The Eagles Over Europe Project

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Am trying to ID this crashed Bf110C:

http://ihra.smugmug.com/photos/i-2xZ...-2xZ876S-L.jpg

This is very likely one of the two losses below:

April 22, 1940

15.(Z)/LG1Messerschmitt Bf110C-1. Crashed into houses near Mannheim-Sandhofen, Germany, and burnt out following engine failure on maintenance test flight. (Ff) Oberlt Walter Clausen (Staffelkapitän) and mechanic killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.
Note: "Merlin" has this as L1+AL.


May 12, 1940

13.(Z)/LG1 Messerschmitt Bf110C. Lost control in vertical dive avoiding attacks from, S/Lt Boitelet and Sgt Tallent of GC I/5, also Sgt Guillaume of GC III/7, over Vouziers and hit trees at ‘Nugimont’, south of Blagny, France, at 7.15 a.m. FF Lt Hans Gaffal thrown from aircraft and captured with fractured skull, admitted to hospital in Ste-Menehould, BF Uffz Aloysius Dierkes also captured wounded – both later released. Aircraft L1+AH 100% write-off.


This a/c appears to have a white or yellow "A" on the top of the wing. The vegetation and markings clearly date this to the spring of 1940.


Does anyone have other photos of this crash that might help ID this photo? From this angle, there is no evidence of the houses that the 22.04.40 crash reportedly hit. However, it is hard to see how the pilot and BG of this a/c survived the crash, although both were injured. This photo was kindly provided by Chris Ehrengardt, who may know what the source of it was. If it was a French source, then it is probably the May 12 incident. If a German source, it could be either one.


Thanx for any assistance.

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

One of our EoE members has acquired two photos L1+HK, a 14.(Z)/LG1 Bf110C that was being salvaged apparently after FL on a French beach during the Battle of Britain. This may possibly be around mid-August, 1940. It appears to have been dragged up on to a stone causeway to get it off the beach ahead of an advancing tide.

I want to do a color profile of this a/c for the EoE project if we can get other photos of this incident, and information that will help us firmly date it, hopefully with a crew.

http://ihra.smugmug.com/photos/i-nrT...-nrT34GK-L.jpg

http://ihra.smugmug.com/photos/i-zR4...-zR4DD72-L.jpg

Who can help?

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

I'm trying to ID this Ju87B crash, reported to be in the Monthrme area, in the Ardennes, probably early in the Western Campaign of May, 1940. Does anyone know this crash or have additional photos of the severed rear fuselage that would help ID the a/c codes?

http://ihra.smugmug.com/photos/i-QnC...-QnCp62f-L.jpg

http://ihra.smugmug.com/photos/i-xk5...-xk5zHDk-L.jpg

Any help would be appreciated.

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

For the EoE Project, I'm looking for photos that document the crashes of these four V.(Z)/LG1 losses early in the Western Campaign in France. Can anyone help?

11 May 1940:

14.(Z)/LG1 Messerschmitt Bf110C. Badly damaged in attack by Lt Zerovnicky of GC I/8 during escort sortie over St-Mihiel. Caught fire during return flight, abandoned over Lenoncourt, and crashed at Cerville, France, 6.35 a.m. BF Uffz Willi Fabian killed. FF Lt Hans Leickhardt baled out and captured badly wounded – later released. Aircraft 100% write-off.

16 May 1940:

15.(Z)/LG1 Messerschmitt Bf110C. Shot down by Lt Bouysse of GC I/8 in combat over La Fère during escort for reconnaissance sortie and crashed west of Rogécourt 5.55 a.m. FF Lt Georg Schwarzer and BF Obergefr Fritz Petrich both killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.

17 May 1940:

14.(Z)/LG1 Messerschmitt Bf110C. Shot down in combat with Hurricanes of No.1 Squadron 10km west of Reims during escort for KG2 10.35 a.m. FF Uffz Friedrich Schmitt and BF Obergefr Heinz Schmidt both killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.

14.(Z)/LG1 Messerschmitt Bf110C. Shot down in combat with Hurricanes of No.1 Squadron 10km west of Reims during escort for KG2 and believed crashed at Rosnay 10.35 a.m. FF Oberlt Werner Methfessel (Staffelkapitän) and BF Uffz Heinz Resener both killed. Aircraft L1+LK 100% write-off.

[Pieter H]

Larry,
the text on the first and last pictures of the series clearly refer to "avion ennemie" and "avion boche", which - assuming thewriter was correct - indicate a German aircraft.

Regards, Pieter

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Thanx for your comments. The captions do clearly indicate the crash of a German plane, but there are really no suitable candidates around that time. Anybody got any ideas of what this could be? Obviously it must have been sometime earlier than April 30th.

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Can anyone provide photos of this aircraft? It turns out that we don't have copies of the photos of this a/c in the EoE photo DB, and this will likely be a color profile. At least three photos exist of the cockpit area taken while it was at the RAE for evaluation, and there are at least two other photos of it known while it was at Oaklington being readied for transport to Farnborough.

