Self-destruction device on He111 & Ju88

[RudiS]

Hi all,

The Luftwaffe build a self-destruction device in their He 111 & Ju 88 bombers so that the crew, after a F/L behind enemy lines could "pull the pin" just before leaving the aircraft. The aircraft was subsequently destroyed by the device.

Does anyone have more information about this device? I'm more precisely looking for an answer to the following questions:

- From which model on or from which date on was this device installed?
- What explosive charge was used?

Thanks in advance,
Rudi.

[RudiS]

In the He 111 aircraft manual part 9A (Allgemeine Ausrüstung) I've found 2 pictures of it. The self destruction charge is item number 8 in both pictures. The manual itself dates from November 1943 & it's for the H-11, 14 & 16 model. Unfortunately it doesn't give any information about the explosive charge being used.

If anyone has the same handbook (Part 9A) of the Ju 88, could he have a look if there are any pictures of the SD charge in there?

Thanks in advance,
Rudi.

[Andy Saunders]

I need to dig out the file, but a British army officer was decorated for removing a self-destruction device from a Junkers 88 downed in Kent on 27 September 1940. It was described as being under the pilots seat and about the size of a small suitcase.

[edwest2]

I am copying an earlier reply here:


In September 1940, the Luftwaffe issued a service regulation covering this subject, namely:

• D.(Luft) 4601: "Beschreibung und Bedienungsvorschrift für die Vernichtungsmittel von Landflugzeugen bei Notlandung auf Feindgebiet."

It's an illustrated, 12-page manual describing the equipment and procedures for destroying an aircraft forced down in enemy territory. This was done using either the Sprengbüchse 24 or geballte Ladung, together with a 2m-long fuse that provided a delay of 1.5 to 3.5 minutes.

Dimensions and weights:
- Sprengbüchse 24: 74 x 54 x 197 mm : 1.3 kg : 1 kg TNT
- geballte Ladung: 162 x 74 x 197 mm : 3.8 kg : 3 kg TNT

There's no mention of specific aircraft types. To avoid the possibility of sabotage, the fuse was to be taken along only on combat flights, and then removed from the aircraft after each mission.


FYI, for a listing of all Luftwaffen-Dienstvorschriften, visit this site:http://www.superborg.com. You'll see D.(Luft) 4601 listed on the following page: http://www.superborg.com/dluft4400.htm

Hope that helps,
Leon Venter