Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum  

Go Back   Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum > Discussion > Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces

Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the German Luftwaffe and the Air Forces of its Allies.

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 12th May 2017, 12:57
Hindhead9 Hindhead9 is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 12
Hindhead9 is on a distinguished road
Karl Waterbeck KG 40 Fw 200 and He 177

I am searching for information about the Luftwaffe career and any other details or pictures of Oberleutnant Karl Waterbeck born in 1915 in Coesfeld Germany and his crews. I understand that they flew Fw 200 Condors with KG 40, possibly out of Trondheim-Vaernes Norway, before retraining on He 177's at Fassberg in 1943. Waterbeck was shot down and killed in He 177-A3 Werk Nr 535747 CJ+FU, F8+HH at Whitmore Vale in England on January 21st 1944 in the first raid of Operation Steinbock. His was the first He-177 shot down in England, and his aircraft was brought down by the 151 Squadron Mosquito crew of Howard Kemp and Jim Maidment. His crew at this time was: Ogefr Jann Bikker (POW), Ofw Erwin Marbach (POW), Ofw Georg Six (POW), Ogefr Werner Doge (POW), Gefr Johannes Conrad (Killed). He was awarded the DKG in November 1943, but as he was transferred I understand for He 177 conversion in early 1943, I am not sure if this was for earlier operations with the Fw 200 or subsequently with the He 177. He appears to have flown with Oberfeldwebel Jurasch (Bordfunker) whilst in Norway, but am unclear if Jurasch was in his crew on 21st January 1944, although it appears that Jurasch was interrogated asa POW in England with Intelligence noting his and Bikker's morale was high.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 12th May 2017, 16:45
Chris Goss's Avatar
Chris Goss Chris Goss is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,193
Chris Goss has a spectacular aura aboutChris Goss has a spectacular aura about
Re: Karl Waterbeck KG 40 Fw 200 and He 177

Waterbeck flew as a 2nd pilot & then became a Kommandant on 3./KG 40 flying Fw 200s from mid-1941 onwards. He was commissioned & awarded the DKiG. He then converted to the He 177 but was shot down on his first operational flight with the new ac. Kemp & Maidment were killed in action on 11 Apr 44 but that is another story
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 13th May 2017, 12:51
Hindhead9 Hindhead9 is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 12
Hindhead9 is on a distinguished road
Re: Karl Waterbeck KG 40 Fw 200 and He 177

Thanks very much Chris much appreciated. I hoped to get a bit more personal information on Waterbeck and his crew members as his He 177 crashed at the bottom of my garden. I have quite a bit on Kemp and Maidment and the April 11th 1944 clash thanks largely to your very helpful book Bloody Biscay.
Andrew
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 15th May 2017, 11:48
Chris Goss's Avatar
Chris Goss Chris Goss is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,193
Chris Goss has a spectacular aura aboutChris Goss has a spectacular aura about
Re: Karl Waterbeck KG 40 Fw 200 and He 177

All I can add is he was born 1 Jan 15 in Coesfeld, service number 53632/50 and this is what I have included on him in my forthcoming book:

and one crew, commanded by Fw Karl Waterbeck of 3./KG 40, reporting to have sunk an unidentified patrol boat south of Iceland on 26 April 1942. 27 year-old Waterbeck was one of the new breed of Condor NCO Kommandants. He had flown as a second pilot, predominantly with Lt Robert Maly, from 1 April 1941 and was by now an experienced Kommandant himself. He would be awarded the Ehrenpokal on 15 February 1943 by which time he was a Lt and the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 25 November 1943 by which time he was an Oblt and still flying with 3./KG 40. However, by then he was converting to flying the He 177 after which he joined 1./KG 40 but his luck finally ran out on his first operational flight on 21 January 1944. Tasked to attack London, his He 177 was held by searchlights and then attacked by a Mosquito crewed by Fg Off Howard Kemp and Flt Sgt James Maidment of 151 Sqn. With his aircraft badly damaged, he ordered the bomb load to be jettisoned and three crew baled out, two of them, Ofws Erwin Mirbach and Georg Six, had flown with him on Condors. Waterbeck tried to carry out a belly landing near Hindhead in Surrey but crashed into trees. Although the rear gunner crawled from the wreckage with minor injuries, both Karl Waterbeck and another gunner were killed. Waterbeck would be promoted posthumously to Hptm
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11th October 2017, 13:01
Hindhead9 Hindhead9 is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 12
Hindhead9 is on a distinguished road
Re: Karl Waterbeck KG 40 Fw 200 and He 177

Chris is your new book available yet, Amazon seem to be pushing the delivery date back?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 11th October 2017, 13:24
Chris Goss's Avatar
Chris Goss Chris Goss is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,193
Chris Goss has a spectacular aura aboutChris Goss has a spectacular aura about
Re: Karl Waterbeck KG 40 Fw 200 and He 177

It arrived in the UK yesterday
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 13th October 2017, 00:52
Hindhead9 Hindhead9 is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 12
Hindhead9 is on a distinguished road
Re: Karl Waterbeck KG 40 Fw 200 and He 177

Thanks, look forward to getting my copy via Amazon!
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 15th May 2017, 14:20
Hindhead9 Hindhead9 is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 12
Hindhead9 is on a distinguished road
Re: Karl Waterbeck KG 40 Fw 200 and He 177

Thanks Chris, once again very many thanks and look forward to getting your new book in October!
Andrew
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 15th May 2017, 15:37
Johann Palsson Johann Palsson is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 10
Johann Palsson is on a distinguished road
Re: Karl Waterbeck KG 40 Fw 200 and He 177

The ship Waterbeck attacked on 26.4.42 was the Icelandic trawler "Surprise", it was not damaged in the attack.

Regards,
Johann Palsson
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 15th May 2017, 17:04
Chris Goss's Avatar
Chris Goss Chris Goss is offline
Alter Hase
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: UK
Posts: 11,193
Chris Goss has a spectacular aura aboutChris Goss has a spectacular aura about
Re: Karl Waterbeck KG 40 Fw 200 and He 177

Thanks Johann. It would appear that during the back end of 1942, Waterbeck's regular Fw 200 crew was Thuringer, Petring, Six, Mirbach, Walter
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
2 July 1944 losses of the shuttle mission FGs Peter Kassak Allied and Soviet Air Forces 32 25th October 2016 05:40
FW 200 C-2 - What month did it enter service in 1940 ? Martin Gleeson Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 8 19th September 2011 03:34
Fw 190, Fw 200, He 111, Si 204 and Fw 189 photos Roger Gaemperle Luftwaffe and Axis Air Forces 3 7th November 2007 11:06
Errata for Sea Eagles 1 & 2 Chris Goss Books and Magazines 9 19th February 2007 12:34
Fighter pilots' guts Hawk-Eye Allied and Soviet Air Forces 44 8th April 2005 15:25


All times are GMT +2. The time now is 21:33.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004 - 2018, 12oclockhigh.net