Loss He.111 KG53 (KG3?) on 25th November 1944

[Hans Nauta]

Dear researchers,

On 25th November 1944 a He.111 (carrying a V-1) was claimed at 05.10 hrs 10 miles off Texel by F/O F. S. Stevens and F/O W. A. H. Kellett in Mosquito RX-J serial HK290 from 456 Squadron. They chased the Heinkel for 25 minutes and saw it exploding on the water surface.

According to the Fighter Command War Diaries written by John Foreman it concerned a He.111 from 1./KG53 piloted by Fw Kurt Hillmann.

According to local burial reports Fw Hillmann washed ashore on 27th November 1944 near beach pole 16 near the coastal village of Callantsoog, some 10 miles South of Den Helder, The Netherlands. His body was buried on 30th December 1944 at the cemetery of Huisduinen, 1 mile West of Den Helder. Again the grave reports mentioned the unit 1./KG53.

However, I cannot find any corresponding loss of KG53 in the book "Legion Kondor 53" by Heinz Kiehl, Motorbuchverlag. As KG53 was reformed to KG3 for V-1 operations against the UK I pressume the Heinkel (and Fw Hillmann) might have belonged to KG3.

Perhaps somebody can shed a light on this loss?

Thanks in advance,
Hans Nauta

[Chris Goss]

He 111 H-16, Wk Nr 110304, A1+BH of 1/KG 53; I have the Verlustemeldung (and all others for KG 3 and KG 53 involved in V1 ops)if you are interested

[Hans Nauta]

Wow Chris,

That's more than I actually hoped for! I would be interested in (scans of)the Namentliche Verlusstmeldungen of Fw Hillmann's Heinkel together with 2 other Heinkels of KG53 and KG3 losses in my research area. It concerns:

09.10.44 He.111H-20 III/KG53
Crew, Werknr and code unknown to me.
This Heinkel ditched in the IJsselmeer on a spot known as "Vrouwenzand" between Enkhuizen en Stavoren. The 5 crewmembers were picked up by a rescue launch. The wreckage of the Heinkel was raised after the war. I doubt whether a NVM is made of this loss as, as far as I know, no crewmembers were injured.

05.11.44 He.111H-22 5./KG3
Werknr and code unknown to me.
FF: Ofw Paul FLIR
BO: Obgefr Fritz PLÖGER
BF: Uffz Hermann ANDERGASSEN
BF: Obgefr Willi MARR
BS: Uffz Herbert HÜBSCH
This Heinkel was shot down into the North Sea in the night of 05/06.11.44 by Mosquito mk.XIX serial TA389 of F/Sgt Neal and F/Sgt Eastwood from 68 Squadron. It was the first kill made by a Mosquito of that Squadron.
One of the BF's may have operated as BM. All crewmembers are stil MIA.



I've the NVM already concerning the next loss:
07.10.44 He.111H-22
160969 5K+DS
FF: Fw Lothar GALL, ErkM 54595/18
BO: Fw Mathias OBERMAYER, ErkM 53452/150
BF: Fw Heinz DAHMS, ErkM 54595/23
BM: Uffz Peter IRMTRAUD, ErkM 71061/586
BS: Obgefr Kurt BUSCH, ErkM 71069/350
This Heinkel collided on the way out with the southern mast of the German navigation beacon Elektra Sonne Anlage near Petten. The Heinkel crashed at 20.00 hrs local time on a house at Heerenweg 325 of the coastal village of Groet, The Netherlands. The Fire Arms and Germans eventually extinghuised the fire with sand at 23.00 hrs local time.
The crew was buried at the cemetery of Bergen on 11.10.44, however 4 as unknown and Fw Dahms being the only identified one.
There are 2 rumours about the V-1. Officially it was blown up on the beach by the Germans, however, some local people are said to have tried to break up the V-1 first, because they thought it was just a petrol tank with some valuable petrol still in it...

If you like I can provide the Dutch burial records of this crew.

Kind regards,

Hans Nauta

[Chris Goss]

As suspected, nothing on the first one even though there were many losses on 9 Oct 44. Flir was flying He 111 H-20, 700666, A1+FN. I am afraid I do not scan

[Hans Nauta]

Dear Chris,

Thank you for your quick response. With regard to the NVM's the only information to complete my records now would be the names and ErkM of the 4 other occupants of Fw Hillman's He.111.

Perhaps you are able to post these names?

I can provide the Dutch Burial record of Fw Hillmann if that's of any use for your records.

Kind regards,

Hans Nauta

[Chris Goss]

Thanks for the offer of the burial report but it is no real use to me! The details you are after are:

Hillmann 53543/193
Uffz Rudolf Martin 215508/122
Fw Ludwig Klalber 53543/195
Uffz Juergen Hauser 53543/196
Uffz Josef Fauernig 65060/1

[Hans Nauta]

Great Chris!

I've been looking for this info for some 5 years now. Thanks a lot for your help!

Much obliged,

Hans Nauta

[Jørgen E. Larsen]

Hi Hans,

Do you have any loss reports for a He 111H-20 (possibly w.n. 700520 or 700720) that crashed in Björköby in the late hours of January 3rd, 1945? No trace of the crew was ever found by the Swedish military so they must have bailed out well in advance.

Cheers,
Jørgen

[Hans Nauta]

Hello Jorgen,

Unfortunately I've nothing concerning Sweden. One of the books on my shelf is Kampfgeschwader "Legion Kodor" 53 written by Manfred Griehl. In one of the supplements on page 345 the next names are listed as being killed:

3.1.45: Ogefr Hubert Türks BS 7./KG53 Absturz KIA
3.1.45: Uffz Gerhard Tanner BF 7./KG53 Feindeinwirkung KIA

However, with regard to your discription these casualties don't match.

Maybe Chris Goss can help you a bit further.

Good Luck!
Hans Nauta

[Jørgen E. Larsen]

Hi Hans,

Thanks for your reply. As a matter of fact I am not at all sure the He.111H-20 in question came from KG53. It might have been attached to a training unit. Do you have any idea if the w.n.´s 700520 and 700720 corresponds with a production batch of the He.111H-20 series?

Regards,
Jørgen