Location of Ju 88 remains vicinity of St Lo, Normandy

[Woodpecker]

I was flying from Eindhoven (in a Ju 88, KG54), to Normandy. On the night of July 30/31st 1944 in the vicinity of St. Lo I was shot down by flak.

The remains of the aircraft engines were discovered in 1983-84, I believe, by a French local historian. What I would like to know is where they were found. Also, whether any remains were found with it. The rest of my crew went down with the plane I beleive.

Can anyone help?

[leonventer]

Originally Posted by Woodpecker

I was flying from Eindhoven (in a Ju 88, KG54), to Normandy. On the night of July 30/31st 1944 in the vicinity of St. Lo I was shot down by flak. ... The rest of my crew went down with the plane I beleive.

According to Radtke's "Kampfgeschwader 54", two aircraft from 8./KG 54 were lost on the night of July 30/31, 1944 in the area just south of Saint Lo:

• Ju 88A-4, B3+IS (p.217) or B3+JS (p.370), all crew missing (Uffze Pohlschmidt, Schubert, Wischers & Ogefr Möller), Le Mesnil (probably Le Mesnil-Herman)
• Ju 88A-4, B3+ES, 1 POW (Ogefr Ernst Specht) + 3 missing (Uffze Baumgart, Kaupa & Ogefr Sitek), Gavray

I did a quick google for info about a recovered Ju 88 in that area around 1982-83, but didn't find anything. No doubt others will know more.

Hope that helps,
Leon Venter

[David E. Brown]

Hello Woodpecker,

Echoing Leon’s comments, in Siegfried Radtke’s 1990 book “Kampgeschwader 54: von der Ju 52 zur Me 262 – Eine Chronik nach Kriegstagebüchern, Documenten und Berichten 1935-1945”, he notes three Ju 88 losses for that period that might by your aircraft. Information comes from the text (p.217), Appendix 8 - Personalverluste (p.336) and Appendix 9 – Flugzeugverluste (p.370):

30 July 1944 – Ju 88 A-4, WNr.3665, B3+CH, 1./KG 54, 100%, Le Mesnil, France
FF: Lt. Hans Sickfeld – missing
BO: Uffz. Oskar Winter – missing
BF: Uffz. Hermann Mittelstaedt – missing
BS: Fw. Erich Leimbach – missing

31 July 1944 – Ju 88 A-4, WNr.????, B3+JS, 8./KG 54, 100%, Le Mesnil, France
FF: Uffz. Karl Pohlschmidt – missing
BO: Uffz. Wolfgang Schubert – missing
BF: Uffz. Heinz Wischers – missing
BS: Ogefr. Wilhelm Möller – missing

31 July 1944 – Ju 88 A-4, WNr.????, B3+ES, 8./KG 54, 100%, near Gavré, France
FF: Uffz. Horst Baumgart – missing
BO: Ogefr. Bruno Sitek – missing
BF: Ogefr. Ernst Specht – missing
BS: Uffz. Ernst Kaupa – missing

In the text, Radtke offers more information and states that the two losses on the 31st – presumably very early on that date – were at Granville, Gavray [Gavré] (B3+JS) and Le Mesnil-Herman (B3+ES) respectively. He also states that the BF (Bordfunker ) of Baumgart’s aircraft B3+ES, Ogefr. Ernst Specht, was later determined to be a POW. Presumably, this is you?

Regarding the discovery and excavation of the aircraft and crew remains, I don’t have any information, but perhaps John Manrho in the Netherlands would probably be able to help you. I’ll send you his contact information separately. If you go to the following website - http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche/content_suche.asp - you may be able to locate the resting place of your fellow crew members.

All the best with your search,

David

[RT]

Laut ADI/k JS/IS is the one quoted above ES,from this plane

FF: Uffz. Horst Baumgart – missing MISSING
BO: Ogefr. Bruno Sitek – missing MAYBE RETURNED TO ONE LINES
BF: Ogefr. Ernst Specht – missing Prisoner
BS: Uffz. Ernst Kaupa – missing MISSING

Maybe the question comes from Mr Sitek or Mr Specht ???

Remi

[Huib Ottens]

Hi Gruppe,

'Specht' is the german word for Woodpecker..........

[RT]

So , even 2 weeks late happy birthday Mr. Specht

Remi

[Chris Goss]

The only note I have is this ac was shot down by Flak 15 kms south of St Lo at 0015 hrs. Baumgart & Sitek were killed, Specht POW & Kaupa missing. The only 'digger' I thought could be J-P Benamou but St Lo is away from his area. Trouble is so many 'diggers' have come and gone over the years and this is a long time ago

[Woodpecker]

What detectives you are!
Yes I am Ernst Specht. We were shot down in the early hours of 31st July. I was thrown from the aircraft as it spun in. After "debriefing" in London I went as a POW to the USA (Alabama and South Carolina), then to Belgium and the UK. I eventually settled in the UK. A recent visit to Normandy brought back many memories and a desire to try again to see if I could find out what happened to my comrades.
Thanks for your interest and help.
Ernst

[RT]

Dear Mr. Specht, when you were "interwied" by the brits you told them you started from Châteaudun ?? In that case are you briefed before missions to tell to eventual interrogators, a "correct" story, ??

Remi

[Chris Goss]

Woodpecker-if you are intersted, I have been in touch with 2 KG 54 crew members lost around your time-Helmut Guldenfels and Hans Gehentges. You might have met them on the way to POW camp