Dutch Fokker ( with Dutch crew ) landing on a lake - 1940

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Good night to all.
I do have read about one action that ocurred in 1940, after the Invasion of Holland. It seems that a Dutch crew landed a Fokker seaplane on a lake in Holland to deliver or take secret material.
I would like to know if anybody heard about this story and could add the names of the crew and any information about the plane. Which kind of Fokker it was? Codes?
It seems the Germans acted late in the night, firing machine gun onto the machine which came back to England with a wounded Navigator ( who seems to be a famous Navigator from Dutch Naval Aviation Air Force ? ).
Well, any clues about this episode will be very appreciated.
Yours
Adriano

[Dennis Peschier]

Adriano,
This event took place on 15/16-10-1940. A Fokker T VIII w of 320sq , flow by Lt-tz H. Schaper, officer-observer Ritte and corporal wireless operator Van Tongeren, landed on the Tjeukermeer. The pilot came from Joure, not far from the lake.
The plan was to pick up 6 Dutch nationals.
The Germans had been alerted by an attempt the night before. Thick fog over the lake had prevented Schapers from landing.
Schapers landed on the lake and approached the small boat. The boot opened fire with a machine gun. The Germans had positioned this boat in the middle of the lake. They had captured the planned passengers earlier in the day. The banks were occupied by more German troops and flak.
Van Tongeren returned fire with the Fokkers machinegun and silenced the boats machinegun.
Then searchlight illuminated the aircraft and they came under fire. Schapers opened the throttle and zigzagged across the lake.
The Fokker returned to Britain with forty holes and two lightly wouded crewman. The Germans lost ten soldiers.

No codes I’m afraid

[Hans Nauta]

Hi Adriano,

The involved Fokker was the AV961. As far as I know, no codes were used on these Fokkers in RAF service at that time.

Just some additions to the crew names:
Heye SCHAPER
Willem Jacobus RITTE
Klasinus VAN TONGEREN

Best regards,
Hans Nauta

[Dennis Peschier]

Hans,
Are you sure about the codes?
In Coastal command losses, AV964, lost 26-7-40, is registered as TD-R.

Dennis

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Denis and Hans,
Do have no words to say thank you! Magnific information...I read it on the book of S/L Dudley-Gordon ( from 1943 ) intitled "I see my prey in the waters..." ( About Coastal Command ). However, being a 1943 book, there is a lot of CENSURE and many names of aircrew were ommited. Certainly it was an incredible operation and it was very interesting to know that it did not finished as it appears on the book.
Thank you again for your kind and much appreciated information. Do you know if the airmen survived WW2? Those airplanes were operated by the RAF or the SOE?
Yours
Adriano

[Leendert]

Adriano,

A quick search revealed that H. Schaper became Lt. Gen after the war, was was Commander of the Royal Netehrlands Air Force (1956-1961) and was State Secretary of Defense (Air Force matters) from 1966-1967. He died on 26-5-1996.

Willem Ritte was killed when Mitchell FR144 crashed on 30/7/1943 over the North Sea while on an ASR mission.

Klasinus van Tongeren was killed on 2/12/1941 while on an convoy escort flight off Norway. He's buried in Oslo.

The Fokkers of 320 Squadron were soon replaced by Avro Ansons and Lockheed Hudsons, and ultimately by Mitchells.

Regards,

Leendert
Brugge/Belgium

[Leendert]

Adriano,

Forgot to mention that the Fokkers were operated by RAF Coastal Command.

Apparently the Fokker used in the Tjeukemeer dash was the one with the old Dutch Royal Navy code "R-7".

Regards,

Leendert

[Leendert]

Adriano,

Just a little follow up on Van Tongeren: he was on board Hudson V9036 of 320 (Dutch) Squadron.
All four crew (J. Dolman, H. de Lijn, K. van Tongeren, A. Bom) KIA and buried at Oslo, Norway.

Leendert

[Dennis Peschier]

There were not six, but five Dutch nationals that were to be picked up.

Mr. Lodo van Hamel,
In may 1940 he was a Dutch navy officer and escaped to Britain. Trained to set up an intelligence network in the Netherlands he was returned by parachute, landing near Sassenheim on 28-8-1940. He was able to set up his intelligence network but realised that some people recognised him in the street. Rumour started that van Hamel had returned to the Netherlands. Fearing that his presence would alert the Germans he arranged his departure by aircraft.
After being arrested he was treated very bad. Eventually he told the Germans his real name and that he was an intelligence agent. He was sentenced to death and was executed on 7-4-1941. His network remained operational.

Mr. Hans Herst,
Had been part of another intelligence group but was quickly recruited by van Hamel. Also captured by the Germans and interrogated roughly. On two occasions there was an opportunity to escape. Realising that his interrogators had set it up to follow him he made no use of it. He was sentenced to imprisonment for life.

Mr. Jean Mesritz
Student from Leiden. Sentenced to 3 years imprisonment.

Mrs. Marion Smit.
Had arranged safehouses for van Hamel. Released without sentence.

Mr. Prof. Dr. L.G.M. Baas Becking
Released without sentence.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Dennis and Leendert,
Thank you so much for adding a LOT more! A fantastic history indeed!
Leendert, I tried to check each name on the Google, but only got the names of the crew of the B-25 that crashed on 30 July 1943. I, initially, thought it took part on a 2 Group raid against Europe, but later found no joy on this kind of thought. I presumed wrongly that it had crashed while on a kind of a training mission, until you put it was lost on an ASR mission.
Dennis, the information you wrote came down from the famous book of Mr. Foot : "SOE in the Netherlands"? ( I do not have yet this book, but intend to buy it in 2008 ).
Thank you so much for the NEW information you added here. I wonder if there were similar missions flown by those seaplane Fokkers of 320 Squadron early in the war. Very interesting...Do you know IF there are pictures of those Fokkers in any available military book ( or even scale models available on the market )? Thank you again for the most valuable piece of information and kind contribution to enhance my knowledge.
I remain yours, very friendly
Adriano