Battle of France video interviews with Stuka Pilot

[Doolittle81]

Hello...

I have been providing a little assistance to Biltongbru on his Migeod Website project...not much more than a bit of fetch and carry tasks.

It would appear, in my opinion, that it can be concluded that the French pilot la Meslee definitely shot down Heinz on 12 May 1940.

As Biltongbru has indicated at his Migeod website, the la Meslee documentation cites Boullion specifically as the location of the shootdown of a Ju-87. Heinz has recounted that he was shot down just North of Sedan. Boullion seems to be about 8.5M (13.5Km) NNE of Sedan. Dohan is about 3.2 miles (5Km) East of Boullion.

With the additional evidence of a crash at Dohan and death of a crewman there, it would seem the converging evidence is conclusive.

[Peter Cornwell]

Doolittle81,

While you may be absolutely right, I regret that the evidence available does not allow us to identify the French pilot(s) responsible with the certainty you suggest. No less than 11 'sure' claims were submitted by pilots of GC 1/5 following this action, together with 6 more 'probables', and Bouillon is cited in five of these. Lt Edmond Marin-la-Meslée claimed one Ju87 on the ground south of Bouillon his other two 'sure' claims in this action being even further south. Meantime, S/Lt François Perina claimed a Ju87 '8 km east of Bouillon' (confirmed by 47 ZOAE) which I consider the more plausible candidate for that flown by Migeod. Unfortunately, Cne Jean-Marie Accart's account of this action in his Chasseurs du Ciel (1946) throws no further light on the matter as he was not personally involved.

Congratulations to all involved in bringing this source to a wider audience through this forum. Excellent job.

[Fairlop]

S/Lt François Perina claimed a Ju87 '8 km east of Bouillon' (confirmed by 47 ZOAE) which I consider the more plausible candidate for that flown by Migeod.

The correct name is Frantisek Perina. Czech ace, with Sgt rank at that time. Usually flew as No.2 to Cne Accart.

Regards,
Michal

[Doolittle81]

Originally Posted by Peter Cornwell

... I regret that the evidence available does not allow us to identify the French pilot(s) responsible with the certainty you suggest.... S/Lt François Perina claimed a Ju87 '8 km east of Bouillon' (confirmed by 47 ZOAE) which I consider the more plausible candidate for that flown by Migeod. Unfortunately, Cne Jean-Marie Accart's account of this action in his Chasseurs du Ciel (1946) throws no further light on the matter as he was not personally involved.

....

I see your point. I agree that my 'conclusive' statement was a bit premature, as i did not know about Perina's claims. I found an October 1995 interview with Perina in which he stated: “On Sunday, May 12, the Germans occupied Sedan. Junkers Ju-87s were already dive-bombing the airfield at Sedan when we arrived and attacked them. One Stuka was just in front of me; I hardly had to aim. In four minutes I got four of them, one after the other. Two fell in French lines and were confirmed by the confirmation officer, the other two came down in German lines and could only be counted as probables.” Heinz has not mentioned St.G. 76 having suffered such a catastrophic loss (11 out of 12) in conjunction with his shootdown, so I'm wondering if he were located elsewhere than in the midst of this particular flight/staffel of doomed Stukas. Perhaps we'll be able to ask him a bit more about the large losses of that day. La Meslee's victories, as you said, seem to have occurred more singly (geographically and timeline separated), one of which being cited as near Boullion. Could you provide me the source (a quote and reference) regarding Perina's naming "east of Boullion" as the specific location of one of his shootdowns? Was it in Accart's book? Could you provide a specific quote if so?

Thanks

[Peter Cornwell]

Originally Posted by Doolittle81

Heinz has not mentioned St.G. 76 having suffered such a catastrophic loss (11 out of 12) in conjunction with his shootdown, so I'm wondering if he were located elsewhere than in the midst of this particular flight/staffel of doomed Stukas.

Claims submitted rarely equate to actual losses suffered and that is true of any air force. I./StG76 only had the following losses on 12 May 1940:

1./StG76 Junkers Ju87B-1. Returned damaged by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie south of Bouillon 9.00 a.m. BF Uffz Richard Kuy badly wounded, FF Lt [ ] Haller unhurt. Aircraft 10% damaged but repairable.

1./StG76 Junkers Ju87B-1. Damaged by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie south of Bouillon 9.00 a.m. and believed forced-landed near Geroldstadt. BF Fw Friedrich Petrick badly wounded, FF Oberlt Zaratza Unbehauen unhurt. Aircraft 15% damaged but repairable.

