II/KG 26 on 17 January 1941

[Håkan]

On 17 January 1941, II/KG 26 flew their first mission over North Africa; a raid over the Suez Canal to attack a British convoy signalled by the intelligence. However they couldn’t perform this operation without information on the whereabouts of the target so one of the unit’s Heinkels were unloaded and took off at 10:45 to search for the British convoy (according to other sources, the Heinkels flying the reconnaissance sortie were four aircraft flying along the Canal, two with a north-south course and two with a south-north route). Between 17:00 and 18:00, the discovery signal finally arrived at Benina and in short intervals between 18:00 and 18:30, the remaining eight Heinkels took off under the command of Oberstleutnant Martin Harlinghausen, Chief-of-Staff of X Fliegerkorps, that was aboard the Heinkel of Hauptmann Robert Kowalewsky. While the reconnaissance aircraft landed back at 21:15, the night mission was carried out at extreme range, in general bad weather conditions (high winds and sand storms in Marmarica), with crews without any experience of flight in desert conditions. The convoy wasn’t located and only one bomber (Leutnant Werner Kaupisch) was able to return and land in Benghazi. Of the remaining crews obliged to force land in the desert, only two (including Harlinghausen’s) were subsequently found by the Italian troops or by their German comrades and saved. The others were MIA or taken prisoners by the British.

I have some different info on loses depending on sources but it seems that three or four crews became POWs including IH+JP and IH+GM of Leutnant Hans Folter carrying Major Wilhelm Bertram.

Is there anyone with more info on the losses, crews, WNrs etc?

Best wishes/Håkan Gustavsson

[RT]

In this mission 5 He111h-5 were lost 2 missed, 2 notlanded , 1 crash
2 complete crew were missing/ 1H+GM-wn 3848/1H+JP-wn 3653- + 3 wounded from other planes

remi

[Håkan]

Hello Remi,

Thanks for your help.

Best wishes/Håkan

[steve sheridan]

Hi Remi,
Following on from this thread, do you have the details for the other a/c
that crashed, and forced landed. Looking for W.Nr's and codes if reported on the loss listings!
Best Regards,
Steve

[RT]

All H-5
Staffeln 6/6/4 Wn 3764/3766/3848 all 100%

Remi

[Stig Jarlevik]

Dear Remi

You state 5 He 111 were lost in total. You also list FIVE Wnr. Unfortunately you list WNr 3848 TWICE. Pls check again and advice the true fifth airframe

Cheers
Stig