About a He 111 belly landed in France 1939 - 1940 (?)

[canonne]

Hi all,

An unknown belly landed He 111 during the Western airwar during 1939-1940 period. Questions are always the same ... Where ? which unit ? aircraft ? aircrew ?circonstancies of the action ?
Thanking you in anticipation.
Phil.

[Bertrand H]

Hi Philippe,

10 may 1940, 8./KG55, Velaine-en-Haye

More on this with the article I wrote

http://www.etudes-touloises.fr/archives/145/art2.pdf


Bertrand

[canonne]

Bonjour Bertrand,

Un grand merci pour votre aide ! Votre article est sincèrement excellent : bien écrit, bien illustré, bien expliqué.
Toutes mes félicitations.
Bonnes recherches
Philippe.

[John Beaman]

Philippe,

English language please, unless you are quoting and original WWII document or post war publication.

[Pieter H]

Hi Bertrand and Philippe,
intersting! I (and Peter Cornwell/EOE) had this aircraft as Stab III./KG55, and code was given as G1+CD. But your pictures now clearly show code G1+CS, although the crew and the loss list do refer to a Stab aircraft. So apparently an aircraft on loan by the Stab from the 8th Staffel.
Another mystery solved, thanks.

Kind regards, Pieter

[gogh]

in "Kampfgeschwader 55" from Hall and Quinlan publisher Red Kite ISBN-10:0-9538061-0-3 there is also a G1+CS crashed on -1940-07-29 could this be the same plane because the damage seems to be little ?

[RT]

By july, french army was over...

Rémi

[canonne]

Hiall,

Thank you very much indeed for all your information, details you promply and kindly provided me. Apologies for my French : I was so happy discovering this ("French") article. Yes, one of my interests is to obtain - share confirmation on each sides concerning photos, database .... I am trying to obtain (in vain for the moment) a better scan.
Thank you !!!
Philippe

[Peter Cornwell]

Sorry but Peter Cornwell does not have this aircraft as G1+CD and hasn’t done so since at least 2007 - if at all. It is currently listed so:

10 May 1940 Stab III./KG55 Heinkel He111P-2 (2856). Port engine disabled in attacks by Capt Pierre Hyvernault of GC 2/2 then engaged by Adjt H. Castel, Sgt J. Giordani, and Lt R. Lamaison of GC I/8 and belly-landed, under fire from ground defences (1032 DCA), on Velaine-en-Haye airfield where crew attempted to fire the aircraft 5.40 a.m. BO Oberlt Gustav Hecker, FF Oberfw Franz Glocke, BF Fw Robert Labandowsky, BM Uffz Hans Gentsch, and BS Gefr Fritz Günther (late of 1./KG4) all captured unhurt – later released. Aircraft G1+CS damaged but repairable.
An 8 Staffel machine assigned to the Stabsschwarm.

I don’t have a copy of the KG55 book mentioned but that loss took place over England and was a total wreck as follows:

29 July 1940 8./KG55 Heinkel He111P. Sortied to attack the Bristol Works at Filton but hit by AA fire and abandoned by crew due to port engine fire. Crashed at Fullers Lane, East Woodhay, near Newbury, 2.00 a.m. FF Fw Theodor Metzner and BF Uffz Kurt Böker baled out and both captured unhurt, HS Gefr Heinz Morgenthal and BM Gefr Ernst Ostheimer both baled out and captured unhurt two days later, BO Fw Josef Markl baled out unhurt and evaded - eventually surrendered near Highclere crossroads after nine days at large. Aircraft G1+CS 100% write off.

Finally, further kudos to Bertrand for nice work.

[Bertrand H]

Hi Peter,

Not Capt Pierre Hyvernault of GC 2/2 but read GC 1/2 (posted at Ochey)

Bertrand