Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Luftw 4 FF 33 Agles Battlef 0 R Britain Fly Past Special
Luftw 4 FF 33 Agles Battlef 0 R Britain Fly Past Special
LUFTWAFFE
Eagles
•
HIGH COMMANDERS STUKA SLAUGHTER •
LU F T WA F F E E AG L E S
•
SAMARITANS OR SPIES? MYTH OF THE Bf 110 •
•
MASTERS OF THE Bf 109 RICHTHOFEN’S LEGACY •
•
TURNING POINT - SEPTEMBER 15, 1940
FICTICIOUS FIGHTERS - He 113s
£5.99
•
SPECIAL P U B L I C AT I O N
FREE APP
with sample issue
IN APP ISSUES £3.99
SUBSCRIBE
& SAVE
Monthly £2.99
6 issues £19.99
WARBIRDS P-51 MUSTANG
12 issues £34.99
SHARK
MOUTH C
hoosing a colour scheme
for a warbird takes lots of
consideration. It should evoke
the heritage of the subject and turn
to Fly. Meanwhile Shaun set about
Richard Paver captures a well-known Mustang in its
new and striking colours
order to gain a
British Permit
SEARCH: FlyPast
heads. Shaun Patrick has achieved made famous from its nickname, Italy in September. In June 1944 Detailed research into the new
both with P-51D Mustang N167F, the ‘Shark Squadron’. The unit the Kittyhawks were replaced by scheme was carried out for Shaun
and its debut on the European adopted the distinctive ‘shark Mustang IIIs (the RAF equivalent by Steve Atkin of Warbird Colour
airshow circuit will be one of this mouth’ for its Curtiss Tomahawk of the USAAF’s P-51B and ’C) and Services. This revealed that
season’s highlights. IIbs in North Africa’s Western from February 1945 upgraded to Blatchford’s 44-11602 was built
Ferried to the UK from Sweden Desert in the summer of 1941. Mk.IVs (P-51Ds) and Mk.IVAs at North American Aviation’s
on August 31, 2012 the Mustang Aces Clive Caldwell, Billy Drake (P-51Ks). Dallas plant in 1944 as a P-51K-
was initially based at Shoreham. and Neville Duke served with 112 Settling for a Mustang of 112 5-NT and delivered to the RAF as
It was overhauled and a lot of during 1941 and 1942. In late Squadron, Shaun chose Mk.IVA Mustang IVA KH774. It is believed
work was carried out in 1941 the squadron took KH774, coded ‘GA-S’. This that basic RAF roundels and
Read on your iPhone & iPad Android PC & Mac kindle fire Blackberry Windows 8
IN APP
NEW Aviation Specials App FREE DOWNLOAD
ISSUES Simply download to purchase digital versions of your favourite
aviation specials in one handy place! Once you have the app,
£3.99 you will be able to download new, out of print or archive
specials for less than the cover price! HOW IT WORKS
Simply download the FlyPast
app and receive your sample issue completely
free. Once you have the app, you will be able
iTunes to download new or back issues (from September
2010 onwards) for less than newsstand price or,
alternatively, subscribe to save even more!
Available on PC, Mac, Blackberry,
Don’t forget to register for your Pocketmags
Windows 8 and kindle fire from account. This will protect your purchase in the
Requirements for app: registered iTunes account on Apple iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4S, 5, 6, iPod Touch or iPad 1, 2 or 3. Internet connection required for initial
event of a damaged or lost device.
download. Published by Key Publishing Ltd. The entire contents of these titles are © copyright 2015. All rights reserved. It will also allow you to view your purchases
App prices subject to change. Prices correct at time of going to press. on multiple platforms.
LUFTWAFFE EAGLES
Today, the Bf 109E-3 flown by Horst Perez on August
30, 1940 is positioned inside the Battle of Britain
exhibition to illustrate its dramatic ‘arrival’ in a
Sussex field. WWW.IWM.ORG.UK
4 Luftwaffe Eagles
ABBREVIATIONS / GLOSSARY
To help readers, details of Luftwaffe ranks, unit structure and prefixes – used
throughout this magazine – can be found on pages 6 and 17.
76 TWICE DEAD
During 1940 the men and EDITED BY: Ken Ellis with thanks to: Email: [email protected]
machines of 82 Squadron were Steve Beebee and Nigel Price www.keypublishing.com
decimated twice. Graham
CHIEF DESIGNER: Steve Donovan DISTRIBUTION: Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2
Pitchfork tells of the unit that ART EDITOR AND FRONT COVER DESIGN: Poultry Avenue, London EC1A 9PP.
refused to die. Mike Carr Tel: 020 74294000
ARCHIVE IMAGES: Chris Goss Archive Printed by: Warners (Midlands) plc, Bourne
84 TOKEN EFFORT unless noted
Daniel Ford outlines Italy’s brief The entire contents of this special edition
part in the Battle of Britain and PRODUCTION is copyright © 2015. No part of it may be
PRODUCTION EDITOR: Sue Blunt reproduced in any form or stored on any
the pedigree of Hendon’s Fiat. SUB-EDITOR: Norman Wells form of retrieval system without the prior
permission of the publisher.
