Bv 138 losses

[Martin Gleeson]

Hallo Adam,


I can only help with the first two because both have an Irish connection of sorts. Details come from the Luftwaffe Quarter Master General's Loss Returns (for both) in the Imperial War Museum which I checked in 1990 and from the Irish Military Archives (second loss only).

1/ 18 November 1940. BV 138A-1 Werk Nr. 0386, 8L + HK
Unit: 2./Ku.Fl.Gr. 906
Cause of loss: not known.
Mission area: 'bei Irland' (near Ireland).
Crew: 5, all missing.
B. Lt. zur See Karl Claus
F. Uffz. Karl Boker (with umlaut over'o')
Bf. Uffz. August Gross
Bm. Uffz. Karl Jenal
Bm. Uffz. Paul Gems.

2/ 25 November 1940. BV 138A-1 Werk Nr. 0381, 8L + CK
Unit: 2./Ku.Fl.Gr. 906
Cause of loss: engine trouble, neccessitating a force-landing in the sea off the Blasket Islands, County Kerry, Ireland. Aircraft was washed onto one of these and wrecked. Crew also helped destroy the aircraft with machine gun fire. Crew of 5 all survived, 2 with some injuries. Rescued off the island three days later. They were later sent to the Curragh Internment Camp.

Its mission was an operational sortie to the area known as Pl. Qu. 8495.

Crew: 5.
B. Oblt. zur See Konrad Neymeyr
F. Uffz. Wilhelm (Willi) Krupp
Bf. Uffz. Erwin Sack
Bm. Fw. Hans Briegel
Bs. OberGefr. Ernst Kalkowski.

Hope this helps a little,

Martin Gleeson.