Luftwaffe bomber losses Norway April 1940

[Brian]

Hi guys

Here's something to get your teeth into over the Christmas break - please! I'm looking for further details regarding the following losses:

26 April 1940
L1+KT of 9/LG1

27 April 1940
4/LG1 Fw Schulz
7/KG26 Oblt Steinback
1H+CT Ltn Schopis
2/KG100 Uffz Rippka
2/KG100 Obfw Hansel

28 April 1940
4D+EH 1/KG30 Kretschmer
4/KG26 Hptm von Carolsfeld
4/KG26 Fw Pfuger
III/KG26 Uffz Liesske

I do hope someone can provide crew identities/fates/aircraft markings etc.

Many thanks in advance - and have a great Christmas

Cheers
Brian

[Andy Mitchell]

Brian,

I have the following from "The First Pathfinders" by Ken Wakefield.

Page 50

"Of the seven aircraft of our staffel two did not return. The hansel crew (hansel, Harbel,Hansen and Bohne) turned up in bergen eight days later after being captured. hansen had lost a leg. This is the crew that I liked best of all; they were all great chaps. Anyway, thank god they are all back again. Soon I will be able to speak to them." (There is a footnote here that indicates that the crew were captured by the British - and also that they were all killed later in the war.)

"What happened to Rippke and his crew nowbody knows.it was their first flight against the enemy. Among them was Unteroffizier Thieme who has been married for only one week."

These quotesd are from Hillmar Schmidt's diary whish is used quite heavily in this chapter of the book.

[Andy Mitchell]

Brian,

Shores et al in Fledgling Eagles has this on page 292 regarding L1+KT of 26 Apr -

"Glorious was launching three more Skuas from803 Sqdn, and somewhat later at 1308 these also intercepted He 111s, part of a force of 10 from II/LG1, 144 from III/LG1 and 11 from I/KG 26, which were undertaking a concentrated attack on Aandalsnes and Lesjaskog, where they claimed one gladiator destroyed on the ground. The bombwer crews reported having seen two other Gladiators which had got into the air, attempting to catch them, but without success.three of the KG 26 bombers were attacked over Stortfjord by the three 803 Sqdn Skuas, which were flown by Lt Lucy in 7F, Lt Filmer in 7Q and Lt christian in 7H. The windscreen of 7F was at once covered in a film of oil and Lucy had to break away to cleadn it before returning to the fight. Filmer meanwhile made an individual attack, damaging one bomber, but 7Q was then seen diving awayleaving a slight trail of smoke.he force-landed in Norway with the aircraft damaged and the observer/gunner Pty Off K.G. Baldwin, dead.
Lucy and Christian resumed the attack fro the beam, but the bombers began to draw away from them, one seeming to drop out of formation as they went. In fact two Heinkels of 2 staffel had been damaged, though neither was very badly hit. The skua pilots then attacked an aircraft identified as a Do 17, before sighting another He 111 below, this time L1+KT of 9./LG 1. several passes were made on this latter, and it lost height pouring smoke; the undercarraige came down and the stricken aircraft finally "pancaked" into the eastern end of Romsdalsfjord sinking after three minutes. Some members of the crew were seen swimming to the shore as the two Skuas, both of which had been damaged in the fight, headed back to their carrier. Lt cahl and his crew of four were all reported missing; in fact two were to die in hospital, one to remainas a prisoner and one to be freed later by German troops."

[Brian]

Thanks for the effort Andy, but I do have these accounts!

I hope you enjoy your Christmas pud!

Cheers
Brian

[flyvrak]

Hi Brian
I've been at a couple of these crash sites. Here is what I have soo far:
http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/grotli.html
http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/bjorli.html

Cheers Kjell
www.flyvrak.info

[Brian]

Thanks Kjell

According to Dicky Partridge's book, Hauck was the one shot by Norwegians but you have Strunk. Any comment?

Cheers
Brian

PS: I withdraw the statement, Kjell, it's only implied by the photograph of Hauck's grave. Apologies!