FW 200C-4 F8+RR, looking for pics & infos

[Antoine]

Hi there,

I'm looking for pics and information about FW 200C-4 coded F8+KR (s/n should be 0-183, but I'm not so sure), that crashed on 9th july 1944 near Saint Nicolas les Biefs, about 20km west of Roanne, during a shuttle flight between La Rochelle and Germany, possibly shot down by USAAF fighters.

Pilot was Leutnant Helmut Kutterer, and I've got also all the crew names, as well as the eight passengers.

The precedent Stammkennzeichen seems to have been GC+SL, I'm not too sure about the unit.

Weather was foggy at 05:45 when the aircraft crashed near the farm"La Coupée", the terrain being heavily wooded and mountainous (St Nicolas is the highest village in the region known as "Monts de la Madeleine", and peaks at nearly 1000m)

79th FS/20th FG was on a mission nearby Moulins, when at about 08:25, 2nd Lt Jess E. Carpenter spot a big four-engined machine close to the ground, identified as a Ju 290. He closed the distance to attack and open fire, alighting the right wing and fuselage, as well as destroying the left engines, before its target enter a fog bank.

With St Nicolas being about 100km to the south, the four-engined machine flying low just before the attack, and the different timing, it seems unlikely that F8+KR was the target, but you never know. They could have tried to reach Lyon or St étienne.


So, any pics or other informations about F8+KR is welcome.
Pointing me toward any useful book related to this would be also great.

Beside, I'm also interested in Carpenter's P-38(J?).

Many thanks for reading this.

[Xerumbe]

This plane was not shot down by the American pilot. I'm writing a book about it, I'll let you know later.

[RT]

Usual loss data say, in case book would be delayed

9 7 44 7 KG40 H St Nicolas des Briefs 04 O 37 882 Clermont-fer, 100 km NO H 992 m h,Berg Nebel Rückflug FW200C-4 183 F8+KR GC+SL 100 7 EG09KAB S 02h30 Cognac n, Lechfeld A 05h45 /Verl,fl, +5 bodenpers,

Crew is known also

Rémi

[Xerumbe]

Suffer no delay

[Chris Goss]

I contacted Carpenter some years ago if I remember correctly. Although he claimed a Ju 290, none were lost & what he did shoot down was a He 177. I was in touch with 2 of the crew who wanted to get in touch with him but he refused stating he got a 290 so it could not have been his kill

[Antoine]

Thanks everyone.

I'm still looking for pictures, either of F8+KL or GC+SL
Can anyone confirm the Werknummer?

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

I contacted Carpenter some years ago if I remember correctly. Although he claimed a Ju 290, none were lost & what he did shoot down was a He 177. I was in touch with 2 of the crew who wanted to get in touch with him but he refused stating he got a 290 so it could not have been his kill

Hi Chris,
I would be interested in this He 177, too.
Feel free to develop here.

[Xerumbe]

I never found a photograph of the F8 + KR before the crash. Those made after the accident do not include details of the Werknummer.

[Chris Goss]

I am getting confused. Kütterer's aircraft was Wk Nr 0183, he was 7 Staffel not 3 Staffel so GC+SL would be F8+?R. I have no firm evidence it was RR or KR-the NVM makes no mention apart from Wk Nr. If there are any photos (and I am not sure if there is one in my recent book), it cannot be positively linked without seeing the Wk Nr. Crash was due to fog at 0545 hrs and not enemy aircraft-NVM says it hit a 992m mountain 90m from the summit. It had seven crew and 5 passengers. I will answer the He 177/Ju 290 separately

[Chris Goss]

Carpenter claimed a Ju 290 NE of Avord. He 177 A-5, Wk Nr 550173 of 4./KG 40 was shot down by a P-38 (according to two of the crew) near Bourges. Ofw Werner Neuenfeld (F), Ogefr Rudolf Pöschke (B), Ogefr Franz Commans (BF), Gefr Helmuth Kappestein (BM), Ogefr Felix Wegner (BS) & Uffz Hans Jacobsen (groundcrew) injured, Uffz Franz Weinreis (groundcrew) killed

[Frank Olynyk]

2/Lt Jesse Earl Carpenter, Jr [I can't be absolutely positive about the Earl, but it is E] was flying P-38J-5LO 42-67251 MC-X when claiming the Ju 290 (or whatever it was). Date of birth and death are on FindAGrave, where he is listed as a Major.

Enjoy!

Frank.