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Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the German Luftwaffe and the Air Forces of its Allies. |
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#1
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![]() This is my first question on here, so apologies if it seems a bit crass.
I am currently investigating a plane crash in Essex, where an Arado 234 had to crash land or was shot down. What is particularly interesting about this incident is it was completely 'covered up' by the British army, as it was an unusual 'jet' aircraft of the Second World War. To date, I have established the pilot/navigator names - One is definitely Maj. Hans Leickhardt; who doesn't like being called Major. The other is Rolf Bussman, but this one I am only 95 % sure about. The plane hit the ground on 5th or 6th March 1945. The area where this happened has slight evidence of the incident and interestingly....no one, including local historians, know about this incident. I was contacting various people and historians in the area and have drawn a blank. Except one person, a local councillor, who said that no planes have crashed in this particular place. But she went on to say that there are numerous V type bomb reports in the area. I have not been able to contact her in the last few days, as I want to establish from her if the V bomb reports pertain to the area I know about. If so, then my theory that the plane incident was 'dressed up' as a V type bomb impact may be true. This councillor has comprehensive information on virtually all the bomb impacts and WWII activity in this particular town. In the interim, I was hoping that some members out there may know info to confirm my stuff, or even add some critical info.....All will be most welcome. Stuff I know: Impact on 5th or 6th March 1945. Pilots/Navigators : Major Hans Leickhardt and Rolf Bussman. Status of pilots after crash: Bussman - Deceased on impact.... Leickhardt - Seriously injured and possibly shot by British Army personnel then taken to location around 15 miles away for interogation and finally suicide. |
#2
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Re: 5th/6th March 1945 - Luftwaffe Nightfighter loss over Essex
A good reason why it wouldn't be an Arado 234 is that the Ar 234 B-2, used for reconnaissance over the North Sea and UK east coast in March, was a single-seater. 1.(F)/123 was the unit doing the UK reconnaissance at that point and its aircraft strength increased by one between 2 and 9 March while its pilot strength remained unchanged.
I think that far from wanting to cover it up the RAF would have been delighted to have another example of the Ar 234, just over a week after acquiring their first one in Western Germany. There is ample documentation of that find and of the Ar 234 wreck found in Northern Italy in April 1945. You might find this book helpful (and it's cheap): "Air Raid!: The Enemy Air Offensive over East Anglia 1939-45" by Michael J.F. Bowyer. I no longer have my copy, so I can't check it for you. |
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1945, arado, bussman, leickhardt, nightfighter |
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