He111H-2 (5551). Suffered engine failure during return from weather reconnaissance sortie over the Atlantic and ditched 400km west of Brest 12.05 p.m. BO Reg.Rat Hans Siegmund rescued wounded, FF Fw Horst-Max Dümcke, BF Lt Friedrich-Karl Deicke, and rest of crew all rescued unhurt by French fishing boats. Aircraft RH+NT 100% write-off.

September 23, 1940: Wettererkundungsstaffel 2 Heinkel He111H-3 (5396). Port engine set alight under attack by three Blenheims of No.236 Squadron (P/O A.R.de L. Innes, P/O G.H. Russell, and Sgt Smith) during search mission for RH+NT and ditched 400km west of Brest 2.40 p.m. BO Reg.Rat Dr Hans Reinhardt killed, BM Uffz Franz Liebl badly wounded in the arms - died next day, FF Oberlt Rudolf Prasse (Staffelführer) and BF Uffz Max Mrochen took to dinghy and rescued unhurt. Aircraft TG+KA 100% write-off.
The two survivors were eventually rescued by French fishing boats two days later.

November 9, 1940: 1./KGr. 126 Heinkel He111H-4 (6951). Jettisoned torpedo under attack by No.236 Squadron Blenheim (P/O D.T.M. Lumsden, Sgt C.M. Gibbons, & Sgt E.E. Miles) and crashed in the sea off Brest 1.30 p.m. BM Flgr Otto Skusa killed, BF Fw Peter Hermsen missing, FF Fw Walter von Livonius and BO Oberlt Helmut Lorenz both rescued by Seenotdienst. Aircraft 1T+FH 100% write-off.
The body of Otto Skusa was later washed ashore in Brittany.