II/KG4 loss 13 May 1940

[Spanferkel]

Does anyone have additional information regarding the II/KG4 loss of Oblt. Erich Freiherr von Werthern on 13 May 1940 , (GCiG recip. and kia Russia feb. 1942) ?

Werthern was shot down and was the only survivor , his crew ( W. Peil - R. Winkelmann - E. Schacht ) all kia . His Plane , a He 111 (stab II./KG4) crashed at St. Leonard ( Brecht ) North of Antwerp .

According to Brian Cull's "Twelve Days in May", II./KG4 was attacked near Lille ( North of France) by 85 Squadron Hurricanes and Moranes of GCI/4 , both claimed Heinkels .

Don't know if any additional sources in French shed more light.

Regards

Jeremy

[Pieter H]

Jeremy,

This is what I have:
Aircraft crashed between St Lenaarts and Wuustwezel, North of Antwerpen.
Conditions not very clear, but this a/c was part of 30 II./KG4 machines attacking mostly french positions NW of Breda. Although there is a lot of confusion, the most likely time is an encounter around 18.30 with a patrouille double of 6 Hawk H75s of GC I/4 (Mardijck) over Roosendaal., where they encounter He-111’s escorted by Bf-109s (of I/JG20). Most reports claim 2 He-111s by the Hawks, but apparently they shot down three: 2 aircraft of 5th Staffel at Zevenbergen and Oudenbosch and this one. In the same encounter one Hawk and one Bf-109 were shot down too.

Regards,

Pieter

[Spanferkel]

Many thanks Pieter,

Would it be possible to get the source of this information?

Jeremy

[Pieter H]

As always there is no single source, but you have to match (and eliminate!) inputs from multiple sources. In this case amongst others Aerojournal and Icare for the French side, an overview of Luftwaffe crashes in the Netherlands, and the Luftwaffe claim list of Tony Wood.

Regads,

Pieter

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

Hi All,

A total of 6 He 111 were lost that day by KG 4. The one in question belonged to 6./KG 4 based on the Bundesarchiv loss report.

Norbert

[Pieter H]

Hi Norbert,

That is interesting, I can find only 5 of them:

• Two of 1./KG4 at Dordrecht and IJsselsteijn
• Two of 5./KG4 at Zevenbergen and Oudenbosch
• The one of 6./KG4 (and apparently not St.II/KG4) at Wuustwezel

Do you have the names of the crews of the two 1./KG4 machines ?
And where was the 6th aircraft lost?

Kind regards,

Pieter

[Jaap Woortman]

In the database of the Studiegroep Airwar 1939-1945 we have for the Netherlands:

40-05-13 Roosendaal He 111P 100% 5./KG 4 Uffz. F.Maas
40-05-13 IJsselstein / Lagedijk He 111P 100% 1./KG 4
40-05-13 0900 Oudenbosch He 111 100% 5./KG 4 Lt. Röhl
40-05-13 Dordrecht He 111 1./KG 4
40-05-13 Alblasserdam He 111 3356 ? 1./KG 4


Jaap Woortman

[Norbert Schuchbauer]

I made a mistake, there are only 5.

1 from 1./KG 4
2 from 5./KG 4
2 from 6./KG 4

sorry about that,

Norbert

[Spanferkel]

Many thanks gentlemen,

Very much appreciated.

Kind regards

Jeremy

[Pieter H]

Jaap,

I think the Heinkel of 1./KG4 that was hit during a mission to Dordrecht crashed at Alblasserdam. It is the same machine. The crew jumped over territory occupied by the paratroopers of the FJR.

We now have the correct number (5) but still a mismatch between the units given by Norbert (1 of 1./, 2 of 6./) and our list (2 of 1./, 1 of 6./). Pity I still don't have the names of all crew members to check the match.

Pieter