2x Do24 losses in the Med, June 1942

[Adam]

Can anyone identify relevant details for two Do24 losses on or about 14 June 1942.

All I can offer is the first had a crew consisting of: Ofw Sost, Ofw Jänsen, Uffz Förster, ObGfr Münch, ObGfr Möller, ObGfr Schulz

The second had a crew consisting of: Uffz Fuhrmann, Uffz Westerkowsky, Uffz Forster, ObGfr Jedermann, ObGfr Ritzrau and ObGfr Wallraff

Any details on the two aircraft, unit and crew positions would be greatly appreciated.

[Nick Beale]

This site is excellent for Do 24 information: http://dornier24.com/ although it lacks a "search" facility.

[Matti Salonen]

I have completely different info on the names you mentioned:
1942-12-17, 7. Seenotstaffel, Do 24 T-2, 54, CM+IT, Syrakus
Ofw Fraschak, Werner, +
Fw Haugk, Kurt, +
Ogfr Koch, Willi, +
Olt Kurz, Hans, +
Ogfr Schulz, Willi, +
Ofw Sost, Hans, +
Beim Start gegen Mast geflogen. Bruch 100 %.
1942-12-29, 7. Seenotstaffel, Do 24 T-3, 63, VH+SC, Hafen Syrakus
Flugzeugführer Uffz Ritzrau, Wilhelm, +
Beobachter Uffz Hässler, Heinz, +
Bordfunker Ogfr Jedermann, Ernst, +
Bordmechaniker Uffz Forster, Adolf, verletzt
Bordschütze Ogfr Schweizer, Georg, +
Fluggast Villnow, Ernst, +
Bei Landung auf Mine gelaufen und ausgebrannt. Bruch 100 %.
1943-11-27, 7. Seenotstaffel, Do 24 T-3, 3236, KO+IF, Kolovadi-Bucht (Insel Samos) (23 Ost 6828)
Flugzeugführer Fw Pfaffendorf, Josef, +
Beobachter Uffz Lorenzen, Siegfried, +
Bordfunker Uffz Gaensender, Andreas, verletzt
Bordmechaniker Ofw Jansen, Peter, +
Bordmechaniker Ogfr Kitzerow, Rudolf, verletzt
Bordschütze Uffz Heptner, Gottfried
Fw Ellenberg, Heinrich
1943-11-27, 7. Seenotstaffel, Do 24 T-3, 3267, CM+RA, Bei Aalen
Flugzeugführer Fw Scholz, Hans, +
Beobachter Uffz Otten, Christoffer, +
Bordfunker Uffz Kozuschek, Wolfgang, +
Bordmechaniker Ogfr Seilkopf, Heinrich, +
Bordmechaniker Ogfr Wallraff, Karl, +
Bordschütze Ogfr Nettelbeck, Ernst, +
Absturz um 14.45 Uhr infolge Vereisung und Aufschlagbrand. Bruch 100 %.
Bei Wasserung beschädigt und gesunken. Bruch 100 %.
1943-12-23, 7. Seenotstaffel, Do 24 T-3, 87, DJ+ZM, Bucht von Kapsali (Insel Kythera)
Flugzeugführer Uffz Kunde, Günther, +
Beobachter Ofw Marquardt, Richard, +
Beobachter Ofw Steinig, Walter, verletzt
Bordfunker Fw Komnick, Günter, verletzt
Bordmechaniker Ogfr Grzywotz, Gerhard, +
Bordschütze Uffz Westerkowsky, Alfred, verletzt
Beim Ausrollen am Strand liegendes Haus gerammt. Bruch 100 %.

However, if all were unharmed, the following could be the ones you are looking for:
1942-06-15, 7. Seenotstaffel, Do 24 T-2, 31, CH+EW
Bruchlandung bei einer Rettungsmission. Bruch 100 %.
1942-06-15, 7. Seenotstaffel, Do 24 T-2, 49, CM+IO, Pl.Qu. 23 Ost 3402
Bruch beim Wieder-Start und anschließend durch U-83 versenkt. Bruch 100 %.
Unfortunately no info on the vrew.

Matti

[RT]

Seems Adam, you hv there the crews of the 2 planes , that had been lost on 15.June, just missing, names of crew of the Ju88 they recovered,
Where hv you found these names ?? On the KTB of the OKM , they are not appearing ...

Rémi

[Rainer]

The original enquiry of Adam was posted in the forum of uboat.net: http://uboat.net/forums/read.php?3,91752
The source for the names of the rescued crew members come from the KTBs of the involved U-boats, so it is possible that there are some errors in the ranks and spelling of the names.

