? me 109 -Teeside flown shot down.1940

[bill norman]

Am intrigued by the claim that a reader of the Middlesbrough Gazette discovered 'a bullet-ridden Me.109' on the Cleveland Hills in September/October 1940 - but also more than a little sceptical.
Because: 1. There is no known contemporary record of a Me.109 being shot down in this area - though enough came down 300 miles away in Kent! 2. A 1940 Me.109 had a range of c.430 miles - hardly the stamina to even reach the NE of England, let alone make a round-trip. 3. A one-way trip by a possible defector at a time when Germany was optimistic of victory wouldn't make much sense either.
The only occasion when German fighters flew over the Teesside area was in August 1940, when c. 20 Me.110s with extended fuel capacity escorted a daylight bombing raid and lost 40% of their number. The only German aircraft to fall on land in the Tees' area in 1940 was a Heinkel bomber (at Whitby in Feb. ), a photo-recce Ju.88 alongside the Scaling-Sandsend road (in August), and an Me.110 near Barnard Castle (also in August).
However, at least one bullet-ridden Me.109 did make an appearance in the area c. 1941 - but only as as fund-raising exhibit. I think the Gazette reader did see a German aircraft of some sort - but was it in the context in which he remembers it?

Bill Norman (www.billnorman.co.uk)

[ouidjat]

Good morning Sharon & Bill,

Thanks for this photo I din't know.

I'm surprised there is such information about this loss.

Isn't it WNr.5901 flown by Fiel, Walter. Oblt. of 8./JG 53 and said to be shot down on 2 October 1940 in East Peckham aera?

I have a doubt here. Fiel's machine is supposed to have a yellow cowling; or it was half painted ?

See:
http://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Bf-109E/B...t-1940-01.html
http://www.asisbiz.com/il2/Bf-109E/B...t-1940-02.html
and LuGa N°1, Mombeeck, but just colour profile.

Another JG53 Schwarze 7?


Regards, Franck.

[bill norman]

Ouidjat,
I don't think that the Me.109 in the picture is the one supposed to have been shot down over Teesside. The local newspaper simply used it as an example of the type.

[ouidjat]

Ah, thanks Bill.
And thanks to have put the two "s" in correct order ...