The Ju88C-equipped Zerstörerstaffel of KG 30 during 1940

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

I'm trying to do the overall layout for Ju88 profiles for the EOE Project. According to P. 125 of the de Zeng and Stankey book, "Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 19339-1945," Vol I, the Zerstörerstaffel/KG30 was equipped with Ju88C-2 and existed from Feb to mid-July, 1940, whereupon it became 4./NJG1.

They have listed a plane loss to this unit at Björnfjell, Norway, on June 7, 1940. There are 3 views of this crash in the EOE photo DB, one of which appears to show the code of the crashed plane as: 4D+MH. Our EOE Luft DB entry so records it:

June, 7, 1940: 1.(Z)/KG30 Junkers Ju88C-1 (0142). One engine damaged by Swedish AA fire during low-level attack on ore railway and belly-landed near Björnfjell. Crew believed unhurt. Aircraft 4D+MH 100% write-off.

Reinforcing the correctness of this code, there was a recent Ju88 photo auctioned on eBay that showed a Ju88, probably the same a/c, clearly carrying the code 4D+MH. It was noted as being probably photographed at Stavanger AF, Norway.

This identity is also reported at Kjell Sorensen's excellent website, which shows a number of views of this a/c:

http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/bjornefjell.html

However, the dZ & S book reports that the plane codes for a/c of that unit were 4D+_U, which doesn't match either the crash photo, Kjell's website or our loss list.

My questions:

1) Can anyone resolve the anomaly about the a/c codes:4D+MH, vice 4D+_U? Were these aircraft all coded as 1 Staffel a/c, ie 4D+_H? If 4D+_H turns out to be right, does this mean that the ZStaffel a/c served under 1./KG30, rather than a separate Zerstörerstaffel?

2) Does anyone know who the crew was for the crashed a/c? Kjell's website states that one crewman from this a/c was injured, so, if this is accurate, there should be an NVM on this crash. Does anyone have this info? Matti?

3) If this is a C-2, this should have the extended wingtips of the A-5 version. Does anyone have a photo that confirms the extended A-5 type wingtips on the crashed a/c, confirming it as a C-2 rather than a C-1?

4) The photos of the crashed 4D+MH clearly show that KG30 diving eagle insignia was NOT painted on the nose of this a/c. Are there any other Ju88C photos from this Zest unit that do indicate that others carried a KG30 unit insignia?

5) I'm also looking for photos showing an a/c of this unit during the May, 1940 period. Can anyone direct me to a source for same?

Want to get this right.

Thanx,