Discussed are two similar incidents, both involving failed attempts of Dornier flying boats to pick up German airmen in the Mediterranean on 15 June 1942 and the subsequent rescue by two different German U-boats the following night.

A story about these rescue missions is published here: http://www.dornier24.com/pages/stories/story7.html
But there it is stated that the aircraft scuttled by U-83 was CM+IQ (Wnr 51) while Matti identifies it as CM+IO (WNr 31).
However, I noticed several other errors in that text. Suda is on Crete, the correct rank of the U-boat commander was Kapitänleutnant and he was awarded the Knights Cross at the end of this patrol in June 1942, but certainly not for having rescued the German airmen.

[RT]

Good work work done there, most probably 31 is the right figure , as it belongs to SNSt.7 , 51 had been provided to SNSt.8

Rémi

[RT]

...

49 belonged also to 7.SNSt. nd a pretty new plane, for sure one of its first flight.
Any idea where action take place, between Kreta nd Afrika coast ??

Rémi

[Brian Bines]

I take it the Ju88 was B3+TL 140216 Ff Lt Wilfried Muller lost body recovered by Italian Torpedo Boat on the 19th, see Radtke KG 54 history pages 124, 298 and 354

[RT]

Ok. with locations,

Remi

[Rainer]

To summarize our discoveries so far:

1942-06-14, 3./KG 54, Ju 88 A-4, 140216, B3+TL
Cause?, loss 100%
Flugzeugführer Lt Müller, missing (possibly Lt Müller, Wilfried, +)
Uffz Kurtz, survived
Uffz Springmeier, survived
Gfr Scheer, survived

According to aircrewmembered.com this aircraft was shot down by AA fire from the British merchant ship TROILUS in the "Harpoon" convoy to Malta, but that is not possible because the convoy sailed from Gibraltar to Malta and 140216 was apparently lost while operating against the "Vigorous" convoy that sailed simultaneously from Alexandria to Malta. They also state that Lt Müller must have survived this crash and went MIA in 140123 on 11 October 1942, but it is probably a misidentification as they list him as Hermann Müller, while according to Radtke his name was Wilfried Müller and his body was recovered by an Italian torpedo boat on 19 June.

1942-06-15, 7. Seenotstaffel, Do 24 T-2, 0031, CH+EW
Crash landing at sea during rescue mission, loss 100%
Uffz Forster, survived (possibly Bordmechaniker Uffz Forster, Adolf)
Uffz Fuhrmann, survived
Uffz Westerkowsky, survived (possibly Bordschütze Uffz Westerkowsky, Alfred)
Ogfr Jedermann, survived (possibly Bordfunker Ogfr Jedermann, Ernst)
Ogfr Ritzrau, survived (possibly Flugzeugführer Ogfr Ritzrau, Wilhelm)
Ogfr Wallraff, survived (possibly Bordmechaniker Ogfr Wallraff, Karl)

U-431 (Kptlt Wilhelm Dommes) rescued all six crewmen of the Dornier and three crewmen of the Junkers in M.Qu. CO 5393 (approx. 34°09'N, 24°26'E, about 50 nautical miles south of Crete) at 2250hrs on 15 June.

1942-06-14, 7./JG 53, Bf 109 F-4/Trop, 10163, Weisse 6 + I
Cause?, loss 100%
Lt Hesse, Heinrich, survived

According to aircrewremembered.com the Messerschmitt was shot down during aerial combat with a Beaufighter of either No. 252 or 272 Sqn RAF. While dornier24.com mentions that he had been shot down by the South African fighter pilot Lt Van der Spuy.

1942-06-15, 7. Seenotstaffel, Do 24 T-2, 0049, CM+IO, Pl.Qu. 23 Ost 3402
Crashed on take-off at sea during rescue mission & scuttled by U-83, loss 100%
Flugzeugführer Ofw Sost, Hans, survived
Ofw Jänsen, survived (possibly Bordmechaniker Ofw Jansen, Peter)
Uffz Förster, survived
Ogfr Münch, survived
Ogfr Möller, survived (possibly Bordmechaniker Ogfr Moller, Robert)
Ogfr Schulz, survived (possibly Ogfr Schulz, Willi)

U-83 (Kptlt Hans-Werner Kraus) rescued all six crewmen of the Dornier and Lt Hesse in M.Qu. CO 5688 (approx. 33°03'N, 23°54'E, about 60 nautical miles north of Tobruk) at 2300hrs on 15 June.

Any corrections or additions are welcome.