Double Loss off Falmouth & the Lizard 24 November 1940

[CornwallPhil]

I am looking for any information on the planes and crew lost off the south Cornish coast on Sunday 24th November 1940.

The first was believed to have been shot down by Spitfires at 1225 hours (UK time) between Kynance and the Lizard. It is believed this plane had been involved in a raid on Redruth. The Lizard lifeboat picked up one wounded and one dead.

The second was shot down in Falmouth Bay at 1944 hours by AA fire. It is believed this plane exploded mid-air and there were no survivors.

The sources I have from British military units in the area and from the local Cornish press give no details regarding the type of plane or of the crew. Any information gratefully received.

[Orwell1984]

Luftwaffe Crash Archive Volume 6 by Nigel Parker covers this date on pages 720-723 and actually lists three losses in the Cornwall area for this date so I've listed all of them

Do215B Wn. 0057 VB+RK Aufkl.Gr.Ob.d.L.
At sea three miles north west if the Lizard Cornwall 12:30 hrs
Started from brest at 10:25 hrs on a reconnaissance mission off the East Coast of Ireland and the South West Coast of Wales. While returning home at 28 000 ft the crew noticed that they were leavinga condensation trail and soon after they were attacked by a Spitfire; the first attack wounding the wireless operator and the second attack wounding the flight engineer who had taken over operating the top rear gun. The next thing that the flight engineer remembered was that he was swimming in the water with the wireless operator and shortly after was rescued by a life boat. although the wireless operator had died
ID 57005 & 53577 AW: Blue, Fritzlar 30.4.40, FP-
Ff Uffz Friedrich Redmann [KIA] NKG
Bo Ltn Bobal [KIA] NKG
Bf: Uffz Walther Schmitz 57005/120 [KIA] CC 5/261
Bm: Uffz Rupert Stangassinger wounded
The flight engineer had only been with this unit for fourteeen days and had the ID disc of Erganzungs Kampfgruppe 2 and refused to give his unit. The other members of the crew had been known to Air Intelligence as members of 2/Ob.d.L. The wireless operator was granted leave on 16th October 1940 by Erganzungs Aufklarungsgruppe Ob.d.H. when he belonged to the 2(H) Staffel, Erganzungs Aufklarungsgruppe. The flight engineer had a receipt from Amsterdam dated 7th November 1940 and also a bunch of keys with a metal tag stamped "Do.215B 0072" The flight engineer was very distressed to find that he had the keys of VB+WK still in his pocket as it was essential that these be returned to the Staffel as the aircraft would be out of action and there would be no end of trouble

Next loss is a Do17z Wn 2796 7T+TH 1/606 lost at Penlee Point near Devonport Cornwall 23:00 hrs. Aircraft was on a mission to bomb Bristol but due a series of navigation errors ended up hitting a balloon cable and damaging an engine, after which the crew baled out, one landing on dry land the others in the water, though it appears all were rescued. One crew member was captured by balloon site 64/3. The crew of balloon site 64/11 reported the aircraft as approaching at 22:40 displaying navigation lights and then hitting a ballo0n cable. Crew listed as Ff Ogefr Albert Hoferichter, Bo: Ltn zur See Martin Saueracker, Bf: Hauptgefr Heinrich Weiss and Bm: Uffz Kurt Eiselt injured.

Final loss He 111H-4 Wn.3092 G1+KN 5/KG55
at sea one and a half miles 225 degrees off Antony Signal Station Falmouth Cornwall 19.40 hrs

Aircraft was blown to bits by a direct hit by an AA shell during operations to attack targets in the Bristol area
Ff; Ofw Werner Muller 67020/30 [Kia] NKG
Bo: Ltn Gerhard Heiland 67020/19 [KIA] NKG
Bf; Fw Heinrich Gaick 67020/68 [KIA] NKG
Bm: Stfw Heinrich Heidt 67020/14 [KIA] NKG
Sdrhr Emil Weihmuller [KIA] NKG

[CornwallPhil]

Thanks Orwell1984. That's brilliant.
It's the first and third of the incidents you've posted that I am interested in.
Thanks for details on planes and their crews. Much appreciated.
I like the tale about the keys!

[Chris Goss]

First loss was due to Blake and Mortimer-Rose of 234 Sqn

[CornwallPhil]

Thanks for that Chris. I have now purchased their Combat Reports from the National Archives.

[RolandF]

A stupid question: So VB+?K seems to be one of the rare four-letter Verbandskennzeichen and not a Stammkennzeichen?

Regards
RolandF

[Peter Cornwell]

I believe the correct codes were VB+KR. Aircraft of 2./Aufkl.Gr.Ob.d.L carried the unit codes 'VB' of 2.(F)/Aufkl.Gr.121 (the parent unit from which they were formed) but in a distinct break from normal practice the staffel letter 'K' appeared directly aft of the fuselage Balkenkreuz leaving the individual aircraft letter (in this case 'R') as the last letter of the aircraft code.

[CornwallPhil]

I understand Walther Schmitz was buried on the Lizard on the Friday following the incident. His remains were then moved to Cannock Chase once the German Military Cemetery was established.
Rupert Stangassinger, in addition to severe shock, had bullet holes in the face and one in the elbow. The village doctor was called, who dressed his wounds. Before being taken to hospital he was given hot coffee by the owner of the Wave Crest Tea Rooms (still there on Lizard Point!). The local press report (1 paragraph) on Schmitz's funeral adds that the air mechanic was making a good recovery.

[James A Pratt III]

The book "Battle of Britain the Forgooten months" has the Do17 of KFLGr. 606 a victim of the British radio countermeasure "MEACON"