Information on He 111 loss in Holland 1940

[rickback4444]

Hi

Just bought a photo of a He 111 crash stated to be in Holland in 1940.
The tail has a work number 5577 - notation says shot down by flak.

Does anyone have any information on the unit and crew by this number?

Thanks

Rick

[Snautzer]

12-mei-40 2010 Woensdrecht (Doelstraat) He 111 H 5577 3./KGr. 126 Uffz. O. Kippschull B

[Stig Jarlevik]

Gents

May I just point out that Cornwell's book BoF then and now states the WNr was 5571. Which is correct? There is a photo in the book but no digits visible.

B Rgds
Stig

[Merlin]

He 111H-2 WNr. 5571 was lost by KG 1 on 27.03.40 near Grünberg (appr. 20km east of Giessen), for the Woendrecht crash the WNr. 5577 is correct.

[rickback4444]

Any information on the crew.

Rick

[rickback4444]

Hi,

I will add my photo with clear work number on tail

Rick

[Larry Hickey]

Rick,

There are several photos of this crash in our EoE Photo DB, at least three of which show the W.Nr.5577. There apparently has been some mix up in some of the photos between this and another He111 crash on the same day in the Netherlands which I'm now trying to sort out. Anyway, I'd like to see if your photo duplicates ours, or is something new. Once I get our entry squared away with Peter C. I'll post our revised EoE entry, unless he does so first.

Gerhard, we don't carry a W.Nr. with our 27.3.40 loss entry for "He 111H-2 WNr. 5571 ...lost by KG 1 on 27.03.40 near Grünberg (appr. 20km east of Giessen)." Do you have a photo of this crash, or where does the W.Nr. info come from? I show no photo for this crash in our DB although we do have a loss entry for it.

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

In trying to sort out the loss of W.Nr.5577 above, we've got this crash listed in the Netherlands in the same action:

12 May 1940: 3./KGr.126 Heinkel He111H (3558). Shot down by 7 Moranes of GC III/3 during armed reconnaissance over South Beveland and the Scheldt Estuary. Crashed and burned out at Calfven, between Hoogerheide and Ossendrecht 8.10 p.m. BO Oberlt Friedrich Sawade (Staffelkapitän) and BM Uffz Jakob Dethlefsen both killed, BF Oberfw Herbert Klabunde baled out but parachute failed and killed, FF Oberfw Herbert Widmayer baled out and captured badly wounded. Aircraft 1T+AL 100% write-off. Site excavated by the RNLAF in June 1966 when a serial number 3558 was found. This is believed to be a component number rather than the aircraft serial."

Are photos known to exist of this crash? There is apparently some confusion in our EoE Files between photos labeled for these crashes.

Who can help?

[Jim P.]

WNr. 3558 should be an He 111H-5 and would appear to be several months earlier than other WNr. in this series. Other losses in the WNr. 3501 - 3599 series don't appear until September 1940. Is it possible that this is WNr. 5558? There are losses in this range from 1939 - and admittedly the evidence is sparse since WNr. were seldom recorded in the 39 - early-40 period.

[RT]

3558 made is frist flight in Aug. 40

Rémi