86 TURNING POINT ADVERTISING AND MARKETING
Chris Goss highlights three ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER: Alison Sanders Published by: Key Publishing Ltd
German aircraft shot down ADVERTISING GROUP MANAGER: PRINTED IN ENGLAND
during the crucial afternoon of Brodie Baxter
ADVERTISING PRODUCTION MANAGER:
September 15, 1940. Debi McGowan Cover: Specially-commissioned artwork
MARKETING MANAGER: Martin Steele from Adam Tooby: Major Adolf Galland,
94 ORKNEY WEIHNACHTEN MARKETING EXECUTIVE: Shaun Binnington Geschwader Kommodore of Stab/JG 26
Christmas Day went wrong leading Bf 109E-4s across the Channel, late
for a German crew, as Andy COMMERCIAL DIRECTOR: Ann Saundry 1940. For more on Adam’s work see page 98.
Thomas reveals. MANAGING DIRECTOR AND PUBLISHER: ADAM TOOBY – WWW.ADAMTOOBY.COM
Adrian Cox
EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN: Richard Cox These pages: ‘Somewhere in France’,
96 RECYCLED Messerschmitt Bf 109s of JG 26 in the Pas
Repair and Salvage Units made CONTACTS de Calais, August 1940 – a painting by Geoff
sure that shot down Luftwaffe Key Publishing Ltd Nutkins. For more on Geoff’s work, take a
aircraft were put to good use. PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincs, PE9 1XQ look at page 18. COURTESY GEOFF NUTKINS –
Tel: 01780 755131 Fax: 01780 757261 WWW.AVIARTNUTKINS.COM
R
Below eichsmarschall Hermann Brussels, Belgium; Luftflotte 3 in Paris, staged, we shall look at those in charge
Göring visiting fighter Göring may have been France; and Luftflotte 5 in Stavanger, on Adlertag, or ‘Eagle Day’. This
units during the Battle Oberbefehlshaber der Norway. Each contained subordinate was August 13, 1940, the date when
of Britain. To his left
is Bruno Loerzer (II
Luftwaffe (commander-in-chief of Fliegerkorps, designated by a Roman the Luftwaffe launched the Battle for
Fliegerkorps) and, to his the air force) in Berlin but as the numeral, or Fliegerdivisionen (Arabic Britain.
right, Major Adolf Galland, Third Reich expanded, the capital numbers), each equivalent to an
Kommodore of JG 26. was further and further from the front RAF group, comprising bomber and LUFTFLOTTE 2: KESSELRING
line. The day-to-day prosecution reconnaissance units. Luftflotte 2 effectively consisted
of the Battle of Britain was left Luftflotten 2 and 3 also encompassed of 24 bomber, two dive-bomber,
to the high commanders of three Jagdfliegerführers (normally shortened 13 fighter and four twin-engined
Luftflottenkommandos (normally to Jafü) 2 and 3 which included twin- fighter Gruppen, two long-range
shortened to Luftflotten). and single-engined fighter units. reconnaissance Staffeln and four
Essentially, the To examine the high commanders short-range reconnaissance Staffeln.
Luftflottenkommandos were tasked with annihilating the RAF It also had three night-fighter
territorial: Luftflotte 2 based in so that a seaborne invasion could be Gruppen, but these played no part
6 Luftwaffe Eagles
Above Kesselring was a skilled leader and LUFTFLOTTE 2: GRAUERT year. He later led Fliegerabteilung
Albert Kesselring, tactician, admired by the Allies – Subordinate to Luftflotte 2 256 (Artillerie) from August to
Luftflotte 2. who called him ‘Smiling Albert’ – as were I and II Fliegerkorps, 9 September 1918 before accepting
Above right
well as his own personnel, who Fliegerdivision and Jafü 2. Based at staff duties for the remainder of the
Ulrich Grauert, I called him ‘Uncle Albert’. After Beauvais in France, I Fliegerkorps war.
Fliegerkorps. the war, he was found guilty of war was commanded by Generaloberst Grauert remained with the army,
crimes and sentenced to death, Ulrich Grauert. Born in 1889, resuming non-flying duties with the
Below but this was later commuted to life he joined the army as an artillery artillery before transferring to the
Kesselring visiting
Gefechststand Caesar, or
imprisonment. officer, aged 20, and at the start of new Luftwaffe in 1933. Promotion
the ‘Holy Mountain’, the After release in 1952 Kesselring the Great War led a platoon. came fast: Oberst in 1934 and
Battle HQ for Luftflotte 2 became a vocal champion of Grauert transferred to flying duties Generalmajor in 1936. During
just south of Sangatte in German soldiers. He suffered a and in July 1916 was posted to the this time, he held a number of staff
the Pas de Calais during heart attack and died in 1960: his artillery liaison unit Kasta 28 as an and training posts and qualified
the Battle of Britain. To the funeral was all but a military observer, and is believed to have as a pilot.
left is Hauptmann Viktor
von Lossberg, Luftflotte 2
occasion, proof of his commanded it up to December that
Operations Officer. popularity.
8 Luftwaffe Eagles
Centre left
Kesselring (second from
left) deep in discussion
with (left) General der
Flieger Hans Jeschonneck
(Luftwaffe Chief of Staff),
Generalleutnant Wilhelm
Speidel (Chief-of-Staff for
Luftflotte 2) and General
der Flieger Bruno Loerzer
(II Fliegerkorps) at
Sangatte, summer 1940.
Left
Göring and Loerzer with
Major Werner Mölders
(right), Kommodore of
JG 51.