2./StG76 Junkers Ju87B-1. Engine badly damaged in attack from below by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie east of Sedan and crash-landed in the Semois valley at ‘Les Longs Champs’ outside Dohan, east of Bouillon, 9.00 a.m. Probably that claimed by Sgt Perina. BF Uffz Helmut Gäth badly wounded in chest – died shortly after landing, FF Lt Heinz-Georg Migeod unhurt. Aircraft S1+GK 50% damaged but repairable.
Helmut Gäth was originally buried in a field grave in an orchard off the Route du Sati on the north-eastern approach to Dohan. He now lies in Noyers-Pont-Maugis Cemetery, Block 3, Grave 1835.

2./StG76 Junkers Ju87B. Badly damaged by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie east of Sedan and crash-landed behind the German lines 9.00 a.m. BF Gefr Ludwig Kirner slightly wounded, pilot unhurt. Aircraft 100% write-off.

2./StG76 Junkers Ju87B. Shot down Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie east of Sedan and crashed in woods near Bouillon 9.00 a.m. FF Lt Rudolf Schulze-Wimken, and BF Uffz Heinz Rolland both captured wounded – later released. Aircraft S1+DK 100% write-off.

Originally Posted by Doolittle81

Could you provide me the source (a quote and reference) regarding Perina's naming "east of Boullion" as the specific location of one of his shootdowns?

Les Victoires de l'Aviation de Chasse Francais Vol.1 by Arnaud Gillet (Paginove 2003) p128 "8.25 S/Lt Perina Ju87 E. de Bouillon, 8 km. l'E. de Bouillon. Sur (47 Z.O.A.E.)". As confirmed by the 'tally' of GC I/5.

[Larry Hickey]

Peter,

Isn't Migeod's plane S1+MK, vice S1+GK?

Regards,

[Pieter H]

Larry is right.

If you look on the Migeod web site you that he flew
S1+GK during excercise training flights in April up to May 2
S1+MK during the early days of the French Campaign, until shot down 12-5
S1+DK after he resumed flight on 14/17 May (difficult to read).

Regards, Pieter

[Peter Cornwell]

Sorry gentlemen, S1+MK was indeed Migeod's aircraft on 12 May 1940. Digit trouble this end.

[Doolittle81]

Originally Posted by Peter Cornwell

Claims submitted rarely equate to actual losses suffered and that is true of any air force. ...

2./StG76 Junkers Ju87B-1. Engine badly damaged in attack from below by Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie east of Sedan and crash-landed in the Semois valley at ‘Les Longs Champs’ outside Dohan, east of Bouillon, 9.00 a.m. Probably that claimed by Sgt Perina. BF Uffz Helmut Gäth badly wounded in chest – died shortly after landing, FF Lt Heinz-Georg Migeod unhurt. Aircraft S1+GK 50% damaged but repairable.
Helmut Gäth was originally buried in a field grave in an orchard off the Route du Sati on the north-eastern approach to Dohan. He now lies in Noyers-Pont-Maugis Cemetery, Block 3, Grave 1835.

...

2./StG76 Junkers Ju87B. Shot down Curtiss H-75s of GC I/5 during sortie east of Sedan and crashed in woods near Bouillon 9.00 a.m. FF Lt Rudolf Schulze-Wimken, and BF Uffz Heinz Rolland both captured wounded – later released. Aircraft S1+DK 100% write-off.
...

Thanks Peter for the detailed source quotes. I think it unlikely to conclude with certainty whether it was la Meslee or Perina who shot down Migeod. But...the source quoted above does seem to have some errors, specifically on Stuka Code letters. As noted in the immediately preceding posts, Heinz' Flugbuch notes that he was flying S1+MK on 12 May when shot down.
Equally as odd is that the other shootdown, of Schulz-Wimken, cites the 100% write-off of S1+DK....yet, Heinz' Flugbuch shows him flying S1+DK beginning 19 May (and almost exclusively through Nov '40). I suppose it is possible that another JU87 might have been re-designated with the "D" between 12 and 19 May, but I would think that unlikely.


So...small mysteries remain, and the available historical documentation is often less than perfect. I'd say we've given this matter an exhaustive examination. Thanks for all the input.

[Doolittle81]

Originally Posted by Peter Cornwell

...Meslée claimed one Ju87 on the ground south of Bouillon his other two 'sure' claims in this action being even further south. Meantime, S/Lt François Perina claimed a Ju87 '8 km east of Bouillon' ...which I consider the more plausible candidate for that flown by Migeod. ...

P.S. One last comment
Peter,
Your earlier post, above (with my Red italics emphasis), leads me to now lean towards Perina...assuming that he himself specifically cited the location as being east of Bouillon. That's strong evidence.

Okay...I'm outta here... S!