Two losses of I./KG 26, 4 October 1941

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

On 4 October 1941, two He 111 H-5 of I./KG 26 (WNr 3670 of Stab and 3777 of 2./KG 26) were lost in an unknown location.

Crews of these bombers are listed as follows by the KG 26 book "Torpedo Los" and by http://www.luftwaffe.no/SIG/Losses/tap412.html

Crew of WNr 3670:
(F) Lt. Raimund Reissmüller MIA
(Bo) Uffz. Konrad Miottke MIA
(Bf) Fw. Georg Krems MIA
(Bs) Gefr. Rudolf Hülsenbeck MIA

Crew of WNr 3777:
(F) Olt. Johannes Schon WIA
(Bo) Uffz. Klaus Rohlfs KIA
(Bf) Fw. Georg Gehring KIA
(Bs) Uffz. Karl Oswald WIA (KIA in the book)

But a post by Rune Rautio on the old TOCH forum (archived there http://www.lwag.org/forums/archive/i...hp/t-3108.html) shows that seven of the above men were captured by the Soviet, and gave the location:

04.10.41 He 111H-5 3777 2./KG 26 Near Belomorsk
Schon, Johannes Oblt (POW)
Rohlffs, Klaus Uffz (POW)
Gehring, Georg Fw (POW)
Oßwald, Karl Uffz (POW)

04.10.41 He 111H-5 3670 2./KG 26 S Belomorsk
Reißmüller, Raimund Lt (POW)
Krems, Georg Fw (POW)
Hülsenbeck, Rudolf Gef (POW)

THis leaves only one crew that could have been killed, Uffz. Konrad Miottke, but it is not in the Volksbund database.

And then I checked the Luftwaffe Officer Career Summaries by Henry L. de Zeng IV and Douglas G. Stankey. Reißmüller is not there, but Schon is:

SCHON, Johannes. (DKG). 05.07.39 Lt., assigned to temporary duty from KG 26 to Erprobungsstelle d.Lw. Rechlin. 02.41 Oblt. and Techn.Offz. of I./KG 26. 25.06.41 Oblt., appt Staka 2./KG 26 (to 04.10.41). 04.10.41 Oblt. in 2./KG 26, KIA in Russia, cause and location unknown - He 111 H-5 (1H+FK). 01.04.42 promo to Hptm. awarded DKG, I./KG 26. 28.05.43 in I./KG 26, trf to LKS 1.

So this guy changed of unit after being killed....

One possibility is that both crew were first reported as MIA, that was transformed as KIA in some documents. But most crew were first taken POW, and Schon (and maybe Karl Oswald, also listed as WIA) was later sent back to the German side as an agent of the Soviet, having convinced them he changed side. He then resumed his career in the Luftwaffe, as did all other airmen I am aware of that were released by the Soviets in the same manner. Then with his return, the entry in the loss list was amended to replace the MIA status by WIA.

Can someone confirm this theory, or at least a part of it ? I will also be interested to confirm that I./KG 26 attacked Belomorsk area on 4 October 1941.

Thanks in advance