6/KG4 Heinkel He 111P-4 (3085) - Crash 1941

[neil 996]

Ive been looking into the crash of this aircraft which occured on 15/16 Feb 1941.

I have some detail on the incident itself but was wondering how to research the activity of the aircraft and the service of the crew.

Hptm Heinz Styra
Ofw. Wilhelm Beetz,
Uffz Karl Brutzen,
Uffz Helmut Jeckstadt,
Gefr. Franz-Friedrich Janeschitz,

i also dont know where the crew were buried, all were killed.

Im knew to researching German aircraft so any help will be appreciated.

cheers

neil

[obdl3945]

Hi, Neil...

I was just browsing through some earlier postings and noticed you hadn't had any responses to this.

The undernoted information is from the colourfully named South Shields Sanddancers site, which is seemingly a forum for local news and information relating to that area of the country:

http://forum.southshields-sanddancer...t=1797&p=29793

You can find quite a lot of information if you do Google searches, albeit you have to spend some time juggling names, details etc before you're lucky enough to get a result. I simply entered: Heinz Styra, KG4, and it led me to the site. The undernoted is from the second posting when you scroll down:

...aircrew who were lost on February 16th, 1941. The aircraft was a Heinkel He-111P-4, Wnr.3085 and coded 5J+GP. The aircraft was from II /KG 4 and was listed as was missing at February 14th, 1941. The aircraft was hit by AA fire then struck balloon cable. It then crashed at Bent's Park, South Shields. Obfw. Beetz baled out but was killed when he landed on trolley-bus wires.

The crew were -

Hptm Heinz Styra
Ofw. Wilhelm Beetz,
Uffz Karl Brutzen,
Uffz Helmut Jeckstadt,
Gefr. Franz-Friedrich Janeschitz,


All of this information is according to the German Loss List

I tried the subsequent link given on the posting, but it didn't relate to anything obviously helpful in respect of a German loss list. The aircraft code of 5J+GP narrows it down to an aircraft of 6.Staffel, II.Gruppe/KG4, which carried the title 'General Wever'. Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945, Vol.1 by H L de Zeng and D Stankey (Midland Publishing), states that II.Gruppe/KG4 moved to Soesterberg, Holland, at the end of September/beginning of October 1940 and remained there through to late March 1941, prior to relocating to Wien-Aspern in preparation for the Balkans campaign.

Given the amount of detail relating to this crew's (and the aircraft's) demise, though, it may be that someone else on this forum would be able to oblige you as to where the machine was manufactured, and perhaps some further information about the crew. Hopefully, by way of this posting, it will prompt others to dig a little deeper for some info/photos. Happy hunting... !

Regards...

[neil 996]

Cheers for that info, i appreciate the time and help!

Its the part of tracking down german aircraft info and personnel history that i dont have a clue about.

cheers for the pointers!

neil

[obdl3945]

Hi, Neil...

No problem... If you're patient enough to wait for a while, you may be lucky enough to have someone else on this forum help you out. That's what we try to do. There are many contributors with access to many differing sources of information, so hang in there... you may be lucky.

Regards...

Paul

[David Ransome]

Hi Neil

I replied on this query in the last week, to your post on LEMB forum. Thanks for your additional info there!

Regards

David

[bill norman]

Neil, I managed to lose your Email address! The members of the crew are buried in Hylton Cemetery, Castletown, Sunderland. You will find some details of the crash in my LUFTWAFFE LOSSES OVER NORTHUMBERLAND & DURHAM. (Pen & Sword Books, 2002). If you don't have a copy, you'll find one in your local library. Bill Norman (www.billnorman.co.uk)

[Chris Goss]

In respect of personnel/career details, the NVM would have DoB, place of birth and service number (Bill Norman might have this). I guess that Doug S has no details for Styra. You used to be able to get career details from Germany but his has all but stopped due to new legislation

[neil 996]

Originally Posted by David Ransome

Hi Neil

I replied on this query in the last week, to your post on LEMB forum. Thanks for your additional info there!

Regards

David

cheers david for the help, ive been scoping out both sites.

[neil 996]

Originally Posted by bill norman

Neil, I managed to lose your Email address! The members of the crew are buried in Hylton Cemetery, Castletown, Sunderland. You will find some details of the crash in my LUFTWAFFE LOSSES OVER NORTHUMBERLAND & DURHAM. (Pen & Sword Books, 2002). If you don't have a copy, you'll find one in your local library. Bill Norman (www.billnorman.co.uk)

Cheers Bill, ive got my hands on a copy and have had a good read, including the "South Bank Dornier" which i got at the weekend.

Ive tried to google as much as i could but nothing found yet on possible aircraft and personnel history. Im going to visit the library at south shields to see if they have any more pictures from the incident and see if i can take any comparison pics of what the site looks like today.

Ive also been looking into finding out the civillian casualties of that night, and maybe trying to find locals who still have memories from that night.

I did find an eye witness account on an English heritage document from a gunner from the Tynemouth side of the river stationed at the abbey.

As mentioned im used to finding out about Allied airmen in the area but not german.

thanks for getting back to me.

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Aircraft was manufactured by Heinkel Werke Rostock in May 1940 and had the Stammkennzeichen TM+WT.

Regards,

Norbert