He 111 crash of KG 54 - B3+EM or B3+FM ?

[RudiS]

The attached picture shows a crash landed He 111 of KG 54 probably coded B3+EM or B3+FM.

Anybody have more info on place, date, crew and circumstances?

Thanks in advance,
Rudi.

[Larry Hickey]

Bugger,

I have eight photos of this aircraft in the EOE Data Base: essentially the caption info summary is: "Lu_40-5-21 He111P 4-KG54 B3+EM Uffz Josef Moors Pilot POW FL near Oudenarde in Flanders Belgium." The photo that you posted is from the SHD Collection (French Dept of Defense).

However, I believe that this is the same aircraft that Peter Taghon has investigated and based on local sources discovered that the aircraft that came down at Oudenarde was destroyed in the crash. I have a photo of B3+EM being removed from the site for repair/salvage. IIR Peter T. said that B3+EM must have come down elsewhere, probably in France. For years, this code/crew has been associatated with the Ourdenarde crash by several authors, including Radke, who wrote the KG54 history (in German). Based on this erroneous info, you will get identifications from these wrongly attributed sources. Apparently, however, they will be incorrect, but I haven't been able to determine the correct location the FL of B3+EM. Nor am I aware that the true identity of the Oudenarde crash been determined.

If there is anyone out there that can resolve the correct location of the loss of B3+EM and the Moors crew, I would very much appreciate hearing from them. The same for the correct ID of the plane and crew that was lost at Oudenarde. I hope that I've got all of this right, as I'm doing this from memory at the moment.

Regards,

[Peter Cornwell]

As Larry says, this photo has been wrongly attributed in the past (De Decker/Roba:1993) leading many authors, including myself, astray. I believe that local research by Peter T now indicates that the Moors aircraft actually fell at Hijfte, north of Lochristi, the A.I.1(k) Report No. 121/1940 indicating that it was coded B3+GM.

[RudiS]

Thank you Larry and Peter for your info.

Kind regards,
Rudi.

[Brian Bines]

The KG54 book shows for the 21-5-44 that Uffz Moors crash-landed bei Oudenarde and Oblt Willers as crash landing bei Scheldewindeke, both locations are quite close is there a possibility that both locations refer to Oblt Willers aircraft ? This would leave Uffz Moors as coming down elsewhere as Peter's post and Bugger's photo as wrongly captioned. The photo in the book of Oblt Willer's aircraft shows the nose caved in so that does not tie in with the photo.

[Peter T]

Yes, the Moors aircraft was coded B3+GM and came down in Hijfte, north of Lochristi. As for B3+EM no idea.

Peter

[RudiS]

Thanks for confirming, Peter.

Brian : Oblt Willers' He 111 that crashed landed at Scheldewindeke was coded B3+CM. The crash has been fairly well documented.
(See also Siegfried Radtkes book page 34 and Luftwaffe im Focus N° 6 for a whole bunch of pictures)

I'll guess we'll just have to wait till more pictures of the B3+EM show up, hopefully with captions on the back.

Kind regards,
Rudi.

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Thanks to Peter C. and Peter T., we've now established the correct a/c code, B3+GM, for the Moors crew loss. I do not have any photos of this loss in the EOE Data Base. Is anyone aware of any sources for photos of this loss? Have any ever been published, appeared on eBay, or perhaps reside in someone's personal collection? And, very importantly, who was flying the well-photographed B3+EM, which force landed, almost certainly in France during the Western Campaign of May-June, 1940.

In doing a little further research on this, there are only three possibilities, as the other 4./KG54 losses during the WC have been identified, with codes known (if reported accurately).

1) Lt. Fraz Gottschling- POW Lille area; however, Peter Cornwell lists this He111 as "crashed and exploded S. of Templeuve." Seems to eliminate it based on photos of an intact B3+EM.

2) Uffz Franz Becker (with the StaKap, Hptm. Lother Maiwald as the BO), down apparently after combat in the Dunkirk area. Condition of the a/c not listed, but several not injured. Apparently not POWs, and photos of B3+EM are in the SHA-D (ex SHAA) collection, suggesting that B3+EM came down in an area under Allied control. This is far from conclusive, however, and this remains the best candidate for B3+EM.

3) A 4./KG54 He111 that was apparently written off at its base after returning seriously damaged from combat over Dunkirk. This appears to be an unlikely candidate.

So, anybody got any further evidence or ideas?

Thanks,

[RudiS]

I have 2 pictures of this B3+EM in my collection, Larry. The one shown above and a second one taken from the side of the aircraft, with three servicemen sitting on the left wing, obscuring the aircraft code.

Neither of them however have a caption on the back indicating date or place of loss.

If you look at the damage to the tail, it looks like the swastika was cut out. That would be another indication IMHO that the plane came down behind the Allied frontline.

Kind regards,
Rudi.