10 Luftwaffe Eagles
Above went to university before returning By the end of the year he had
Wolfram Freiherr von to the cavalry, transferring to the been promoted to Generalmajor,
Richthofen (second Luftwaffe in 1933. With his degree commanding the Legion Condor
from left) commanding
Luftflotte 2, 1944.
in aeronautical engineering, he until July 1939. As war approached,
was initially involved with aircraft he led the special deployment
Right procurement and design. headquarters, Fliegerführer zur
Robert Ritter von Greim, V At the end of 1936 von Richthofen besonderen Verwendung (zbV),
Fliegerkorps. joined the Legion Condor, becoming and was involved in the Polish
Bottom right
Chief of Staff to Hugo Sperrle. After campaign.
Ritter von Greim visiting a brief period heading IV Gruppe/ Fliegerführer zbV was
KG 51 in early 1941. He Kampfgeschwader 153 (IV/KG 153) redesignated 9 Fliegerdivision and,
is shaking hands with Lt back in Germany, he was promoted later, VIII Fliegerkorps. Under
Egon Artz of 2/KG 51. to Oberst in January 1938 and given its three names, von Richthofen
command of KG 257. commanded the organisation with
12 Luftwaffe Eagles
“...von Richthofen didn’t transfer to the air great distinction: he was awarded
Oakleaves to the Ritterkreuz
Above
Backbone of the bomber
service until 1917, and even then didn’t fly in July 1941 and by February fleets of Luftflotte 2 and
3 – the Heinkel He 111.
operationally until April 1918 when he joined 1942 had been promoted to
Generaloberst.
JOHN WEAL VIA ANDY THOMAS
14 Luftwaffe Eagles
I
Above n many respects the Battle for
CR.42s 27 and 21 of the Britain as dawn broke on May 10,
4ème Escadrille and a 1940 when the German launched
Fairey Fox damaged in
their hangar at Nivelles
its offensive against France and the
on May 10. Low Countries. The ferocious assault
opened with low-flying Luftwaffe
Right aircraft inflicting devastating assaults
Burnt out shell of a CR.42 on airfields throughout France,
bearing mute testimony
Belgium and Holland.
to the effectiveness of the
‘Stuka’ attack on Brustem These strikes were intended to
on May 10. shatter Allied air power on the
ground and in this they were largely the attacks of May 10, suffering get airborne, several fell victim to
Below successful. It was a sight that later heavy losses on the ground. At marauding Messerschmitts and
Having evacuated in the summer Hermann Göring Schaffen, Belgium’s main fighter others were lost the next day.
Nivelles, 1ere Sgt Marcel
Michotte of the 4ème
hoped to replicate against the base, the onslaught destroyed three At Nivelles, the recently-delivered
Escadrille turned his Fiat airfields of RAF Fighter Command. Hawker Hurricanes and badly Fiat CR.42s had been ordered to
CR.42 over on landing at damaged six more. Another two disperse to Brustem (also known as St
Brustem. MARCO GARGARI CAUGHT ON were destroyed when their hangar Truiden) and they began to depart at
VIA LUDOVICO SLONGO THE GROUND was hit and set on fire. 0445. As they approached their new
The small and mainly Around half of the 15 home 20 minutes later the biplane
obsolescent Gloster Gladiators there pilots spotted enemy aircraft, but they
Aéronautique Militaire were also lost. Of those were ordered to land immediately.
Belge was practically that did manage to Patrols were later flown locally and
wiped out during avoid the carnage and several Fiats were shot down.
16 Luftwaffe Eagles
!
Fiat CR.42 No.6 being
examined at Brustem
by Luftwaffe personnel.
Note the Bf 109 parked
behind.
WREAKING HAVOC
This devastation was inflicted
ground. This presaged an attack
by the Junkers Ju 87 ‘Stukas’ of “Stukas proceeded to wreak
all over the country and, as the I/StG 2 that proceeded to wreak havoc on the exposed aircraft,
Luftwaffe flew almost unhindered
over Belgium in the early afternoon,
havoc on the exposed aircraft, and
14 Fiat CR.42s were wrecked. and 14 Fiat CR.42s were
a reconnaissance aircraft was seen Only those hidden under the trees wrecked.”
over Brustem. This resulted in an survived.
order for all aircraft to be dispersed It had been a dreadful day during
under trees near the perimeter to which the Aéronautique Militaire LUFTWAFFE UNIT STRUCTURE
provide cover. had been completely emasculated.
Before this could be achieved, a Belgium was not alone, these scenes Staffel
pair of Bf 109s swept in to strafe, were repeated at airfields all over Plural – Staffeln. Smallest combat flying unit, normally of nine
damaging two of the Fiats on the Holland and France. aircraft. Denoted using Arabic numerals. RAF equivalent would be
a squadron.
Gruppe
Plural – Gruppen. Comprising three (later four) Staffeln plus a Stab
(headquarters or staff) flight. Denoted using Roman numerals: eg,
I, II, III. Thus 3/JG 20 would be the 3rd Staffel of Jagdgeschwader
20. RAF equivalent would be a wing.
Geschwader
Plural is also Geschwader. Comprising three (later four) Gruppen
plus a Stab (headquarters or staff) flight. Denoted using Arabic
numerals: eg, 1, 2, 3. Thus I/JG 20 would be the 1st Gruppe of
Jagdgeschwader 20 and Stab/JG 20 would be its headquarters
flight. Geschwader were usual given a prefix relating to their role –
see the other table for details. RAF equivalent would be a group.
