Uffz. Hermann Strobel KIA, Nov. 17th 1940, searching personal for details

[Rolfeb]

Hi All,
Uffz. Hermann Strobel was flying a mission against England and kia November 17th 1940 together with his Bf Rademacher,
I’m searching for all details beginning with his military career.
The only thing I know is that on his last mission he flew in Erprobungskommando 210.
Reason why I’m searching is, because he grew up in the area where I m living.

Thanks a lot in advance
Rolf

[Matti Salonen]

1940-11-17, 1940-11-17, Bf 110 E-2, 3465, S9+LK, 15 km von Dünkirchen (Dunkerque)
Flugzeugführer Uffz Strobel, Hermann, +
Bordfunker Ogfr Radermacher, Willi, +
Absturz infolge Jägerbeschuß von Hurricane der 17 Sqn. Bruch 100 %.

Matti

[Rolfeb]

Hi Matti,

thanks a lot.
Do you hav any additional info about his vita?
E.g. which units he served except Erprobungskommando 210 and I'm also looking for info about his flying school he made his licenses.

Thanks a lot again
Rolf

[Matti Salonen]

Sorry, no other info, except that his EKM was issued by Erg.Zerst.St. 1.


Matti

[Chris Goss]

If it still exists, BA-MA is the only place or his family

[harryurz]

Cross referencing John Vascos' excellent and indespensable Eprg. 210 book with Foreman's 'Forgotten Months' it would appear Erpr.Gr.210 set out to attack Wattisham aerodrome, covered by elements of JG 26. Both 257 Squadron and 17 Squadron were diverted towards the ‘60 plus’ raid. Before Erpr.Gr.210 reached its target, 257 Squadron successfully engaged the escort while 17 Squadron waded into the fighter bombers over the Ipswich area. Erpr.Gr.210 lost three to 17 Squadron’s Hurricanes; the Bf 110 of Uffz. Werner Neumann and Ogfr. Karl Stoffwas crippled over Aldburgh by F/O MB ‘Count’ Czernin and crashed in the sea, both crewmen baling out. Neumann came down 2 miles out to sea and was rescued by the Aldeburgh lifeboat, while Stoff came down on land near Orford. In his combat report Czernin bizarrely mis-identified the Bf 110s as 'Fiat BR 20' bombers. Uffz. Johannes Kowatsch and Uffz. Hans-Georg Bade were posted missing after their Bf 110 crashed into the sea, and Uffz. Hermann Strobel ditched his Bf 110 into the sea off Dunkirk, both he and Uffz. Wilhelm Rademacher were drowned. Both these latter aircraft were shot down by either F/L AWA Bayne and Sgt. N Cameron (who claimed one Bf 110 each) or jointly by F/O P Niemiec and P/O F Kordula.

[Larry deZeng]

Originally Posted by Chris Goss

If it still exists, BA-MA is the only place or his family

The LPA trays of Karteikarten for enlisted aircrew did survive the war, were transported from S Germany to the U.K. in summer 1945, and from there back to Germany between 1965 and 1975. They were moved from Körnelimünster bei Aachen to BA-MA Freiburg in December 2005. The card(s) for STROBEL should have all of this military assignments.

L.

[ju55dk]

Beware that only officers Karteikarten were transferred to Freiburg. NCO and enlisted men were transferred to Berlin WASt.
Junker

[Larry deZeng]

Hmmm..............I had a fee-for-service researcher accredited to BA-MA look into the Karteikarten conundrum for me a couple of years ago and he said the aircrew enlisted Karten were at Freiburg. I'm sure you are right, J.J., so I guess I was fed the wrong information.

L.

[John Vasco]

Rolf,

I contacted Strobel's wife in the 1980s during my research intoErprobungsgruppe 210, and visited her and her daughter at their home in Germany.

Here's a photo of Unteroffizier Hermann Strobel that they allowed me to use in my book.


Note that I did not attribute any of the three Bf 110 losses to any individual pilots of the intercepting RAF squadrons in my book, since I believed the combat reports were specific enough. Czernin claimed to have damaged one before being shot down. I wrote, regarding the rest of the combat: "...Flight Lieutenant Bayne, Flying Officer Niemiec, Pilot Officer Kordula and Sergeant Cameron all claimed to have damaged Bf 110s, but none of the four pilots saw them crash..." and also: "...2nd Staffel of Erprobungsgruppe 210 lost two aircraft on this raid [...] The other aircraft was a Bf 110 E-2, S9+LK (W. Nr. 3465) flown by Unteroffizier Hermann Strobel with Unteroffizier Willi Rademacher as W/T Operator. This aircraft crashed into the Channel off Dunkirk and both crew were killed..."

Hope the above is of some interest to you.