The Eagles Over Europe Project

[obdl3945]

Hi, Larry...

I'm not sure if the attached is the same image as Göran has brought to your attention, but it's the only one I have. I believe it's the same aircraft given the broken branches lying on the ground a short distance from the left wing.

Regards,

Paul

[Larry Hickey]

Paul,

Yes, it is the same. Thanx for sending it though to make sure.

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Our EoE team is trying to ID all the abandoned 88 SQ Fairey Battles and wrecks at Mourmelon-le-Grand AF, France during mid-May, 1940. I have an excellent photo of RHoR abandoned in the bomb-damaged hangar there, and RHoL sitting damaged and abandoned outside the hangar. Can anyone provide SN for either of these aircraft?

Thanx for any assistance.

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

I had copies made so I could post images of the two 88 SQ Battles for which I'm seeking serial numbers:

1) http://ihra.smugmug.com/photos/i-Ghq...-Ghq77Sg-L.jpg

2) http://ihra.smugmug.com/photos/i-dQn...-dQnVMLf-L.jpg

I'm also seeking confirmation that the following 88 SQ Battle, L5243, RHo? is actually in a salvage dump at Mourmelon, as I have it captioned in my DB. This is a very large scrap pile and I'm wondering if this is not the repair facility at Nantes, rather than Mourmelon. Can anyone confirm the location of this photo?

3) http://ihra.smugmug.com/photos/i-XRW...-XRWCMW2-L.jpg

Any help would be appreciated.

[Bertrand H]

Hi Larry,


One of the last issue of Batailles Aériennes was on La RAF en France, part 1, Battle in turmoil, May-June 1940 :

http://www.aircraft-navalship.com/pr...aeriennes/2147

Jean-Louis Roba and Claude Archambaud and some other authors did a list with the known losses of this a/f.

Here are some candidates of Battles' 88 sqdn lost at Mourmelon or abandoned in France.

In French but easy to understand

MOURMELON

L5233. 88 Sq. RH-. Très endommagé le 14 mai 1940 sur le secteur de Sedan et abandonné à Mourmelon.
P2355.88 Sq. RH-. Détruit au sol par bombes à Mourmelon le 10 mai 1940.
L4956 88 Sq. RH-. Détruit au sol par bombes à Mourmelon le 10 mai 1940.
L5526 88 Sq. RH-. Détruit au sol par bombes à Mourmelon le 10 mai 1940.
P2258 88 Sq. RH-. Détruit au sol par bombes à Mourmelon le 10 mai 1940.
L5243. 88 Sq. RH-. Abandonné à Mourmelon le 17 mai 1940 lors d'un départ.
L4956 88 Sq. RH-. Détruit au sol par bombes à Mourmelon le 10 mai 1940.
L5233. 88 Sq. RH-. Très endommagé le 14 mai 1940 sur le secteur de Sedan et abandonné a Mourmelon.
L5243. 88 Sq. RH-. Abandonné à Mourmelon le 17 mai 1940 lors du départ.
L5526 88 Sq. RH-. Détruit au sol par bombes Mourmelon le 10 mai 1940.
P2258 88 Sq. RH-. Détruit au sol par bombes à Mourmelon le 10 mai 1940 et sabordé.
P2355.88 Sq. RH-. Détruit au sol par bombes à Mourmelon le 10 mai 1940.

ABANDONED IN FRANCE


K9441. 88 Sq. RH-. Endommagé le 29 février dans un exercice et probablement abandonné lors de l'offensive allemande.
K9318. 88 Sq. RH-. Endommagé probablement en janvier 1940. Probablement abandonné en France.
K9349. 88 Sq. RH-. Probablement abandonné en France.
K9352. 88. Sq. RH-. Probablement abandonné en France.
K9441. 88 Sq. RH-. Endommagé le 29 février dans un exercice et probablement abandonné lors de l'offensive allemande.
L5462. Versé au 88 Sq. le 20 mai 1940. RH-E. Endommagé probablement le 26 et abandonné en France.
L5466. Versé au 88 Sq. le 25 mai 1.940. RH- ,probablement abandonné en France.
P2160. Verse au 88 Sq. le 8 juin 1940. RH-, probablement abandonné en France.

I have not crossed with the known photos and so took off the serial not in relation with "your" loss.

Bertrand

[Larry Hickey]

Bertrand,

Thanx. Yes, we have that publication, and the most recent one on the Hurricane as well. We're deep into the 88 SQ records at the British NA, which, unfortunately for 88 SQ leave a lot to be desired for the WC/FC. Your efforts here are greatly appreciated.

Are you back from Wissant now and did you achieve your goals?

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Can anyone identify SN, date, place and circumstances of the 85 SQ Hurricane, VYoB, captured damaged on a French AF, possibly Merville, during the WC/FC?

http://www.ebay.de/itm/Foto-abgescho...torefresh=true

[Larry]

Just a bit of info if it helps - I believe that this Hurricane had a L serial and was from the first batch of 600 Hurricanes; L1547 to L2146. The reason is that the radio mast on the fuselage is the early type which had a constant thickness, unlike the later version which was more streamlined with a thicker base and narrower tip that included the rear facing triangular fixing for the aerial wire.

[markjsheppard]

Or an N serial.

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/i...ound-apr-1940/

regards

Mark


Possibly L1779??

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

http://ihra.smugmug.com/photos/i-kdw...-kdwnz9N-L.jpg

In the EoE LW Loss DB, there are about 10 photos of this a/c. Putting them together, this is revealed to be Hs123 of 6.(S)/LG2 with the code L2+DP

This is the only one photo that has a location, but we can't decipher it.

"Merlin" says: "this caption is hard to decipher. The first capital letter is a mixture of Sytterlin and normal writing, for the next ones there are some possibilities and the location ends with '...nditier'. I could not find anything similar in the loss reports for II./LG 2."

Although this says "Juni 1940" this has to be the date of the photo, not the date of the crash. There are only three possible 6 Staffel reports that might be this a/c in the EoE LW loss DB during the entire Western Campaign of May-June, 1940, all in mid-May:

"May 13, 1940:
6.(S)/LG2 Henschel Hs123A-1. Believed shot down by Sgt Wilkinson of No. 3 Squadron between Jauche and Pitrain, south of Tienen (Belgium), during ground-attack sortie 1.00 p.m. FF Fw Hans Knerr killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.

6.(S)/LG2 Henschel Hs123A-1. Believed shot down by Sgt Allen of No. 3 Squadron over Orp-Jauche, south of Tienen (Belgium), during ground-attack mission 1.00 p.m. FF Lt Hans-Joachim Fritz badly wounded, admitted to hospital in Jülich. Aircraft 100% write-off.
May 15, 1940:
6.(S)/LG2 Henschel Hs123A-1. Shot down by flak near Altiaux, 15 km south of Wavre (Belgium). FF Gefr Walter Krug killed. Aircraft 100% write-off."
Can anyone put this information together with the partial place name and come up with a solution to this mystery? Based upon the condition of the wreck, unless the pilot baled out this crash would have resulted in a fatality to the pilot. This makes the first and third the most likely candidates. However, there is no visible field grave in the photos. This plane crashed near a major road and was repeatedly photographed by German soldiers over a considerable period of time as the wreck was much disturbed. The swastika was not removed from the tail, so this crash likely did not happen behind Allied lines or at least happened very close to the front lines at the time of the incident.

Who can solve this one?