18 Luftwaffe Eagles
DOWN
on the farm
AVIATION ARTIST GEOFF
NUTKINS RECREATED A SHOOT DOWN THAT OCCURRED
CLOSE TO HIS HOME
“T
hey attacked us from formation – terribly vulnerable. Fg Left
behind. Trying to Off John Dundas and American Plt Geoff Nutkins has created
take evasive action Off Eugene ‘Red’ Tobin latched on two superb images of a
conflict that brought a
by flying up and down, they hit us to the Dornier and took turns to Dornier Do 17Z to crash
with three bursts with the result attack. The uneven contest brought land a short distance
that we only had limited power the Dornier down low, its crew from his home in
from the engines.” So spoke Fw hoping upon hope that by some Shoreham, Kent. ‘Height
Rolf Heitsch of 8/KG 76 after he miracle they could cross the coast of the Battle’ shows Fg
had recovered from the trauma and take their chances with the Off Dundas and Plt Off
‘Red’ Tobin on the tail
of being shot down by Spitfires, Luftwaffe’s efficient and tenacious of stricken ‘F1+FS’ on
a forced landing in the Kent air-sea rescue service. September 15, 1940.
countryside and capture by his Dundas and Tobin continued to COURTESY GEOFF NUTKINS –
enemies. harass the bomber as it flew at low WWW.AVIARTNUTKINS.COM
It was September 15, 1940 and level through the countryside, the
Bottom left
the Dornier slithered to a halt health of its engines decaying by the
Dornier Do 17s of KG 76 at
at Castle Farm near the village mile. Inevitably, physics took over low level.
of Shoreham in Kent just after and all that remained was to choose
noon. Nobody could have known which field to bring the Dornier Below
then, but those 24 hours marked down in. As such things go, it was The Castle Farm Dornier
the turning point in the struggle a superb piece of flying, ‘F1+FS’ attracted a lot of
attention, particularly as
between the Royal Air Force and remained remarkably intact. the Spitfires had pursued
the Luftwaffe, and would be Fw Schmid had died, but the it at low level over the
commemorated thereafter as Battle other three crew members were Kent countryside.
of Britain Day. (See page 86 for quickly taken into custody by the BOTH JOHN WEAL
more.) ‘Home Guard’ and police. The VIA ANDY THOMAS
Feldwebels Heitsch, Pfeiffer, Castle Farm Dornier was one of
Sauter and Schmid formed the crew six Do 17s of KG 76 that did not
of Dornier Do 17Z ‘F1+FS’, part return to base that day.
of a large raid by KG 76 aiming for ‘Red Tobin’ shot past at low
London’s dockland. The bombers level to inspect 609 Squadron’s
were met by massed formations of handiwork. When 609 Squadron’s
Hurricanes and Spitfires and, as intelligence officer was happy with
the Germans turned for home, they the claims; Tobin’s share in this
began to take a severe mauling. Dornier was the first confirmed
Heitsch and his comrades found victory by an American flying a
themselves at the rear of their Spitfire.
“Inevitably, physics took over and all that remained was to choose
which field to bring the Dornier down in. As such things go, it was a
superb piece of flying, ‘F1+FS’ remained remarkably intact.”
20 Luftwaffe Eagles
£5.99
IA L F R
W
NE
£5.99
FREE P&P*
INC
£5.99
FREE P&P*
INC
£6.99 INC
FREE P&P*
£5.99 INC
FREE P&P*
AVIATION SPECIALS
ESSENTIAL reading from the teams behind your FAVOURITE magazines
NEW FREE Aviation Specials App
SAMARITANS
or Spies?
WHEN IT WAS FOUND THAT THE LUFTWAFFE AIR-SEA RESCUE
SERVICE WAS ALSO ENGAGED IN RECONNAISSANCE MISSIONS, ITS LUMBERING
FLOATPLANES BECAME AUTHORISED TARGETS. ANDREW THOMAS EXPLAINS
I
Above n marked contrast to the RAF,
The first He 59 lost off the at the start of the Battle of
British coast fell victim to
Britain the Luftwaffe had a well-
Spitfires of 72 Squadron
from Acklington on July 1. established organisation tasked with
VIA J D R RAWLINGS the recovery of aircrew from the
sea. The Seenotdienst (Sea Rescue
Right Service) comprised flying-boats,
An He 59 on the slipway floatplanes and rescue boats backed
at Schellingwoude,
near Amsterdam.
by dedicated communications
H RING VIA C F SHORES
centres.
The main aircraft used was the
Heinkel He 59 twin-engined biplane
floatplane which first flew in 1931.
The type made regular patrols from
the outbreak of war from bases along
the German coast.
