Oblt. Horst Max DÜMCKE, KIA 19th September 1944

[Andy Mitchell]

Found another reference to DÜMCKE in Thomas and Ketley - "KG200 The Luftwaffe's Most Secret Unit".

Page 44 - Photo caption 48 - "Trials with an He 111 towing an Fi 156 and Bf108, similar in style to that shown here with a Go 242, were a necessary part of the preparations for the Abwehr operation names "Hopping Hare" which was to be carried out by Kommando Toska. On the actual operation , the towed aircraft was a Bf 108, flown by Horst DÜMCKE, the CO of Toska. DÜMCKE had earlier been a pilot with Wekusta 2./Ob.d.L and had ditched in the Atlantic from where he and his crew had been eventually rescued by a French fishing vessel and an ASR Breguet Bizerte flying boat of Seenotstaffel 1."

Page 43 - "On 12 November (1943), Oblt. Paul Karker flew an He 111 towing the Bf 108, piloted by the commanding officer of "Toska", Oblt. Horst DÜMCKE, south-westwards across the mediterranean. Over the Gulf of Sirte the Bf 108 was released to fly on while the Heinkel turned away to distract Allied radar. The chosen objective was an emergency landing-ground by the airfield of Tamet, near El Makarem in Tunisia, abandoned since its use by the Italian Regia Aeronautica in 1942. There DÜMCKE landed safely and radioed his arrival, but a supply drop planned for the following day was abandoned when air-raids on Kalamaki damaged two of the supply aircraft. No further flight was undertaken until 17 November, by which time DÜMCKE and his observer, Lt. Kussmal, had used up all their water. Karger flew a sand camouflaged He 111, coded T9+NK, across the Mediterranean early in the morning but mist hid the Libyan coast and, as he was unable to obtain a "fix" by radio, Karger landed in the desert. After dark, he was able to locate his position by the stars as only 30km from DÜMCKE's camp, Lager 1 (cover-named "Traviata") in the Wadi Tamet and flew the heinkel there the followign day. On 19 November, having camouflaged the Bf 108, the advance reconnaissance party returned in the He 111 to Athens-Tatoi."

Hope that this helps as well.