Battle of France video interviews with Stuka Pilot

[Peter Cornwell]

Originally Posted by Doolittle81

Heinz has not mentioned St.G. 76 having suffered such a catastrophic loss (11 out of 12) in conjunction with his shootdown, so I'm wondering if he were located elsewhere than in the midst of this particular flight/staffel of doomed Stukas.

Claims submitted rarely equate to actual losses suffered and that is true of any air force. I./StG76 only had the following losses on 12 May 1940:

1./StG76 Junkers Ju87B-1. Returned damaged by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie south of Bouillon 9.00 a.m. BF Uffz Richard Kuy badly wounded, FF Lt [ ] Haller unhurt. Aircraft 10% damaged but repairable.

1./StG76 Junkers Ju87B-1. Damaged by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie south of Bouillon 9.00 a.m. and believed forced-landed near Geroldstadt. BF Fw Friedrich Petrick badly wounded, FF Oberlt Zaratza Unbehauen unhurt. Aircraft 15% damaged but repairable.

2./StG76 Junkers Ju87B-1. Engine badly damaged in attack from below by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie east of Sedan and crash-landed in the Semois valley at ‘Les Longs Champs’ outside Dohan, east of Bouillon, 9.00 a.m. Probably that claimed by Sgt Perina. BF Uffz Helmut Gäth badly wounded in chest – died shortly after landing, FF Lt Heinz-Georg Migeod unhurt. Aircraft S1+GK 50% damaged but repairable.
Helmut Gäth was originally buried in a field grave in an orchard off the Route du Sati on the north-eastern approach to Dohan. He now lies in Noyers-Pont-Maugis Cemetery, Block 3, Grave 1835.

2./StG76 Junkers Ju87B. Badly damaged by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie east of Sedan and crash-landed behind the German lines 9.00 a.m. BF Gefr Ludwig Kirner slightly wounded, pilot unhurt. Aircraft 100% write-off.

2./StG76 Junkers Ju87B. Shot down Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie east of Sedan and crashed in woods near Bouillon 9.00 a.m. FF Lt Rudolf Schulze-Wimken, and BF Uffz Heinz Rolland both captured wounded – later released. Aircraft S1+DK 100% write-off.

Originally Posted by Doolittle81

Could you provide me the source (a quote and reference) regarding Perina's naming "east of Boullion" as the specific location of one of his shootdowns?

Les Victoires de l'Aviation de Chasse Francais Vol.1 by Arnaud Gillet (Paginove 2003) p128 "8.25 S/Lt Perina Ju87 E. de Bouillon, 8 km. l'E. de Bouillon. Sur (47 Z.O.A.E.)". As confirmed by the 'tally' of GC I/5.