Ju 88 A-4 W.Nr. 4583 / 4th of June 1942

[TigerTimon]

Hello,

Does anyone have information on the approximate crash time of the above aircraft?
On the fourth of June, a 76 Squadron Halifax and said Junkers both crashed into the Dutch Wadden Sea under unknown circumstances.

Kind regards,

Timon

[Rottler]

Hello Timon,

GQM 7 June 1942 item 41:
4.6. III./KG 26 Absturz Flugplatz Leeuwarden, Ju 88 D-1 (handwritten corrected in A-4) 1159 100%.
F Lt Lux, Hans +
B Ofw Wilberg, Alfred +
Bs Obgfr Kupferschmidt, Herbert +
Bm Gefr Gärtner, Oswald +.
Ergänzung/amendment 14 Nov 1942: Ändere Werk-Nr. 1159 in 4583 (Ju 88).

Regards
Leo

[Rottler]

Hello Timon,

in the Bundesarchiv Freiburg version of the GQM is the handwritten loss category 22 = destroyed without enemy action on a non-operational flight/ Totalverlust bei Ausbildungs- und sonstigem Flug ohne Feindauftrag.

Regards
Leo

[TigerTimon]

Thank you for your comments!

[Jim P.]

The info I have differs slightly from Rottler's comment. (TP+VG is the SKZ, not the assigned unit code.)

Ju 88A-4, 4583, Lux, Ltn. Hans, , III., 8., KG 26, , , TP+VG, , 04-Jun-42, Crew killed in crash during low-level training flight. Struck water., Bm & Bs reversed, south coast Ameland island per Steenbeck., Lfl.3/Kanal, WASt; Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #6)-Vol.9; Steenbeck, Die Spur des Löwen, p.344, Medcalf, Fl.Pl. Leeuwarden, 100%, H, B Ofw. Alfred Wilberg, Bm Gefr. Oswald Gärtner & Bs Ogefr. Herbert Kupferschmidt, , Dornier Flzg.Werke Wismar in Sep-41

[TigerTimon]

Hello Jim,


thanks for the info. That makes perfectly sense, a low-level training flight. In early June, the Kampfgruppe 506 based at Leeuwarden was renamed III./KG 26. In the period that followed, training with the use of torpedos took place.
I just wanted to rule out the possibility of the Halifax and Junkers colliding with each other.


Maybe a bit far-fetched: it could have been the Junkers just hit the water due to pilot error. But I know the Wadden Sea is very undeep in some places, so maybe a torpedo blew up because of hitting the seabed damaging the aircraft? Were these charged torpedos?


Kind regards,


Timon