Ju 87 WNr 5548 of I/StG 1, 18 Feb 1941

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello, in the afternoon 18 February 1941 three Hurricanes of 3 Sqn RAAF piloted by Flight Lieutenant Gordon Henry Steege (V6737), Flying Officer Saunders (V7770) and Flying Officer L. Jackson (P5176) reported meeting a dozen Ju 87 in the Agedabia – Agheila area. They initially claimed to have shot down one and damaged eight, but reports received from Army sources confirmed that eight enemy aircraft had been shot down in this engagement – three each by Steege and Jackson and two by Saunders.

In fact Luftwaffe reported only the loss of Ju 87 WNr 5548 of I/StG 1, flown by Fw Hans Drolshagen (pilot) and Uffz Wolfgang Schafer (gunner). Drolshagen is buried in Tobruk cemetery, with a death place noted as "Agedabia Feingflug Absturz", but there is no trace on the Volksbund database of a Schafer or Schäfer lost in February 1941.

I would like to know two things:
1) the subtype of the Ju 87 WNr 5448
2) the fate of the gunner

Thanks in advance

Laurent

[G.R.Morrison]

WNr.5548 was a Ju 87R-1. Both crew members were killed.

GRM

[Stig Jarlevik]

Guys

I have a report that there was another Stuka pilot lost in that combat, Fw Morgenstern. Probably the details came from the slightly more extended details in Luftkamp zwischen Sand & Sonne which I once updated Fighters over the Desert with.
Can someone explain this anomaly please?

Cheers
Stig

[G.R.Morrison]

Bordfunker Fw. Erich Morgenstern of 1./St.G. 1 was WIA 18.Feb. 1941 at Agedabia near Bengasi, Luftkampf with enemy fighters. The aircraft's WNr. was not recorded.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks GR

Shows at least the Allies were not only hitting thin air.

B Rgds
Stig