Arado Ar 196 - Uffz. Böttcher

[knusel]

Good morning Gentlemen,

the most famous mission of the Arado 196 floatplane was the capture of the submarine HMS Seal on 5may1940. However, info about the pilot Uffz Böttcher is scarce. In Peter de Jong's "Arado Ar 196 Units in Combat" his give name is indicated as "Heinz" but in Christian König's "Arados Allrounder" it is indicated as "Walter" who is right ?

Cheers,

Michael

[John Manrho]

Is this Uffz. Böttcher the same guy as the ones MIA on 17.5.1940? Then it is Walter.

[ju55dk]

It is Walter. From the report about the capture of Seal.
Junker

[knusel]

Thanks for the given name. Then Christian König is right.
Both sources do not contain a photo of Walter Böttcher.
Have you ever seen one ?
Michael

[Chris Goss]

Of interest I have this:

The Ar 196's of 5./196 soon came into prominence with the capture of the British submarine HMS Seal. Mine laying in the Kattegat, on 4 May 1940 the submarine was badly damaged by a German mine and forced to surface in order to try to make it to Sweden. However, the following day she was spotted and attacked by two Ar 196s of 5./196 commanded by Lt zur See Günther Mehrens and Lt zur See Karl-Ernst Schmidt and a He 115 of 1./906 commanded by Lt zur See Nikolaus Broli. With no effective means of defending itself, with dead and wounded crew and unable to submerge, the Seal's commander, Lt Cdr Rupert Lonsdale had no option but to surrender.

[knusel]

Good afternoon,

Mehrens and Schmidt were the observers of the Arados that were involved.
I have written an inquiry for a photo to the Arado website.

Have a nice Advent Sunday

Michael

[Chris Goss]

But as officers they were invariably in command

[knusel]

Yes, it's a similar situation like in WW1, where 11 observers of multi-seat aircraft received the Pour le Mérite but only 5 pilots.

[knusel]

Update: I've asked the Arado website members and renowned Arado expert Christian Koenig for a photo of Walter Böttcher but they ain't got one. I also asked the JET & PROP journal members but received no answer, yet.

[Chris Goss]

The chances of finding a photo seem slim. He was pilot of the Ar 196 on 5 May 40 and was dead 12 days later. No known grave:

https://www.volksbund.de/erinnern-ge...6f32a1eaa80157