Need info 2/KG76 pilot Uffz Hanke, his a/c & crew of Do17Z badly damaged during 15.9.40 attack on London

[Chris Goss]

Larry: No christian names I am afraid and I am still not convinced about Georg Hanke based on Jeremy's wehrpass

[Larry Hickey]

Chris,

I haven't yet accepted Georg as Hanke's first (christian) name yet. Like you, I think that it's just too much of a stretch right now to accept his as confirmed.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[Chris Goss]

On the reverse of the photo (which reads left to right Rehm, Eikelmann, Hanke & Schulz) it states that Hanke was killed later which means it was not Georg Hanke-perhaps Matti can now help?

[Larry Hickey]

Chris,

Thanks for the caption to go with the photo. Is there a similar caption with the Niebler crew photo?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[Khorat]

There are dozens of aircrew named Hanke lost (KIA, MIA, WIA) 1939 - 1945, but non of them from KG 76 (when he was KIA, WIA or MIA). In our database we had around 40 people named Hanke - Fighter, Destroyer, Bomber, Transporter, Recce, etc.

khorat

[Matti Salonen]

I have no suitable Hanke killed. However, here might be your man:
1938-09-27, I/KG 158, Do 17, 53+D11, 400 m nördlich Steinabrückl bei Wiener-Neustadt, Um 09.45 Uhr Aufschlag infolge Motorstörung und Brand. Bruch 100 %.
Flugzeugführer Ogfr Hanke, Hans-Joachim, verletzt
Beobachter Uffz Kalbfleisch, Fritz, verletzt
Bordfunker Gefr Schätzle, Augustin, verletzt

I/KG 158 became I/KG 76, which makes this connection very likely.
Unfortunately no info on the final fate of this Hanke.

Matti

[Larry Hickey]

Matti,

Good find. Thanx! Can anyone now confirm the name of a bomber pilot named Uffz Hans-Joachim Hanke who served with I./KG76 in September 1940? Does this name appear on any fatality list later in the war? He was reported in a photo caption to have been killed during the war. We may be getting close here.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[Khorat]

List of Pilots named Hanke:

Uffz, Wilhelm Hanke WIA 13.03.1941 I./KG 2
Fw. Josef Hanke KIA 11. 12. 1943 8./ZG 26
Uffz. Heinz Hanke unhurt 10.01.1942 7./JG 1
Hptm. Helmut Hanke MIA 10.02.1942 6./KG 4
Lt. Walter Hanke KIA 28.11.1942 7./ZG 1
Uffz. Erwin Hanke WIA 20.06.1943 4./JG 26
Uffz. Heinz Hanke MIA 18.09.1943 2.(F)/A,Gr. 123
Uffz. Paul Hanke, MIA 30.05.1944 3./LG 1
Oblt. Jürgen Hanke unhurt 07.06.1944 5./KG 40

Thats all we had (position Flugzeugführer)

Khorat
Michael Balss

[Chris Goss]

...and nobody with that name figures on the VDK site. However, on 8 Dec 41, Fw Hans-Joachim Hanke, a pilot, was awarded the Ehrenpokal. This looks more promising and perhaps Rehm meant he died after the war (or was mistaken)

[Matti Salonen]

Please note, that I have in my database mainly persons, who have been involved in aircraft crash. Others, especially after summer 1943 (when GQM quit reporting other, than aircraft losses), are mostly missing. Therefore, this Hanke could have been killed for some other reason - bombing on ground, infantry attack, road accident, shooting accident, disease etc.
Maybe someday we'll find his final fate.

Matti