JU88A4 (L1+CK) wreck located

[mroxanas]

Hi Everybody,

Psara is a small island in the Aegean. (38°33'N, 25°34E)
When I was visiting it I came across a story from the son of the late mayor of a ditched German plane during WWII. He told me that during one night a German flying officer knocked the door of his house and asked if the island was in British or German hands. When he learned that there was a German garrison at the island's lighthouse (Kokkinopoulo lighthouse on the top of Agios Georgios cape) he stayed at the mayor's house for the night, and next morning he was driven to the German garrison at the lighthouse. According to his tale, when the plane ditched , he and two other flying officers swam towards the island, but they lost contact and he was able to see the dim candle light of the island's church and head towards it until he reached land. The other two
flying officers were never found.

According to this source http://www.ww2.dk/Lw%20Offz%20-%20S-...Apr%202016.pdf the drowned flying officers were:

SAMLAND, ? . 13.12.43 Lt., 2./LG 1 unknown fate - Ju 88 A-4 (L1+CK) ditched vic Psara due to fuel shortage. (p.10/720)
WINTERFELD, Gert. 13.12.43 Lt., 2./LG 1 unknown fate - Ju 88 A-4 (L1+CK) ditched vic Psara due to fuel shortage. (p. 641/720)

Fishermen at Psara island are well aware of the location of the wreck because of the various plane parts that are being tangled on their fishing nets.

I was wondering if we could find the name of the surviving member of the crew of L1+CK, and if possible its base and appearance at the time of ditching.

According to a post from member leonventer (Leon Vender) II./LG 1 left Greece for Wiener Neustadt /Austria (last week of Sep). How then a plane from II./LG1 ditched in the Aegean at 13.12.1943 ?

Regards,
Manolis Roxanas

[Melvin Brownless]

Hi,

A very interesting story indeed, I wish you luck with your research into the matter. Keep up the good work!

Melvin

www.aircrewremembrancesociety.co.uk

[Melvin Brownless]

Oh, and welcome to the forum also! I am sure you will receive help from the many top guy's on this forum.

Regards,

Melvin

[Brian Bines]

The LG1 history volune 2 shows FF Ltn Gert Winterdfeld safe , B Fw Franz Resch safe, Bf Uffz Erwin Kielhorn +, Bs Gef Alfred Raidt +. The aircraft ditched following fuel and navigation problems while returning from a raid on Bari , LG1 I and III Gruppe operating from Eleuis and Kalamaki . The book (German langauge ) has a report on the raid by Ltn Winterfeld ,

Regards
Brian Bines

[chuckschmitz]

A listing I had showed this:

Erwin Kielhorn Bordfunker Uffz
Alfred Raidt Bordschütze Gefr

Both killed.

According to BOMBER UNITS OF THE LUFTWAFFE 1933-1945, VOL 2 the unit, after a re-fit in Austria, was moved back into the area for operations over Italy and the Aegean. L1+CK had participated in a raid on Bari Harbor. See pages 357-358.

Perhaps someone has some better info?

chuck

[VtwinVince]

Iasou Manolis,

Very interesting. Sounds similar to the story I was told about a JU52 ditched off the south end of Rodos 1943, near Plimiri. I couldn't find it, maybe you should try!

[Brian Bines]

Just to clarify the unit that L1+CK belonged to see http://www.ww2.dk/misc/unitid.htm which shows from the fourth letter 'K' the aircraft belonged to 2nd Staffel which along with Staffeln 1 and 3 formed the Gruppe I/LG1,

Regards
Brian Bines

[edNorth]

550456 Ju 88 A-4 [L1+CK] I/LG 1 (Lw.Kdo.Süd-Ost)
OPS (F) [Bari Harbour] ran out of fuel and force landed at sea (100%) near Zara [Psara] 13.12.1943 (F Lt. Gert Winterfeld and B Fw. Franz Resch were uninj./safe, BF Uffz. Erwin Kielhorn and BS Gefr. Alfred Raidt killed)

[mroxanas]

Originally Posted by edNorth

550456 Ju 88 A-4 [L1+CK] I/LG 1 (Lw.Kdo.Süd-Ost)
OPS (F) [Bari Harbour] ran out of fuel and force landed at sea (100%) near Zara [Psara] 13.12.1943 (F Lt. Gert Winterfeld and B Fw. Franz Resch were uninj./safe, BF Uffz. Erwin Kielhorn and BS Gefr. Alfred Raidt killed)

1. So, the Germans attacked Bari again 11 days after the first successfull raid, against an already alerted opponent and using Greek-based planes that dindn't took part at the first raid? Wasn't it too risky?

2. Psara are located 800km away from Bari. Was such "navigation errors" common to the experienced Luftwaffe personell these days?

By the way, what is the meaning of F.,B.,BF.,and BS. before the rank of the crew ? Do you have any link to reference?