Feldwebel Heinz Vinke

[Aubrey]

Hi All
Having identified 38 of the above's victories I am naturally anxious to obtain the remaining 16
Please can anyone offer any suggestions?
Regards,
Aubrey

[Leo Etgen]

Hello Aubrey

Here is what I have on this night fighter ace. I hope that it is useful to you. The way to access the .zip is by clicking "Free User" then "Download" at the link provided.

http://rapidshare.com/files/266507053/Vinke.zip.html

Horrido!

Leo

[Aubrey]

Hello Leo

Marvellous!

In the morning of my registration, and within 24 minutes of my first posting, I get a positive reply listing 52 out of an alleged total of 52!

A quick check with my lists shows the following which could bring your number up to 53 against my hitherto suspected total of 54

DATE: 27/01/43
RANK: Fw
UNIT: 11/NJG 1
TYPE: Wellington
LOCATION: 432 2G1
HEIGHT: 700 m
TIME:00.28
FILM: 2031/II
ANERK: 218

I will make a reconcilaition ASAP (hopefully on Sunday)

As a boy I collected cigarette cards which invariably consisted of sets of 50 ... and the last one was always the most difficult to get. It could be the same with No. 54 in this case!

Regards,
Aubrey

[Leo Etgen]

Hello Audrey

Many thanks for your response. I should inform you that according to Boiten the victory credited to Vinke at 0:28 on 27 January 1943 was actually shot down by Leutnant Wolfgang Kuthe of 11./NJG 1 as his fourth victory. The aircraft is identified as Wellington Ic (X9667) of 21 OTU, RAF flown by Sgt GG Ellis, 6 killed, 1 POW. I should say that for this thumbnail biography I have used a variety of sources for the victory list including Foreman, Wood and Boiten and each often has differences compared to the others! I have generally gone with the latter as it is the most recent but I should like to point out that each source has its differences and who knows which is correct in a particular instance.

Horrido!

Leo

[Aubrey]

Hello Leo

Thank you for correcting me insofar as the Wellington lost on 27 January 1943 should be credited to Lt Wolfgang Kuthe and not to Fw Heinz Vinke

I have, therefore, deleted the entry from my list and am grateful to you for the additional information from which I see that the aircraft's pilot and crew were still at OTU and must, therefore, have been far less experienced than those in the Squadrons

I appreciate that different sources of information often have their discrepancies with the result that many grey areas still exist and, in view of the time that has already elapsed, will probably continue to do so

Regards,
Aubrey

PS Being male I am an Aubrey and not an Audrey! It used to be a common mistake and embarrassing when I was a boy but not any more!!

[Aubrey]

Hello Leo

Further to my posting on 12 August I have since been able to establish that the info that I quoted regarding the Wellington incorrectly credited to Heinz Vinke came fom O.K.L. Fighter Claims ......... Reich & Western Front 1943

I'm glad of that because I thought I might have picked up the wrong name

Proof of your statement that "each source has its differences!"

Thank you again for your prompt and valuable input which was very much appreciated

Regards,
Aubrey

[mpierrela]

I am looking for the information on the Wellington he shot down on 12/13 March 1943 over Holland.
The Wellington crew was a RCAF crew. The pilot was Gilles Lamontagne.

Lost Bombers had this information...

The website Lost Bombers gives the following on the loss of his aircraft. Wellington BK340 (KW-T) of No.425 Squadron, target Essen, was airborne at 1912 hours, 12 March 1943. Shot down by a night-fighter (Fw Vinke) and crashed 2158 hours at Spanbroek (Noord Holland), 16 km NE of Alkmaar.

Some people say this Website which is not online anymore is unreliable.

Can you validate the crash of Wellington KW-T and if it was shot down by Vinke?

Thanks.

[mpierrela]

I am looking for the information on the Wellington he shot down on 12/13 March 1943 over Holland.

The Wellington crew was a RCAF crew. The pilot was Gilles Lamontagne.

Lost Bombers had this information...

The website Lost Bombers gives the following on the loss of his aircraft. Wellington BK340 (KW-T) of No.425 Squadron, target Essen, was airborne at 1912 hours, 12 March 1943. Shot down by a night-fighter (Fw Vinke) and crashed 2158 hours at Spanbroek (Noord Holland), 16 km NE of Alkmaar.

Some people say this Website which is not online anymore is unreliable.

Can you validate the crash of Wellington KW-T and if it was shot down by Vinke?

Thanks.

[Leo Etgen]

Hi mpierrela

According to The Nachtjagd War Diaries by Boiten and Mackenzie his 12th victim was Wellington X (HZ263) "EX-E" of 199 Sqn, RAF flown by F/Lt WJ King, all killed. Wellington III (BK340) "KW-T" of 425 Sqn, RAF flown by Sgt JGGC Lamontagne, all POW was shot down by Leutnant Oskar Köstler of 10./NJG 1 as his fourth victory according to the same source. Köstler claimed six victories, including three on the night in question prior to his death in Bf 110 F-4 (W.Nr. 4811) in aerial combat over Doornspijk on 9 April 1943. Apparently his last victim was Lancaster III (ED618) "SR-X" of 101 Sqn, RAF flown by F/Sgt JD Steele, all killed which exploded with such force it brought his aircraft down. I hope this helps.

Horrido!

Leo

[mpierrela]

Thank you so much.

I really appreciate this information.

I will post an update on my blog.

Pierre