Ju-88 6/KG26 lost 26 july 1944

[Chris Goss]

I do have the NVM which just states Ju 88 A-17, 550042, 1H+GP of 6/KG 26 failed to return from an operational flight over the Channel. Uffz Horst Winkler (F), Ogefr Heinz Bennewitz (KB) and Uffz Heinz Rattay (service number 62724/212-Bordfunker). No 4th crewman and there is space on the bottom of the NVM. It also lists Ofw Heinrich Lehr's crew (albeit in the order BF, B, FF, BM) and is signed off by the Gr Kdr Maj Teske
Sue-if you PM me I can send you a copy.

[ArtieBob]

Just a thought, since the aircraft was a Ju 88 A-17, with no lower gun position , perhaps 3 crewmen would have been the normal complement.

Best Regards,

ArtieBob

[martin75]

Hello,
the normal crew was four men. In the K-report it is said that the air gunner became ill during the flight between Montelimar and Tavaux. As there was no replacement avalaible, the 1H+GP left Tavaux for operationnal mission with a crew of only three.

Regards

Claude

[Sue-88]

Thanks for all the info.
I have a photo of my dad Weinachsten 1942 when he was in training. They were still doing the longer training time then. I had wondered if it was at Riga. He was from a small village in E.Prussia/Ostpreussen and said he sometimes buzzed his village on training runs. Trained on JU-88 and He 111s. I suppose Riga would have been close enough to do that. I had read the Grosseto information but it didn't fit with the 1942 picture unless he was trained then sent to Grosseto then to Riga.
Again, thanks so much. It means a lot.

[Sue-88]

I remember my dad saying the gunner was ill. My dad was a replacement with this crew, because this crew's radio operator got shot down with my dad's crew when my dad had strep a month before.

[Brian Bines]

Sue do you know the names of any of yours Dad's crew lost a month before, as background it might be possible to list them from other sources.
You say he was lost over the Med. a month before but according to the German book on the KG26 history losses of II/KG26 from the 19-6-44 to your Dad's crash were over the Invasion front or France. There is one on the 18-6-44 crew of Uffz.Naser (6/KG26) shown as the Med. but the 'K' report shows one POW picked up from the Channel on mission to attack shipping off Cherbourg,

Regards

Brian Bines

[edNorth]

http://www.amazon.com/Destroyer-Lead.../dp/1844151212

[Marcel van Heijkop]

Hi Sue,

Nice to have you on board! May I recommend an excellent book on KG26 (which I'm reading and thoroughly enjoying right now)? It's called "Die Spur des Löwen" by Alexander Steenbeck, ISBN 978-3-00-0039734-0. http://www.die-spur-des-loewen.de/englisch.html It has almost a thousand pictures and maps, the story about your dad is on page 250.

Originally Posted by Sue-88

I

I am very pleased to be here on this site. It is so hard to find info on the Internet when one's German is at the Kindergarten level.

Sue

Regarding your last remark above: Don't let the German language put you off, you will be surprised how much you will understand if you are really interested in the subject and using just a simple dictionary (I think you would be even more surprised if you knew how many people on this board are not native German speakers, let alone how many are not even native English speakers..) Even if you would read only the photo captions, this book will help to put the war career of your dad into perspective and give you a good impression of what his colleagues, aircraft and daily ops looked like.

You can find a review here: http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...t=31285&page=2

Good luck,

Marcel

[Sue-88]

Brian,
All I can really say for sure is that my dad said his crew was shot down "a month or so" before he (my dad) was shot down. He said when he was with them they were primarily attacking ships in the Mediterranean. He said in his group (not sure of correct term) they were known for hitting targets and getting out of difficult situations. I do not know for sure if they were shot down over the Med. I may have mistakenly connected those dots.

A few months ago, my aunt sent me a photo of my dad and his best friend during the war, Harry, from when they were on leave in E.Prussia. She said Harry was killed in the war, but when I asked if he was the one killed with that crew, she said she didn't think so. My dad did have a good friend killed at Montecassino, according to my mother. So, it gets confusing.

My dad couldn't even give me an exact date for him (my dad) getting shot down. Only said it was July or August 1944.

It's possible he said Mediterranean and just meant off the coast of France. Or, he said some place name I didn't recognize, and when I asked where's that, he said on the Mediterranean. But I am certain the whole crew was lost. I can still remember his face when he said it.

My brother has contacted war records offices in Germany to see what we can find out there.

I will look into a those books, too!

Sue