Dornier DO17 Crash Photo

[Eagle0025]

Does anyone know the particulars of this incident (date/location, unit, etc.)? Thanks in advance.


https://flic.kr/p/219YeXa

[Chris Goss]

I am away at the moment so do not have access to my records but certainly is not London September 1940 but is on the continent

[Luc Vervoort]

Hi,

Do17Z B4+HA of Aufklärungsstaffel zbV Luftflotte 2 crashed on 25/05/1940 at Rue Verte 115-117, Luingne (Mouscron – Moeskroen, Belgium) killing the entire crew : Uffz. Hans Metzger (pilot), Lt.Dr. Herbert Mögelin (Bo), Fw.Günther Dorowski (Bm) and Uffz. Johann Steinhagen (Bf). They are presently buried at the German War Graves Cemetery at Lommel. Two civilians were also killed.

Best regards

Luc

[Stig Jarlevik]

Yes, well known photo since the demise was spectacular to say the least.

The interesting thing is that Roba/Taghon in their La Luftwaffe en Belgique Vol 1 changes the address into
rue Guillaume Vanzeveren.
Previous details I have is that the aircraft was hit by AA-fire and crashed at 10.15H into 115-117 Gruenstraat,
which is the same as Luc has but in Flemish.....

Was this in a cross road perhaps? Impossible to say just looking at the photo.

Cheers
Stig

[Luc Vervoort]

Hi !


The WASt deathcard of Hans Metzger mentions :
Abgestürzt mit Flugzeug an der Strassenkreuzung Rue Verte und Rue Du Val in Luingne.


Translation :
Crashed with aircraft on the cross road Rue Verte and Rue Du Val in Luingne.


Best regards


Luc

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Luc

Still a bit far from what Roba/Taghon says.....

Cheers
Stig

[Eagle0025]

Thanks, Luc and Stig for the information. Interesting back story. I found a nice colorized photo of this loss, but couldn't find any details on the web about it.
Cheers, Gary

[Nick Beale]

It’s always worth checking locations on Google Earth and Street View.

If you find a row of old buildings with a gap or a modern building in the middle then you have a possible clue to a crash or a bomb explosion. If the buildings look unchanged then you probably have the wrong street.

[Stig Jarlevik]

Good idea Nick

Got me stuck for a while.
There is a Rue Verte in Luingne, but no Groenstraat (not Gruenstraat as previously given by me).
That could be simply Google Earth just listing one name for each street.

No Rue du Val though, which just could be that Google Earth has not registered it.....

Cheers
Stig

[Luc Vervoort]

Hi Nick,

Following your good advice checked with Google maps.

There is no cross road Rue Verte (= Groentestraat in Dutch ) – Rue du Val (= Dalstraat in Dutch ). It could have been the cross road Rue du Val and Rue du Sapin Vert (= Groene Denstraat in Dutch) The houses 115 – 117 in the Rue du Sapin Vert look old. The houses in the rue Guillaume Vanzeveren also look old, but there is no crossroad with Rue du Val. And the streets Rue du Sapin Vert and Rue Guillaume Vanzeveren are both in Luingn.

As two civilians were killed in the crash, perhaps some additional information can be found in the death register of the local cemetery or at the civil registry of Luingne/Mouscron.

No reply was received from the archives of the town Mouscron (Luingne is now part of Mouscron) when contacted on 18/09/2011…

Best regards

Luc