Ju 87 of Richard Hann I/StG2 KIA on May 11 1940

[Peter Cornwell]

Alexander,

Uffz Heinz WERK was a pilot, Uffz Richard HAHN was a gunner.

The burial information you mention is potentially useful. If you have the burial place of all those killed it could help us better understand the crew pairings.

[Alexander]

Hi Peter,

100% certitude that Heinz Lange was buried in Brustem! His first burial place was the airfield of Brustem. I've have a doubt if he was then transfered to Schuurhoven cemetery, Saint-Trond but one thing is also 100 % sure...he was afterwards buried at the Ehrenfriedhof of Brustem!!
Are you 100% sure that the second crewmember of Richard Hahn wasn't KIA that day?

Alexander

[Luc Vervoort]

Hi !

For the following pilots/crewmembers I have the original burial location :
Lange H. : Brustem
Hahn R. : Eben Emael
Werk H. : Eben Emael
Chuchra : Leuven (=Louvain)

I was told that based on the nr of the block and the gravenr at the German War Cemetery at Lommel it is possible to trace back the original burial location . Is this correct = ?

best regards

Luc

[Alexander]

Hello,

Luc, I was told the same. I can't say it excately for the other cemeteries but the soldiers who were buried on Ehrenfriedhof Brustem are now buried in Lommel cemetery, block 21.

The fact that Hahn R. and Werk H. were first buried in Eben-Emael can/mean(s) they were from the same crew.

Thanks,


Alexander

[Peter Cornwell]

Alexander & Luc,

When the Germans concentrated their war dead to cemeteries like Cannock Chase and, it seems also Lommel, they tended to bring them together en-bloc from smaller local cemeteries which makes sense. So it is possible to get an idea of the previous burial site from their present block/grave number though, in my experience, not an exact science but worth the effort as useful clues can often result. There is also no guarantee that the previous burial place was their original burial site, some being moved more than once.

It is striking how far apart these burials were but it would be most useful to know where Obergefr FISCHER was originally buried – anyone? Also, I confess that I had assumed that the crash reported at Attenhoven was down near Landen, but the burial of CHUCHRA at Leuven suggests that it was just north of there.

From Luc’s posting, my contention that WERK & CHUCHRA were a crew is plainly wrong – even accepting bale outs or badly wounded taken elsewhere for treatment, they were buried too far apart from one another. From the burial evidence I agree with Alexander that WERK & HAHN appear to make a much better pairing. Many thanks for the extra information and inputs, it is much appreciated.

[Flupke]

Hi to all
Concerning that day and unit it seems that a Ju-87 B from the 2./St.G 2 T6+AK was shot down near Koninksem with Oblt Kädtler Arno (KIA) as pilot or gunner , I have no information on the second crewman
Regards
Phil

[Peter Cornwell]

Hello Phil,

He was with the Stab StG2 and their losses that day were as follows:

Stab StG2 Dornier Do17M. Believed shot down after low-level chase by S/L Dewar and F/O Mitchell of No. 87 Squadron during reconnaissance sortie over Tirlemont and belly-landed near St Trond 3.30 p.m. Fw H. Schindler and Uffz G. Muschner killed. Oberlt H. Metz (Staffelkapitän) captured unhurt. Aircraft a write-off.

Stab StG2 Junkers Ju87B. Shot down by Hurricanes of No. 87 Squadron between Tirlemont and Leuven 3.30 p.m. Oberlt A. Kädtler and Uffz H. Grüneklee killed. Aircraft a write-off.

Please, what is your source for those code letters ? Could be significant. Thanks.