Following the German conquest
of Western Europe, operational
rescue Staffeln, known as
Seenotflugkommando (SNFlKdo),
were detached to coastal bases in
France and the Netherlands to cover
operations against England. At the
‘official’ beginning of the Battle of established until 1941. As operations spread into the
Britain the five SNFlKdo had 33 Although obsolescent, the He southern North Sea after the
He 59s and a single Dornier Do 24 59 had good seafaring qualities Blitzkrieg in the west, the Heinkel
flying-boat on strength. and was available in sufficient seaplanes were painted white overall
There were no equivalent RAF numbers to be the backbone of and carried prominent civilian
units, though in August 1940 the Seenotdienst. The first major registrations and red crosses on the
operational control of rescue SNFlKdo rescue followed an wings and fuselage in anticipation of
launches passed to local naval attack on Wilhelmshaven by 24 being given immunity.
control and a dozen Westland Wellingtons on December 18, 1939,
Lysanders were allocated to more than half of which were shot FIRST BLOOD
Fighter Command to search for down. Rescue boats and He 59s In the early hours of July 1,
ditched aircrew. An RAF air-sea from Hornum rescued 20 downed 1940, Lt zur See Schroeder’s He
rescue (ASR) organisation was not British airmen. 115 floatplane, ‘M2+CL’ of 3/
22 Luftwaffe Eagles
“Our plane was painted white with big red crosses. According to
international agreements, we carried no armament on our search
and rescue plane.”
Above
KüFlGr 106, minelaying off the took off from Acklington and He 59B-3 D-ARYX, the
northeast coast of England, was shortly after 06:00 they spotted prototype ASR conversion,
forced to ditch off Whitby. He the intruder off Hartlepool near a reached SNFlKdo 2 on
59D D-ASAM of SNFlKdo 3 coastal shipping convoy at 500ft August 1, 1940.
was sent from Schellingwoude in (152m). VIA ALFRED PRICE
Holland to search for the crew in Fehske, the He 59’s observer,
Below left
what its headquarters regarded as a spotted the Spitfires and The crew of He 59E
hazardous sortie. remembered: “There were two D-AFFK of SNFlKdo 4
Commanded by Lt Hans-Joachim British fighters behind us a few spent an uncomfortable
Fehske, the Heinkel arrived in minutes later and very quickly night on the wing of their
the search area soon after dawn, we were shot down. Our plane aircraft awaiting rescue
initially in misty conditions. They was painted white with big red after being shot down on
August 15. VIA CHRIS GOSS
soon improved and, in excellent crosses. According to international
visibility, the aircraft turned south, agreements, we carried no Below
unaware it had been detected and armament on our search and He 59C D-AGIO of SNFlKdo
that a section of Supermarine rescue plane.” The fire from the 1 in the sea after it was
Spitfires had been scrambled. Led three Spitfires hit the floats and shot down over the
western English Channel
by Flt Lt Ted Graham, Fg Off injured the radio operator, Uffz by an Anson of 217
Edgar Wilcox and Flt Sgt Jack Stuckmann, and the Heinkel was Squadron on July 11.
Steere of ‘B’ Flight, 72 Squadron, forced to ditch. VIA GRAHAM PITCHFORK
Above The crew took to their dinghy crosses on the upper surfaces of top convoy was meanwhile covered
The Seenotdienst also and were soon rescued by the sloop planes and the letters D-ASAM. A by a section of Spitfires from 54
employed fast launches as HMS Black Swan. Ted Graham black Swastika on a red background Squadron led by Flt Lt Al Deere.
part of its well-equipped
ASR organisation.
recalled seeing it “coloured white was on the rudder.” When He 59C-2 D-ASUO
VIA JOHN WEAL with large red cross[es] on upper Despite the German observer’s ventured too close to the ships, Plt
surface of upper plane”. protestations, there were genuine Off Johnny Allen peeled off to attack
Below This action has been regarded suspicions the Heinkel was conducting the unfortunate biplane which force-
The crew of Hudson I as the ‘first blood’ of the Battle of military activity by reporting shipping landed on the Goodwin Sands just
T9303 VX-V of 206 Sqn
Britain, although the ‘official’ date movements, in contravention of its red south of Deal. It was Allen’s seventh
from Bircham Newton
shot down D-AFFK off of the start was July 10. cross markings. and last victory: he was shot down
Borkum. 206 SQN RECORDS Fg Off Wilcox also recalled the and killed later in the month.
combat: “I delivered one attack and RED-HANDED Fw Maywald, Uffz Andres,
fired a burst of four seconds from dead If there were any British doubts Schiele and Bartmann were all
astern. I observed incendiary bullets about the nature of the He 59s, they captured and their white-painted,
going into enemy aircraft [e/a]. were allayed some days later. On red cross-marked floatplane was
“After breaking away I saw e/a the evening of July 9, bombers from towed ashore and beached at Deal.
jettison some small objects which I Luftflotte 2, with Messerschmitt Bf When D-ASUO was examined it
thought were small bombs. I then 110s of III/Zerstörergeschwader 26 was discovered that the pilot’s log
delivered a second attack and was ‘Horst Wesel’ (ZG 26), mounted showed the position and direction
just opening fire when e/a touched a strong attack on a convoy as it of British convoys. This was assessed
down on water; after one second transited the English Channel; six as reconnaissance, not rescue work,
burst I ceased fire. aircraft were posted missing. and reinforced the suspicion that the
“I continued circling e/a as it Several He 59s of SNFlKdo 1 were role was not purely humanitarian.
