Seeking photos of 8./KG54 He111P that crashed near Morkhoven Belgium on May 10, 1940

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

I'm working through the information on the devastating losses to 8./KG54 (6 He111s) that came down in Belgium and the Netherlands on May 10, 1940. This story is covered in Arnaud Gillet's "Les Victoires de l''Aviation de Chasse Britannique" Vol I. Arnaud published a photo on P.67 (bottom), that purports to be the crash of the Morkhoven He111, stating that it is B3+AS. This is an error, as B3+AS was the aircraft of Stadelmayer, the Sta Kap, that crashed near Courtrai, Belgium in the same action, and which is shown with the tail overturned in a photo on the previous page. This information is confirmed with the source of those photos, Peter Taghon.

At present, there are no known photos of the He111 crash at Morkhoven. Does anyone know of a source for such photos, or have any other information about the crash of a He111 at Morkhoven, Belgium, on that day?

Our revised EOE data base listing for this crash currently states: “May 10, 1940: 8./KG54 Heinkel He111P-2. Both engines damaged in attacks by Hurricanes of Nos. 3, 85, and 607 Squadrons near Courtrai during sortie to attack Wevelgem airfield and believed crash-landed near Morkhoven 7.30 p.m. FF Lt Alfred Jansen captured unhurt, BF Obergefr Herbert Wittchen, BO Gefr Karl Götz, and HS Flgr Ludwig Dallmeier all captured wounded – later released. Aircraft 100% write-off."

Any help on this one would be appreciated.

Thanx,

[Stig Jarlevik]

Larry, I am confused

Just out of curiosity, if the picture at the bottom of page 67 in Arnaud's book is NOT B3+AS, then what is it? After all the individual code A is very clearly shown. It does not look like the other individual shown on that same page, nor the one on page 68.

In the book B.o.F by Peter Cornwell this same photo is said to be Stadelmayr's aircraft. Now you say Stadelmay's aicraft is the one which overturned when crashed as shown on the previous page (page 66) in Arnaud's book. Unless there were more individual codes A in 8./KG 54 Peter seems to be right, and if so we have to ask ourselves what does the photo on page 66 (the overturned Heinkel) actually show?

Can you please clarify the situation a bit further

Cheers
Stig

[Peter T]

Stig,

both photographs show the same plane (AS) = the Stadelmayer He 111 down at 'de Kampel'. French troops messed with the wreck and turned it over.

Peter

[Larry Hickey]

Stig,

As Peter T says. the photo on the bottom of P. 66 (which Gillet correctly identifies as Stadelmayer's aircraft, but for which he doesn't provide a code) is B3+AS. The photo on the bottom of P. 67, which Gillet correctly identifies as B3+AS (after the French troops turned over the rear fuselage) is incorrectly attributed as being the Jansen aircraft at Morkhoven. It is not. It is another photo of Stadelmayer's aircraft. This is an easy mistake to make as the photos superficially don't look similar, but note that top of the fin on the second photo is bent where it was against the ground, and the starboard horizontal stabilizer is partially crushed, just like it is in the photo on P.66.

As a further note on the Jansen crash at Morekhoven, I suspect that this aircraft is B3+GS, but I need further evidence to prove this (I have one photo of this aircraft). If anyone has seen photos of a KG54 aircraft (death's head emblem on the upper forward fuselage) with the tail sheered off, and some distance behind the main part of the plane, please notify me. The Morkhoven aircraft apparently landed intact, but Belgian troops may have seriously damaged it with demolition charges before they retreated from the area (they were ordered to do so). This could account for the tail being detached. However there was one other 8 Staffel loss later during the WC that could account for the photos of B3+GS, shot up and FL after being attacked by fighters. I have no known photos of that aircraft either, so I can't eliminate it as a possibility. We pretty well have eliminated the 8 Staffel crashes on that day at Sluis, just across the border in Zeeland, the Netherlands, and the burned out He111 along the Groene Sprietstraat at Ruiselede, Belgium, as candidates for B3+GS. I would certainly appreciate any photos of those wrecks, as well, if anybody has them or knows about them.
As a further note, we have recently confirmed with photos that the code on Zenner's crashed He111P at Hulste, Belgium, was B3+DS, W.Nr. 2458.

Regards,

[Stig Jarlevik]

Thanks Guys

Appreciate you took the time to explain this puzzle.
I guess that's the way it is when all you have is secondary sources.

I must say it was a strange thing to do by troops. A lot of wasted effort for nothing...

Cheers
Stig