Captured Ar 196 in Scotland 1940

[Petrusja]

Thanks Seaplanes and Rémi. The Hipper KTB only says that its seaplane flew an anti-submarine patrol. It seems the Sunderland was N9028 of 204 Sqn with F/L Phillips. They reported being 'shadowed by an He 60 which dropped a bomb [at them?!] falling 50 yards away' (from Martin Bowman, Sea Hunters). The 109s arrived later.

[Petrusja]

On 15 August 1940 an 1./BoFlGr 196 Ar 196 based in Boulogne-sur Mer was attacked by RAF fighters. The pilot landed/crashed near a German boat. According to Roba - Hydravions de la Luftwaffe, the crew was Staffelkapitän Hauptmann Gerrit Wiegming (should be Wiegmink) and LtZ Dietrich Schlenker who was killed, and the fighters Spitfires possibly of No 221 Sqn. Anyone have the RAF perspective? According to luftwaffe-zur-see this was Ar196A-2, WNr 68, T3+DH.

The Roba book claims that the Ar 196s were based at Boulogne for rescue (Seenot) purposes during the Battle of Britain, but there seems to be nothing backing that up.

Edit: Roba correctly said 266 Sqn, not 221, sorry!

[Chris Goss]

The attacking Spitfires were from 266 Sqn, the Ar 196 shooting down Sgt F B Hawley in the combat. The RAF pilots thought it was a He 115( !) From 1/196's KTB:
09.08.40
Boulogne, 1./196 detachment Boulogne
Advanced party “Boulogne”:
CO: Olt.z.S. Schrewe
Personnel: Uffz. Herzog, Obg. Müller, Kaiser, Hatje, Wardetzki, Bickel, Hpt.Gefr. Engel
16.00 hrs
Ju 52 with advanced party had taken off from Mariensiel for Boulogne.
19.15 hrs
Ju 52 landed in Boulogne (La Portelle).

[Petrusja]

Thanks Chris, very interesting. This must be the first air-to-air kill by an Ar 196 crew, or at least they did report one of the fighters disappearing with a smoke trail.

[Petrusja]

The RAF pilots thought it was a He 115( !)

Well the Sunderland crew thought their opponent was a He 60

[Chris Goss]

He 60 possibly understandably but a twin-engined He 115?

[Petrusja]

I can't say that something like that surprises me anymore. Or perhaps the other pilots were not properly debriefed? The Arado was first reported as a He 115 apparently:

Hawley was killed on 15th August 1940. The squadron had flown from Hornchurch to their advance base at Manston. In the afternoon six aircraft were ordered off to intercept a He115 floatplane detected twelve miles off Deal.

(www.bbm.org.uk) (The German pilot counted a dozen aircraft)

I suppose this was indeed a rescue mission. Roba does report (another) one on 28 August.

[robert]

Hptm. Wiegmink reported that DH was attacked by 9 English fighters. 1 fighter was claimed as shot down and another as damaged.

Robert

[Petrusja]

Hello Chris.


In your Luftwaffe Seaplanes book there is a photo from observer Rosenbaum of a burning MBR-2 in the Baltic on 15 July 1941. Do you know it it was shot down by his Ar 196, and who the pilot was?


Thanks


Peter