settled on water and started to sink. launched from Boulogne with an Sir Hugh Dowding, AOC Fighter
Rubber dinghy was launched with escort of Bf 109s from II/JG 51 to Command, was in no doubt and
three occupants. I clearly saw red search for the missing crews. The considered that military aircraft
24 Luftwaffe Eagles
rescuing downed airmen could not wireless operator, AC Holiday, sent which do not comply with the above Above left
legitimately be marked with a red off a sighting message just as the requirements will do so at their own A red cross-marked He 59
cross. Indeed, the 1929 Geneva German crew took to their life raft, a risk and peril.” conducting a simulated
rescue for the benefit of
Conventions were quite specific: Royal Navy destroyer picking them The message was reinforced by an the cameras in the spring
“Aircraft used as means of medical up. Webb received the DFM soon Air Ministry statement on July 29 of 1940. BUNDESARCHIV
transport shall enjoy the protection afterwards. saying the tasks conducted were:
of the Convention during the After due consideration of the “not consistent with the privileges Above
period in which they are reserved evidence garnered over the preceding generally accorded to the Red Plt Off Edward Crew of
exclusively for the evacuation of weeks, Communiqué 1254, issued Cross”. 604 Squadron opened
his combat tally with the
wounded and sick and the transport on July 14, 1940, said: “Enemy The Germans vehemently destruction of an He 59 in
of medical personnel and material. aircraft bearing civil markings and protested on the basis that rescue mid-Channel. E D CREW
“In the absence of special and marked with the red cross have aircraft were covered by the Geneva
express permission, flying over recently flown over British ships at Convention. With typical bellicosity
the firing line, and over the zone sea and in the vicinity of the British Winston Churchill later responded:
situated in front of clearing or coast, and they are being employed “We did not recognise this means of
dressing stations, and generally for purposes which His Majesty’s rescuing enemy pilots who had been
over all enemy territory or Government cannot regard as shot down in action, in order that
territory occupied by the enemy, is being consistent with the privileges they might come and bomb our civil
prohibited.” generally accorded to the Red Cross. population again.”
“His Majesty’s Government
COMMUNIQUÉ 1254 desire to accord to ambulance ARMED AND
While the intelligence gleaned from aircraft reasonable facilities for CAMOUFLAGED
the capture of D-ASUO was being the transportation of the sick and Attacks on civil marked rescue aircraft
assessed there was a further incident wounded, in accordance with the continued, particularly if they were
on the morning of July 11, 1940. An Red Cross Convention, and aircraft in the vicinity of Allied shipping,
Avro Anson of 217 Squadron from engaged in the direct evacuation and the Seenotdienst eventually
St Eval, flown by Flt Sgt Nelson of the sick and wounded will be ordered rescue aircraft be armed and
Webb and crew, encountered He respected, provided that they comply camouflaged. Civil registrations and
59 D-AGIO wearing red crosses 20 with the relevant provisions of the red crosses were also abandoned.
miles (32km) south of Start Point, Convention. The Heinkels had been
Devon, close to the convoy the “His Majesty’s Government are supplemented by former Dutch
Anson was escorting. unable, however, to grant immunity Navy Do 24Ns D-AEAV and
Shortly after 10:00 Webb’s crew to such aircraft flying over areas in D-APDA which joined SNFlKdo
attacked and both gunners – Plt which operations are in progress on 1. Initially white overall with red
Off Swift and Sgt Botha – opened land or at sea, or approaching British crosses, they were also later armed
up, firing a considerable amount or Allied territory, or territory in and camouflaged.
of ammunition and forcing the British occupation, or British or The RAF was not long in
Heinkel onto the sea. The Anson’s Allied ships. Ambulance aircraft implementing the new policy
“‘We did not recognise this means of rescuing enemy pilots who
had been shot down in action, in order that they might come and
bomb our civil population again’ – Churchill.”
RED CROSS
WHICH WAS CAPTURED ON JULY 9, 1940
He 59C-2 D-ASUO of
Rescuers
PETE WEST PROFILES THE HEINKEL HE 59
26 Luftwaffe Eagles
Above as, shortly after 15:00 on July and the Germans mounted more but then turned south. Hubbard
After Communiqué 1254 in 20, Hawker Hurricanes of 238 ASR searches. continued: “I fired a further burst
July 1940, the ASR He 59s Squadron’s ‘Green’ section, escorting Near the convoy at 06:00, Fg Off and then watched while Green 2
were camouflaged
and armed.
a convoy south of the Needles, off Joseph Haworth of 43 Squadron and 3 shot [the] machine down
H RING VIA C F SHORES the Isle of Wight, encountered an spotted an He 59 south of the in flames. No return fire was
He 59 at 1,500ft. Needles. As he dived to attack, the experienced, and burning oil was
Below right Plt Off Jack Urwin-Mann wrote of floatplane’s gunner hit his Hurricane, the only remains on the water... We
Sqn Ldr Harold Fenton, the encounter: “I saw a completely P3964, forcing Haworth to bale out landed at 19:40 having taken off at
238 Squadron’s CO, was
shot down while attacking
white plane south of the convoy and into the sea, where he drowned. The 18:05.”
an He 59 on August 8. went to investigate. I identified [it] seaplane escaped into cloud.
