The Eagles Over Europe Project

[Larry Hickey]

Horst,

That would make a lot of sense, as V.(Z)/LG1 was based at Mannheim-Sandhofen AF from 11.39 to 13.05.40. The markings on the aircraft are consistent with what I would expect for the beginning of the WC.

There must be photos of such a famous wartime plant available that would allow us to confirm the location.

Who can confirm this location?

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

It might help to know where V.(Z)/LG1 was based during the spring-early summer of 1940, although this was not necessarily taken at one of the unit's main bases.

1) Mannehiem-Sandhofen AF, Germany (from 11.39 - 13.05.40
2) Wiesbaden AF, Germany (from 13.05.40 - 18.05.40
3) Neufchateau AF, Belgium? (from 18.05.40 - 19.05.40
4) Trier AF, Germany (from 19.05.40 - 20.05.40)
5) St Marie-Chevigny AF, Belgium (from 20.05.40 - 28.06.40)
6) Alencon AF, France (from 28.06.40 to 12.06.40 -- staging through Cherbourg)
7) Theville AF, France (from 14.07.40 - 21.07.40 -- staging through Rocuancourt)
Thereafter staging through Cherbourg, Rocuancort, and Lessay, France, until started flying from Ligescourt for the middle part of the Battle of Britain

This may help figure out where this is.

[Kutscha]

Aerial view at the bottom of the article,
http://www.basf.com/group/corporate/...925-1944/index

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

I've had several people email me photos of BASF at Ludwigshafen in 1939, and they don't seem to match the photos posted above, especially the row of four smokestacks in a row. Can't find them in those photos. So it doesn't seem to be the BASF plant.

So, it must be another place, perhaps a German steel mill. Any more suggestions?

Regards,

Larry

[lilsis]

Hi,

Maybe it is something like leuna Werk Oil from coal



http://www.naumburg-geschichte.de/bilder/leuna/silo.jpg

[AndreasB]

I think the angle would fit very well with a north-westerly take-off from Sandhofen, with the BASF works to the left after crossing the Rhine.

All the best

Andreas

[Larry Hickey]

lilsis,

Unfortunately I don't see the big cooling towers in the photos with the plane.

Andreas,

The angle might work on BASF, but we still need to locate those five smokestacks all in a row, which I don't see in 1939 photos of the facility.

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Two different people have sent me pdfs of this article in Avions, so my thanx for your help. Now we'll need to get it translated into English.

Now that I've seen the article, there are no new photos that we didn't already have in the EoE Photo DB regarding the LW side of the story, and there are others we do have that weren't there. Unfortunately, no photos of the Bf109 crash sites, such as the one that I posted--only the one of Red 7 FL, that we already have.

Thanx for your continuing help and support. I ask all of you to please keep your eyes out for other photos relating to this incident. I'm sure that photos exist of the other three crash sites, but they may not be easily identifiable for what they are. Smoking wreckage often doesn't lead to easy identification.

[RT]

Looking at the air battles at that time, seems french hv an edge, better moral ?? better trained ?? Better tactics ??
Wonder if frenches are not more disciplinate than the germans
Things, even if french AF fiercely fought , changed in may ...

Rémi

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Originally Posted by RT

Looking at the air battles at that time, seems french hv an edge, better moral ?? better trained ?? Better tactics ??
Wonder if frenches are not more disciplinate than the germans
Things, even if french AF fiercely fought , changed in may ...

Rémi

RT, in this particular battle, the Bf 109 were old models (D from memory), in May 1940 the Bf 109 E was a more formidable opponent.

And this battle is the only success of this scale between September 1939 and June 1940.