Ar 196A-2 Captured by Norwegians 1940

[Steve Coates]

I don't know anything about this incident but Lt. Polzin is almost certainly Hans Polzin who was later the Staka for 3./Bflgrp 196. A few years back he signed a permission for me to access his personnel file at the BA-ZNS. There is no mention of this incident in there.

[Seaplanes]

I can only add that the incident is true. The Arado made a forced landing as described, the reason was stated to be difficult weather conditions. The German crew of Polzin and Techam were taken POW by the c/o of the small naval air detachment in Trondheim, Ltn. Kaare Strand Kjos and his assistant pilot/ltn. Magnus Lie, at Lyngstad. They were then handed over to the norwegian torpedoboat "Sild" that brought them to the town of Kristiansund for internment. The Arado was flown to Kristiansund by ltn. Kjos and moored. At 03.30 hours in the night to April 18, the Arado was flown from Norway to the Shetlands by ltn. Kjos, his brother 2/Lt. Finn Strand Kjos and an observer from a R.N. Walrus, ltn. Bush. They reached Shetlands after some 2 1/2 hours in the air.
The two Germans were set free following the surrender of all Norwegian forces in Southern Norway on May 1, 1940.