Oblt Hans-Heinz Augenstein of III./NJG1

[Doug Stankey]

Here’s all we have on this guy:

AUGENSTEIN, Hans-Heinz.
(DOB: 11.07.21 in Pforzheim-Brötzingen).
07.42 with 3./NJG 1.
c.12.42 assigned to 7./NJG 1.
01.10.43 promo to Oblt.
16.01.44 Lt., awarded DKG, 7./NJG 1.
17.01.44 Lt., awarded Ehrenpokal.
31.01.44 Oblt., appt Staka 7./NJG 1 (to 01.03.44).
01.03.44 appt Staka 12./NJG 1 (to 06.12.44).
09.06.44 Oblt., awarded Ritterkreuz, Stafü 7./NJG 1.
15/16.06.44 WIA – shot up vic Roubaix/Belgium.
01.07.44 promo to Hptm.
06/07.12.44 12./NJG 1 KIA – Bf 110G-4 (G9+HZ, WNr. 740078) shot down by an RAF Mosquito night fighter 10 km NW of Münster-Handorf.
Credited with 46 night victories.

We hope that this helps.

LdZ
DGS

[Bombphoon]

Thank you very much Hennie, Leonventer and Doug for your help.

I have now compiled the definitive answer, thanks to a Dutch friend!

"Frank Burdett’s crew had been flying for over six hours and were on the return flight from Leipzig, when at 05.34hrs disaster struck. Published versions of the incident record that nightfighter ace Oberleutnant Hans-Heinz Augenstein attacked and shot down Frank’s Lancaster.
However, new correspondence from Dutch aviation historian Dick Breedijk reveals Augenstein’s claim was just outside Bremen, Germany: ‘The crash time in all the books would mean the Lancaster flew 450km in around three hours – this is not possible! But an Oberfeldwebel Heinz Vinke claimed this night: ‘Lancaster, 15km NW of Apeldoorn, 4800m, 05.34hrs’. This is the correct claim!’
Unfortunately for Frank’s crew, 23-year-old Vinke of Messerschmitt 110G unit 11/NG1 was one of the Luftwaffe’s top nightfighter aces. The lumbering Lancaster crashed in flames in a field at Elspeet, Holland."

Great to solve a 64 year old mystery!

[Oxby R]

Interesting thread, and good detective work. Bombphoon, out of interest - do you know whether Ofw Vinke survived the war ?

[George Hopp]

The targets in Leipzig cover almost 10 pages of the "Bomber's Baedeker" 1944 edition, so I'll just give the Class 1 targets: 2 power stations, at Boehlen and Espenhain-Moebis; the Erla a/c assembly plant at Heiterblick; and the Hugo Schneider AG armaments plant at Paunsdorf.

Hope it helps,
George

[Tom Semenza]

Regarding Vinke; he was MIA on 26 February 1944 flying Bf 110G-4 (740136) G9+KY. By then he had been credited with 54 victories and was a Ritterkreuz recipient. He was posthumously awarded the Eichenlaub.

Regards,
Tom

[Doug Stankey]

Regarding Augenstein, we have the following biographical info:

AUGENSTEIN, Hans-Heinz.
Date of birth: 11.07.21 in Pforzheim-Brötzingen.
07.42 with 3./NJG 1.
c.12.42 assigned to 7./NJG 1.
01.10.43 promo to Oblt.
16.01.44 Lt., awarded DKG, 7./NJG 1.
17.01.44 Lt., awarded Ehrenpokal.
31.01.44 Oblt., appt Staka 7./NJG 1 (to 01.03.44).
01.03.44 appt Staka 12./NJG 1 (to 06.12.44).
09.06.44 Oblt., awarded Ritterkreuz, Stafü 7./NJG 1.
15/16.06.44 Oblt., WIA – shot up vic Roubaix/Belgium.
01.07.44 promo to Hptm.
06/07.12.44 KIA – shot down by an RAF night fighter near Münster-Handorf.
Credited with 46 night victories.


We hope this helps.


LdZ
DGS

[galgos]

An intersting thread, though I would disagree with the adjective "lumbering" for the Lancaster (nice bit of alliteration though). With the drag from aerials on the nose array of the Bf110s, there was not a great deal of difference in speed, as Heinz Schnaufer acknowledged in his post-war interrogation. See the quote from Harry Cave on my website about his view of flying a "lumbering Lancaster": http://www.galgos.co.uk/54401/index.html
Regards
Max

[Bombphoon]

Originally Posted by galgos

An intersting thread, though I would disagree with the adjective "lumbering" for the Lancaster (nice bit of alliteration though). With the drag from aerials on the nose array of the Bf110s, there was not a great deal of difference in speed, as Heinz Schnaufer acknowledged in his post-war interrogation. See the quote from Harry Cave on my website about his view of flying a "lumbering Lancaster": http://www.galgos.co.uk/54401/index.html
Regards
Max

Lancaster speed with bombload at long range: c. 200 mph
Bf110 nightfighter speed up to 300 mph. (sources: various via google)

Speed combined with sheer size of a Lanc and having to hold position in bomber stream, plus difficult manouevrability = lumbering

Regards

Austin

PS - I like your website - a nice online tribute to some brave young men...

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Hello

Hans-Heinz Augenstein COULD have been with the 3./NJG 1 (part of I./NJG 1 in Venlo) between July and December 1942 before his transfer to the 7./NJG 1 (part of III./NJG 1 in Twente) but I wonder what the original source for this info has been. I do have sincere doubts because:

On www.luftwaffe.cz it is for instance said that he had one nocturnal victory on 1th August 1942 with the 3./NJG 1 (a Wellington near Ahlhorn) which seems virtually uncorrect: this area was far beyond the 'hunting area' of the 3./NJG 1. What is more: in the very same night, two other pilots of this 3./NJG 1 claimed two bombers near Dilsen and Maaseyk which is within the operational range of Venlo airfield where the 3./NJG 1 was stationed at that time. In other words: there is strong evidence that the 3./NJG 1 was not near Vechta or Ahlhorn that night, but in Venlo.

Therefore: it is unlikely that Augenstein belonged to the 3./NJG 1 and regarding the location of Ahlhorn, I wonder wether it should have been 3./NJG 3 because the I./NJG 3 operated from Vechta, south of Ahlhorn.

I am convinced that the future will show that my suspicion is justified.

Marcel Hogenhuis
www.fliegerhorst-venlo.net

[galgos]

Originally Posted by Bombphoon

Lancaster speed with bombload at long range: c. 200 mph
Bf110 nightfighter speed up to 300 mph. (sources: various via google)

Speed combined with sheer size of a Lanc and having to hold position in bomber stream, plus difficult manouevrability = lumbering

Regards

Austin

PS - I like your website - a nice online tribute to some brave young men...

Thank you Austin, I'm glad you liked the website, which is an on-going project.

Reference speed and performance differentials between the "lumbering" Lancaster and the Bf110/Ju88, never trust mere statistics - take it from the ace-of-aces (and friend of Augenstein) Heinz Schnaufer who, when interrogated shortly after the end of the war said the following:
"(he) considered the majority of attacks ....were carried out with the upward-firing guns. One reason for this was the little difference in the speeds of the Ju88 and the Me110 compared with the Lancaster and the Halifax"
Where does "difficult manoeuvrability" come from, Harry Cave clearly doesn't think so: "it floated like a bird", "it was like flying a Tiger Moth", "it was responsive to the controls", "to bank or climb or dive, just a slight movement and it performed it beautifully and smoothly" etc etc."

Regards
Max