Here is the "G-Report" on this incident:

19 September 1940:
"Ju.88A/1. Crashed at OAKLINGTON, LONG STANTON Aerodrome, near CAMBRIDGE (Map reference L.88686) on 19.9.40 at 1600 hours. Identification markings 7A+FM (F black, outlined in white). Made by Junkers Werke, DESSAU. Acceptance date 7.8.40. Crest, an owl wearing spectacles perched on red pencil. Aircraft force landed and is little damaged. Port engine probably failed. A few .303 bullet holes in port engine and in cockpit. Engines Jumo 211. Armament 6 MG.15's. Standard armour plating fitted. Crew 4, prisoners. Three cameras fitted in bomb compartment in fuselage operated from bomb aimers position. No bomb sights and no bomb selector gear fitted. No external bomb racks or dive brakes. In usual position of bomb sight, 3 message tubes are fitted."

Any help would be appreciated.

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

This unit was nearly wiped out on this final raid over England on 27 Sept 1940. I have photos for the crashes/FL of L1+XB and L1+LL but I'm seeking to document photographically the wreckage of these four other losses that day, for which photos may exist:

"13.(Z)/LG1 Messerschmitt Bf110D-0 (3304). Engaged by fighters over Redhill during sortie to London and shot down in repeated attacks by S/L E.A. McNab and F/O B.D. Russell of No. 1 (RCAF) Squadron, and P/O C.F. Currant of No.605 Squadron. Dived into the ground behind ‘The Gale’ at Chelwood Gate in Ashdown Forest 9.40 a.m. Probably also that attacked by F/L J.M. Strickland and F/L J.E.J. Sing of No.213 Squadron. FF Fw Adolf Bruns and BF Gefr Franz Gröbl both killed. Aircraft L1+CH 100% write-off.
Originally buried in All Saints churchyard at Danehill, Adolf Bruns was repatriated to Germany for reburial postwar. Site excavated by the Wealden Aviation Archaeological Group in 1973. Remains of Daimler-Benz DB 601 engine recovered with manufacturer’s badge. Bullet-scarred propeller blade recovered in 1940 also donated by a local resident. Site investigated by the London Air Museum which excavated a propeller boss with one blade and a map box containing remains of four charred maps. Propeller blade and map box now in the Tangmere Military Aviation Museum.

14.(Z)/LG1 Messerschmitt Bf110C-2 (3548). Engaged by fighters over Redhill during sortie to London and believed that which exploded under attack by F/O A.F. Eckford of No.253 Squadron and crashed on Coppice Farm at Three Cups, Dallington, near Heathfield, 9.50 a.m. Possibly also that claimed by P/O A.G. Lewis of No.249 Squadron. FF Fw Friedrich Lindemann killed, BF Obergefr Artur Hübner baled out but parachute failed and killed. Aircraft L1+CK 100% write-off.
Site investigated by the Wealden Aviation Archaeological Group in 1975 and mainspar recovered from nearby ditch.

15.(Z)/LG1 Messerschmitt Bf110D-0 (3147). Intercepted by fighters during free-lance sortie over Redhill and attacked by many pilots including F/O P.W. Lochnan of No.1 (RCAF) Squadron, Sgt R.D. Hogg of No.17 Squadron, Sgt H.J.R. Barrow of No.213 Squadron, and P/O W.P. Hopkin of No.602 Squadron. Pursued at low level over Gatwick aerodrome where engaged by ground defences and crashed in flames and exploded 10.00 a.m. FF Oberlt Ulrich Fr von Gravenreuth (Staffelkapitän) and BF Fw Otto Reinhold both killed. Aircraft L1+BL 100% write-off.

15.(Z)/LG1 Messerschmitt Bf110C-2 (3849). Engaged by fighters during free-lance sortie over Redhill and starboard engine set alight and gunner killed in attacks by P/O D.C. Leary of No.17 Squadron, F/O W. Urbanowicz of No.303 Squadron, S/L H.A.V. Hogan of No.501 Squadron, and F/O P.P.C. Barthropp of No.602 Squadron. Abandoned aircraft crashed and burned out at Horham Manor Farm, near Horam, 9.50 a.m. Believed that also attacked by P/O W.B. Pattullo of No.46 Squadron. FF Uffz Hans Bechthold baled out and captured slightly wounded, BF Uffz Hans Koch killed. Aircraft L1+GL a write-off.
This was a 14 Staffel crew flying a 15 Staffel aircraft."

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

Still no resolution on this one, but a careful study of unit loss/damage reports for the Battle of Britain make this almost certainly an incident in July or probably no later than 13 August, during which time there were several possible incidents that could be this a/c. There is a very distinctive church in the background of the second photo, which may not have survived the war and the building of the Atlantic wall, but may provide the key clue to this location, perhaps from a contemporary postcard.

Any French church experts out there?

[frog61]

Hello,

I have only just seen this post so apologies for the delay in replying. I have a photo of RH-L at Mourmelon and can confirm that the serial number is L5526.

Kevin