he177 losses query

[Brian Bines]

Marty as far as I can make out from Griehl/NVM's I and II/KG40 lost 23 He177's with crew casualties in June plus the 4/KG40 aircraft on 12/13th June as stated by Chris. 4 more were lost on 4/5 July on operations,with 3 more losses on non-ops between 6-9th July. As Chris says there other losses with no crew casualties, the figure of 13 on 6/7th June seems too high unless aircraft were strafed on the ground.
RAF nightfighters claimed 19 He177's between 6th June to 5th July and Allied fighters claimed at least two during the day one on 7th.June and one on 9th. July.

Dates below as shown on NVM

7-6-44
Possibly 550112 (only last no. on NVM) Ofw Muller 5/40
550117 Uffz Hauke 5/40
550197 Ofw Timm 2/40
535731 Ofhr Berarieder 2/40
550204 Ofhr Hein 2/40
550206 Obln. Muller ( but noted on K as 8th June ) 1/40

8-6-44
550211 Ltn Wadle 2/40
550083 Oblt Busch 6/40

9-6-44
550198 B Fhj.Fw Winarski +, aircraft shot down 2/40
535670 Ofw Henze 2/40

10-6-44
550199 Uffz deVries 1/40 ( K shows 0500hrs 10th June)
550175 Ofw Konopek 1/40 (K shows 0335hrs 11th June)
550074 NVM shows cause Flak, Fhj.Ofw Matschke +3 killed 5/40
550067 Uffz Hille 5/40
? Stfw Raimer 4/40

11-6-44
? two crew wounded 4/40

13-6-44
550221 two crew wounded 6/40
550215 Uffz Bruhan 1/40

14-6-44
550087 two crew missing 6/40
550080 Ltn Reichmuller 4/40
550078 Uffz Klavehn 6/40
550146 Oblt Meissner 4/40
550098 two crew missing following NJ attack 4/40

5-7-44
550210 Oblt Hunold 4/40 (K shows 0010hrs 5th July)
550213 Oblt Hauke 5/40
550203 Fw Dotsch 6/40
550195 Oblt Schulte-Vogelheim 6/40 (K shows 0120hrs 5th July)

Apologies for any errors typos,

Regards

Brian Bines

[zorglub]

Hello Brian ,

Back again on He177 losses that 12/13 June 44.
Is there a NVM for 550221 of 4./KG40 , Ofw. Neuenfeldt and crew ? C.Goss reports no injuries/casualties among the crew members.
I have possibly pinpointed this crash east Le Havre.

There is also lack of definite data about losses on first wave of Steinbock on 21/22 January 44 . At least four bombers went down near Rouen at 20.00 before crossing the French coast , but not much details in " The Last Blitz " by Mackay , mainly about 535560 , 535743 , 535741 and 535745 ! More details are most welcome !

Is there also NVM for these losses ? At last did He177s wear incendiaries ?

Zorglub

[Brian Bines]

Hello,

This is what I have :-

535560 - Suffered a fire in number 4 engine and was destroyed in emergency landing, crew assumed safe so no NVM

535743 - The NVM for the loss of Oblt. Waterbeck, shot down Hindhead Surrey, shows he was flying this aircraft. However examination of the wreckage shows he was flying 535747. A Luftwaffe report on aircraft with technical problems shows that 535473 developed a fire in the right engines while at 5000m and crashed, no location shown. Once again crew assumed safe so no NVM

535741 - Crew of Oblt. Botterbrodt failed to return from attack on London NVM shows all crew missing, no report of any bodies recovered as far as I know.

535745 - NVM states Beim Anflug z. Nachtangriff auf London Gesturzt. Westl. Rouen/Westfr. Ff Ofw Hugo Fleischer and four other crewmen killed, it would appear the Bm survived.

As well as this He177s 2224, 2221 returned (abgebrochen) with technical problems a Bs in 5736 had 'hohenkrank' altitude sickness so aircraft returned, and 5740 returned due to a overheated engine.

All the above are shown as on 21-01-1944. As regards Ofw Neuenfeldt on 12/13-07-1944 all the crew baled out without injury so there would be no NVM,

Hope this helps

Regards

Brian Bines

[zorglub]

Many thanks Brian , surely that's help !

I've just noticed that the Kracker Luftwaffe list states aboard 5745 Bm Ofw. Alfred Link was a survivor. If so the bomber crashed on the way to the target , not the return flight ( three planes lost near Rouen around 20h00 from the local archives , at least one deeply buried carrying incendiaries ).

Seems also strange the Luftwaffe report about 5743 did not give the crash-site location ( also most probably near Rouen ).

Zorglub