Ju 88 crash, London mission, 24./25.3.44

[Juergen]

Hello colleagues,

for a family research I appreciate any detail on the loss of the following a/c:

Ju 88 WNr. 300032, II./KG 54, B3+HP
crew: Lt.Hahn/Uffz Kaenders/Uffz Rebotzki/Uffz Sieben all MIA

I am particularly interested in the reason for the loss (night fighter, flak, break-down, accident?) and the approx. location, maybe someone has read the Kriegstagebuch or similar documents on KG 54?

Thanks, Juergen

[Brian Bines]

It is likely this aircraft fell to an RAF night fighter over the English Channel it is not shown as crashing in the UK. Possibly a Mosquito of 85 Sqd shot this aircraft down there were two possible claims. As far as I know there are no reports of bodies from this crew being recovered from the sea. It is unfortunately not possible to be more specific with such losses over the sea,

Regards

Brian Bines

[zorglub]

Hello ,

I don't know if it could help , but I have two police reports about crashes in Normandy that night :
- at 23.30 a plane crashed at Thiedeville ( between Dieppe and Rouen ) and burned on the ground with its incendiaries . Fate of crew unknown.
- at 0.30 in a field at St Leonard ( Fecamp ) , crater 4m wide 2m deep , several explosions and many incendiaries around. No mention about fate of crew too.

Sorry I have no idea about type of airplane .

Which were Luftwaffe losses that night ?

Zorglub

[Brian Bines]

As far as could see KG2 lost two Do217's over France unfortunately the NVM's are not complete. The crew were killed in the crash of U5+IS, while the pilot was killed and the other three baled out of U5+KS which crashed at 2338hrs following engine trouble. Additionally a Me410 of 2/KG51 crashed at Chavigny with both crewmen killed. Other known losses were - KG2 lost a Ju188 and two more Do217's, KG6 lost three Ju88's over England, KG30 lost one Ju88 missing one at Merzhausen and one over Belgium, KG54 had two Ju88's missing, KG66 lost one JU88S 40km south of Brighton and another 6km south of Brighton with one crewman rescued POW, and a He177 was damaged in an emergency landing with two crewmen injured.

[Juergen]

Thanks, mates,

I have passed on your details to the nephew and brother of Karl-Heinz Kaenders and they were very satisfied with this information. So far they did not know anything but "roughly 1944". Kaenders had been declared dead on 14. Oct. 1953.

Juergen