Loss of Heinkel He 111s on 27 May 1941

[CornwallPhil]

I would be grateful if anyone can give me further details on the planes, crew and mission of the following planes believed to have been shot down off west Cornwall on the night of 27/28th May 1941:

A Heinkel He 111 shot down in the sea 1 mile E of Mousehole. No further details known.

A Heinkel He 111 3867 or 3067, G1 + AM, from 4/KG55 shot down in the sea off Gurnard's Head.

It is thought they were on an anti-shipping mission off Land's End and were with 2 or possibly 3 other planes where they successfully bombed HMS Registan off Cape Cornwall.

Any information gratefully welcomed.

[Karsten]

4./ KG 55
The Crew.
F Kempel, Lorenz Fw. NN
B Nuglan, Kurt Uffz. +
BF Stadel, Otto Fw. +
BM Göbel, Martin Fw. +
BS Wiederer, Josef Gefr. +

Aero patrol in the Channel

Rüdiger

Dierich : Kampfgeschwader 55 "Greif"

[Chris Goss]

I have former as Wk Nr 3867. Other loss was a P-4, Wk Nr 2978 G1+KP of 6/KG 55 which was ditched by Lt Eitel Barth and the crew rescued

[James A Pratt III]

This is from the book Air War 1941 the Turning point part 2 by john Foreman:

The Luftwaffe sent 90 bombers of KG 27 and KG 55 to attack shipping off Cornwall at dusk.

Kempl in 3867 was shot down and the whole crew killed by P/Os P Olver and JHT Pickering of 66 Sqn. They later attacked another German Bomber claiming it probably destroyed. This was possibly Wk Nr 2978 which was attacked by 2 spitfires of 152 sqn and claimed destroyed by P/O CS Cox whose fighter was slightly damaged by return fire. This He 11 ditched in the channel and the crew was rescued by the Seenotdienst

[CornwallPhil]

Many thanks for the responses. They have been most helpful.
I have now been able to get the Combat Reports by Olver & Pickering from the UK National Archives.
If anyone has any information on mission orders or combat reports from the German air crews I'd be grateful.

[Chris Goss]

This was quite a busy period for the Luftwaffe thanks to the Bismarck. Barth's account (in German) can be found in the KG 55 history by Wolfgang Dierich. The Gruppen Kommandeur's analysis of II/KG 55's anti-shipping ops during this moonlit period is also in the book. I have a copy of the Luftlotte 3 report timed 1315 hrs on 28 May 41 which details the attack, the salient points being:

3 He 111s attacked between 2223-2245 hrs on a freighter headed south dropping 2 x PC 1000 and 4 x SC 250 bombs, hitting the ship and sinking it

2 He 111s attacked a freighter at 2310 hrs in Bude Bay with 1 x PC 1000 and 4 x SC 250 hitting it and setting it on fire

1 He 111 attacked a ship off Penzance with 1 x PC 1000 and 4 x SC 250 bombs no results seen.

One He 111 missing; one ditched crew rescued

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi,

Oberleutnant Ernst Mann and his crew of 4./K.G. 55 were airborne from Chartres at 22:30 in He 111 'G1 + CM', for armed sea reconnaissance Bristol/Liverpool. They returned to base at 03:00.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

[CornwallPhil]

Thanks to Chris & Andy for the info. I shall see if I can get hold of Barth's account.

HMS Registan was attacked 8 miles NW of Cape Cornwall at 2212 just after its fighter escort had left to return to base. The attack came from the bow by 2 He 111s flying at about 50 feet above the water. There was little serious damage done but the ship's crew were left with an unexploded bomb (250lb) on the afterdeck. The return run came about 15 minutes later from the stern when survivors spoke of seeing 3 bombers. This was the run which saw a bomb hit near the funnel, another hit the engine room and according to survivor accounts incendiary bombs must have been dropped as the wooden structure of the bridge and cabins around it were set alight. There was a third bombing run which added to the inferno. (The blaze was visible from Trevose Head way up the north Cornish coast.) Fearing a capsize the order was given to 'Abandon ship' then cancelled, and then when the ship lurched still further given again. There were intermittent attacks for the next hour which caused further casualties both on the ship and in the water. When the ship was eventually towed into Falmouth the following day she was found to have a second unexploded bomb (the Admiralty signal simply describes it as 'large') still lying on her.

HMS Registan can be seen as a victim of the Bismarck as there were delays in sending Registan signals due to the action with the Bismarck. On passage from the Clyde to Southampton she had rounded the dangerous hotspot of Land's End when she received a signal telling her to go to Milford Haven. So she turned and rounded Land's End again. When Admiralty realised how far she had got they cancelled the Milford Haven order. So Registan was approaching Land's End for the third time when she was attacked.