JG 54 loss on 15 July 1940

[Laurent Rizzotti]

Hello,

I have finished moving to Southern France and have internet access again, so I will continue my questions about JG 54 losses.

In Rosipal's loss list, there is an entry on 15 July 1940: Lt Waldemar Wübke of 9./JG 54 did an emergency landing with his Bf 109 E near Soesterberg after engine damage. He was unhurt and his aircraft damage is listed as "?%". I have not found this loss reported in any other source, and my guess is that the damage, if any, was minor, but I would like a confirmation of this.

Thanks in advance

Laurent

[Hans Nauta]

Hi Laurent,

I've filed this incident at 18th July. It is not in the loss lists, neither in the KTB Schiphol (in which Soesterberg issues are mentioned). IIRC this incident was mentioned in a letter of a former JG54 member.

Regards,
Hans

[Jim P.]

Generally, any loss assessed as less than 10% was not reported.

[srob48]

I have:
9/JG54 (ex 3/JG21). 16.07.1940.
Messerschmitt Bf109E ( ). Training flight, crashed at Antwerp, Belgium. Lt. Waldemar Wübke (F) unhurt. Aircraft a write-off.

[Peter Cornwell]

According to the GQM Returns, repeated by PRIEN, the loss on 16 July 1940 resulted in the death of the pilot but I have no record of his name. Maybe more significantly, neither does Matti I believe.

16 July 1940 9./JG54 Messerschmitt Bf109E-1. Crashed at Antwerp during test flight following repair. Pilot reported killed. Aircraft 100% write-off.
Reported as 3./JG21 in certain German documents - unit having been re-designated on 5 July.

PRIEN includes WÜBKE's forced-landing on 19 July 1940 but a contemporary diary entry (extract attached) dates it the day before as posted by Hans NAUTA. I currently have it documented as follows:

18 July 1940 9./JG54 Messerschmitt Bf109E. Rolled into a cowshed while making a dead-stick landing near Soestduinen following engine failure shortly after take-off from Soesterberg. FF Lt Waldemar Wübke unhurt. Aircraft Yellow 5 + damage state not recorded.

[srob48]

Thank you Peter. All the deaths in the Antwerp area are now buried at Lommel Cemetery in Belgium. I have a list of all deaths for this period at that Cemetery, so I will look up the names who died on 16.07.1940. Should be possible to work out the name of the pilot from that

[srob48]

Lommel records only 2 graves for 16.07.1940. They are:
Gefr. Otto Henke, born 12.04.1915
Schtz. Arno Schmidt, born 16.09.1910.
As the rank of Schtz is not a Luftwaffe rank, it appears likely the pilot is Gefr. Otto Henke.

[Peter Cornwell]

srob48,

Thanks - that is helpful. If someone can corroborate HENKE's unit this would be a significant addition to our current understanding of losses. I certainly have no record of him.

[christian]

Hi

There are some mistakes in the GQM-Lists. So i think the loss in Antwerpen is a plane from the 3./Erprobungsgruppe 210. The Gefreiter Ludwig Spreitzer from the 3.Staffel Erprobungsgruppe 210 killed when his plane broke the right wing in a flight and crashed at Antwerpen. In the book of Mr. Vasco was wrote ist was a Bf 110 on the 18.07.1940, but i mean it was this loss.

Greetings Christian

[Peter Cornwell]

Christian raises an intriguing possibility. The death of an NCO pilot of 3./JG21 during a test flight at Antwerp is recorded in the GQM Returns for 17 July 1940 (#2 Nachtrag 16.7.40) issued on 19 July 1940. That much at least is certain. An eye-witness account further indicates that it was Gefr Ludwig SPREITZER of 3./EG210 that crashed at Antwerp during a test flight on 16 July 1940 and, significantly, I find no corresponding GQM entry for any 3./EG210 loss around this time. Thus, the possibility of confusion in the GQM Returns certainly exists and I note that Matti acknowledges as much in his own loss returns.

However, the NVM for EG210 and the VDK database both confirm the date of death of Gefr Ludwig SPREITZER on 18 July 1940 as documented in PRIEN (Teil 4/II p423) who adds that the Bf109E-4 in question was Yellow 12. So we would have to accept that these sources are wrong if the confusion theory is to stand.

Before I pursue this path, however, I would like to dispense with Gefr Otto HENKE who died on 16 July 1940 and is buried in Lommel (Block 49, Grave 148). Do any of our Belgian researchers know his burial details i.e. original burial site, service number etc ? This potential 'red herring' needs to be resolved.

Finally, I must accept shared responsibility for any error in my good friend John VASCO's book & am somewhat surprised that this has not surfaced long before now.