VIA M GOODMAN as an He 59 (seaplane) and dived Little over an hour later a section of
to attack, making the first from 601 Squadron Hurricanes flown by
astern and above. The starboard Fg Off Tom Hubbard (in P3358), Plt
engine completely stopped with the Offs Michael Doulton (aircraft serial
propeller still. The e/a was then dead unknown) and Tom Grier (in P3783)
on the waterline about 3 miles from encountered an He 59N of SNFlKdo
the French coast... The e/a looked 1 south of Selsey Bill.
completely white with black crosses Hubbard was the first to attack.
on fuselage and main planes and “I sighted a white object close to
entire rudder.” water 10 miles south of convoy
While this was claimed only as a at approximately 19:20. On
‘probable’, the aircraft and crew of investigation it turned out to be a
SNFlKdo 4 were lost. The body of its Heinkel 59 seaplane painted white
pilot, Fw Herbert Degel, was washed with red crosses and markings
ashore in France a month later. D-AKAR flying south at 120mph
at 100ft. I circled the machine, at
LEGITIMATE TARGETS which it turned toward me, and
That the Heinkels were indeed radioed description of machine to
armed was brutally brought the controller, who instructed me to
home three hours later as Convoy shot it down if hostile.”
BOSOM sailed east under steady The Hurricanes attempted to force
attack. Defending fighters shot the biplane towards the English
down a number of enemy aircraft coast – and initially it complied
UNKNOWN PLOT
Seenotdienst aircraft went
unmolested for the next week until
the evening of July 27 when a patrol
of Hurricanes from 615 Squadron
was landing at Hawkinge. They had
been covering Convoy BACON in
the Channel as a series of storms had
passed through the area.
As the fighters were about to
touch down they were diverted to
investigate an unknown ‘plot’ off
Deal. The radar contact proved to be
an He 59 of SNFlKdo 3 flying just
above the water, 10 miles northeast
of Dover, presumably on a rescue spotted He 59N 1851 D-ASUC of during battles over Convoy PEEWIT, Above
mission. SNFlKdo 3. In concert with Sgt Jim both the RAF and the Luftwaffe had One of the swastikas
Piloting P3109, Sqn Ldr Joe Kayll Robertson, he attacked, forcing the suffered losses. They included two under the gunner’s
cockpit of a Blenheim
led the six Hurricanes down on floatplane down west of Boulogne Hurricanes of Middle Wallop-based IVf of 236 Squadron
the hapless floatplane, as the unit with two of its crew dead and the 238 Squadron, one of which was the represents a Breguet
records describe: “Fg Off Collard other three wounded. unit’s CO, Sqn Ldr Harold Fenton, Bizerte flying-boat shot
and Plt Off Madle attacked, rear Fifteen minutes later the Hurricane who took off in P2947. Flying over down by Plt Off Graham
gunner of e/a fired at them, some pilots of 111 sighted another a sea littered with oil and floating Russell (right) and
smoke came from the e/a. The e/a Heinkel, D-AROO, on the sea, debris, at 13:50 he saw an He 59 low gunner, Sgt Eric Pert
(left) on November 6. The
took evasive action by diving and apparently rescuing the survivors of over the water and dived to attack. observer in the centre is
turning from 500ft to sea level. Red the ditched aircraft. They attacked In his memoir Fenton recalled: “I Sgt Ken Hutchings. E PERT
1 [Kayll] then attacked from dead and left it severely damaged, though spotted a German seaplane at sea
astern closing to 100 yards, the e/a the survivors of both aircraft were level. I went down to attack, gave Below
burst into flames and Red 2 [Plt Off rescued. him a long burst but, being much Flying Blenheim If L6728
of 604 Squadron, Plt Off
Hugo] had one burst into the e/a faster, I overshot and his gunner Edward Crew shared in
which crashed into the sea. The e/a MOUNTING LOSSES must have got in a lucky one which the destruction of an He
was white with large red cross[es] on With increasing losses over the cut an oil pipe. My windscreen was 59 on August 11.
top of wings, red band on fuselage, Channel, on July 30, 1940 the covered in black oil. I turned north M J F BOWYER
red cross on fin or rudder.” whole of SNFlKdo 3 was ordered to but shortly afterwards my engine
The storms having passed, in the move immediately to Boulogne to seized. Having so little height, I had
early afternoon of July 28 a large raid support the forthcoming air assault to ditch rather than bale out.”
was detected approaching Dover on England. Along with others based He managed to put down near the
and several sharp dogfights between in Cherbourg, the unit continued to trawler HMT Basset and was picked
Bf 109s of JG 51 and Spitfires of operate in conjunction with rescue up, injured. He later returned to
74 Squadron ensued. He 59s were launches to locate and pick up duty with 238.
sent over the area and at 13:05 Plt downed crews. August 11 was a day of heavy
Off Robert Wilson of 111 Squadron On the early afternoon of August 8 combat and the He 59s were
X4166, dived in and shot it down, Off the island of Borkum, D-AFFK
but the Bf 109 escort intervened and was spotted by the crew of Lockheed
Sgts Tanner and Neville were killed. Hudson I T9303 of 206 Squadron
Meanwhile the station commander and shot down into the sea. Lt zur
at Middle Wallop launched a See Siegfried Bömer was killed, the
pair of Bristol Blenheim Ifs of survivors climbing onto the wing.
