ID of He111 of KG 54 down either 24.5.40 or 2.6.40 on beach at Ostende, Belgium

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

I'm trying to ID the full code and info for an He111 of KG54 that made a wheels up landing on the beach at Ostende (Oostende), Belgium during the Western Campaign. The Heinkel has white spinner tips, indicating either a 1 Staffel or a 4 Staffel aircraft. No 7 Staffel aircraft is a likely candidate. One of the three photos available to me has a handwritten note on the back that indicates that it was taken on the beach at Ostende. By a process of elimination, this can only be an aircraft lost on a raid on the Dunkirk area, about thirty miles to the SW down the coast, by 1 Staffel on either 24.5.40 or 2.6.40, or one of three 4 Staffel machines lost on missions to Dunkirk on 2.6.40. The plane came down intact, but apparently the action of the sea eventually broke the tail off. Can anyone ID the specifics of this aircraft?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Alain57]

Hi ,

There was a He-111 from KG54 who made a wheels up landing on 02/06/1940 on the beach off Middelkerke ( 8 km south-east off Oostende )
Unfortenally i have no more info about the plane and crew.

Greetings

Alain

[Larry Hickey]

Alain,

Your reference sounds like the plane that I'm looking for. Does anyone else have any information on that incident? This He111 came down intact, and there should be photos of it with unit codes and possible W.Nr.

Thanx,

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

All the one's I have are 100% damage for this date from KG 54 and the location of Dünkichen.

Regards,

Norbert

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

With thanks from a message from Peter T. this mystery is solved and the He111P is certainly identified as B3+JM of 4./KG54 belly landed on the beach at Middelkirke, West Flanders, Belgium on 2/6/40, with Oblt. Günther Seubert piloting. He was uninjured and returned to duty. One crewman was killed and buried at Ostende.

Thanks for the help.

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Wondering what the source is of the loss? The reports from the BA only indicate that 4./KG 54 lost 2 aircraft that day. One with Hptm. Maiwald and one with Obltn. Berg. There is no mention of Obltn. Seubert or another 4./KG 54 aircraft being lost. Just wondering,

Norbert

[Larry Hickey]

Norbert,

You'll find Seubert's plane listed in the appendix of Radtke's KG54 book as down on 2.6.40. The pilot was not injured and was returned to duty, as the plane came down behind German lines. Photos show the plane landed on the beach, and is well-known to Peter Taghon, who confirmed this loss for me.

Best wishes,

[steve sheridan]

Hi followed these Heinkel losses with great interest.
However Norbert mentions a loss from the BA regarding another loss from 4/KG54 featuring a loss by Oblt Berg. Any further details regarding his loss,
or reference in Radtke's book?

Best regs,
Steve.

[Larry Hickey]

Hi Steve and Norbert,

Have just returned from 2 weeks of vacation to find your comments.

In Radtke's book on KG 54, there are three losses listed for 4./KG 54 on 2.6.40, all in the Dunkirk area. One is accounted for in the loss I requested info about, B3+JM, piloted by Oblt Seubert. The full crew of that plane is listed. The other two were also 100% losses, with an Uffz Becker the pilot of one and a "?" listed for the other pilot. Becker's plane apparently came down behind German lines, and he was unwounded (unverletzt zurück) and returned to duty, as was the Observer, Hptm. Lothar Maiwald, the St.Kap. Two other crewmen aboard were listed as wounded.

The third plane doesn't have a listed pilot in Radtke, but there was a 4th St BS, Flg. Othmar Kaschel, listed as WIA in an attack by a fighter that day, although it isn't certain that he was aboard the lost plane. He could have been wounded aboard another 4 Staffel aircraft, not associated with the third loss, although most likely he was aboard that plane. All three He111 losses were attributed to attacks by fighters. That is all that Radtke mentioned. He makes no reference to an Oblt. Berg, but obviously he could have been the pilot of the third aircraft. Any confirmation that Oblt. Berg was a pilot aboard a third lost aircraft that day would be appreciated.

Regards,

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Hi Larry and Steve,
the loss info for 02-Jun-40 for KG 54 from the BA is as follows:
1./KG 54 1 crew KIA and one crew WIA no aircraft damage reported.
4./KG 54 He 111 P 100% Hptm. Maiwald B UNH, 2 crew WIA, 1 crew UNH.
4./KG 54 He 111 P 100% Obltn. Berg B WIA, 1 crew KIA, 2 crew WIA.
6./KG 54 He 111 P 100% Obltn. Schmidt F UNH, 2 crew UNH, 1 crew KIA.
9./KG 54 He 111 P 100% Ltn. Petzold F UNH, 1 crew KIA, 1 crew WIA, 1 crew UNH.

Unfortunately there is not much more.

On the 1st of June KG 4 and KG 76 had losses at Dünkirchen involving He 111.

Regards,

Norbert