604 Squadron, flown by Sqn Ldr During an attempted rescue in
Anderson (in L6774) and Plt Off rough sea, Do 24N D-APDA from
Edward Crew (L6728) – with an Norderney was itself badly damaged.
escort of Spitfires from 152 Squadron After a cold and uncomfortable
– to search for his missing aircraft. night on the wing, a Kriegsmarine
The use of the Blenheims was (German Navy) minesweeper arrived,
indicative of the ad hoc nature of but had to wait for the hulk of the
ASR in the RAF during 1940. Heinkel to drift out of a minefield
Two small ships were located off before it could affect a rescue.
the French coast, as Edward Crew Further south, the steady stream
recalled: “We were on an air-sea of attacks over southern England
rescue search, escorted by Spitfires. continued. On August 20, an
We were then detached to investigate SNFlKdo 3 He 59 was damaged
a report of an enemy seaplane and when taking off after a rescue in mid-
found it to be an He 59 in the sea Channel.
some 30 miles from the coast with Rescue patrols continued over
engines running. We dived down and the next few days but one ran into
opened up, setting it on fire. In the trouble on the evening of August 26
area there were two small German when He 111s of KG 55 attacked
ships.” Crew’s first success was an He Portsmouth. They were repulsed,
59 of Seenotzentrale Cherbourg. with heavy losses, and He 59s of
SNFlKdo 2 were despatched to look
ADLER TAG for the missing crews. At 19:15 one
Seenotdienst floatplanes were active was observed flying at about 20ft by
elsewhere over the North Sea and a pair of Spitfires from 602 Squadron
on August 15, 1940 – the so-called flown by Fg Off Donald Jack and Plt
Adler Tag (Eagle Day) – an He 111H Off Paul Webb.
of KG 26 was shot down by fighters The unit’s history described the
Above ordered out in force. One took off and ditched off the Durham coast. action: “This time their target was
Flt Lt Rupert Clerk of 79 from Calais and had barely set out on Patrolling for such an eventuality was interesting. They found it, low
Squadron shot down an patrol when it was spotted over the He 59E 2606 D-AFFK of SNFlKdo over the water, 20 miles south of
He 59 on August 28.
VIA MARK POSTLETHWAITE
Channel by patrolling Spitfires of 610 4 which alighted and picked up the St Catherine’s Point; an He 59
Squadron. Flt Lt Brian Smith, flying bomber crew. floatplane. The ponderous, obsolete
He 59s were used by the Luftwaffe camouflage and large black crosses IN NEED OF A SAMARITAN
to rescue downed airmen in the realised it was German.
Channel. Further up the coast The Heinkel’s gunners opened fire
they flew in silver, with red crosses and hit the Roc’s port wing. Hunt
prominent – down in 602’s sector, responded with his four 0.303in
they were in full camouflage. Browning machine guns – but as
“They reported on shipping they could not depress, Clarke was
positions, and coastal installations forced to go below the low-flying
– and they were escorted by floatplane which began running
Messerschmitts, which were for France, and safety. Time and
definitely not on errands of mercy. time again the faster Roc passed the
In a fast attack Paul Webb put the seaplane, Hunt firing brief bursts.
Heinkel down for good, and the two The He 59 was hit, but its
Spitfires made good their escape gunners were also damaging
before the ’109s could pounce.” Lt the Roc. As the French coast
zur See Mietlin and his crew were approached, a frustrated Clarke
posted missing. was forced to break off and head for
Before the month was out two Gosport. Short of fuel, he landed
more Heinkels had fallen to RAF at 19:40, the Roc’s Perseus engine
fighters. In the late morning of the expiring soon after.
28th, Flt Lt Rupert Clerk in a 79 The enemy fire had been accurate
Squadron Hurricane shot one down and ten hits were found on the
in mid-Channel, wounding the Roc, including two unexploded
crew. A few minutes later a quartet incendiary rounds in the fuel tank.
from 79 led by Plt Off George In his combat report, Clarke made a
Nelson-Edwards despatched 1528 of claim for one He 59 damaged. The
SNFlKdo 3. incident was certainly among the
Intensive Luftwaffe attacks strangest of the Battle of Britain.
continued into September as did
rescue sorties. For example, the END OF THE ‘BATTLE’
crew of a ditched Do 18 flying-boat Heinkel crews faced hazards other
of 3/KüFlgGr 406 was picked up than the RAF and rough seas. On
by an He 59 on the 3rd. Four days October 2, 1940, He 59 ‘NO+FU’
later came the first major assault on force-landed, only for its crew to
London – after which He 59 0840 discover they were in a minefield.
‘DA+WT’ of SNFlKdo 3 landed in Taking to the dinghy, they struck a
the sea off Dungeness to conduct mine and Lt Phillip Barbinger, Ofw
a rescue but was itself damaged Neiss, Gefr Brandt and Fw Horr
by the rough seas and wrecked. Its were killed.
crew was rescued. In the early hours of the 8th,
Having landed and rescued a pilot intelligence picked up indications
from mid-Channel on the 14th, He of a Luftwaffe aircraft down in the
59 1513 ‘TV+HO’ had to force-land Channel. At 06:20 three Blenheims
near Boulogne and was lost in the from 235 Squadron were sent out,
waves, although all on board were and in patchy fog two of them
saved. Another was lost after alighting spotted Lt zur See Stelzner’s 0534
the following day – September 15, ‘TW+HH’ of SNFlKdo 2 southwest
which is now remembered as Battle of St Catherine’s Point.
of Britain Day. Plt Off John Fenton recalled: “I
fired... at 150 yards. The rounds hit
STRANGE ENCOUNTER the engine.” The He 59 dropped
An attack on the Spitfire factory towards the water, returning fire
at Woolston, Southampton, in the as it dived. Plt Off Henri Gonay, a
late afternoon of September 26 saw Belgian, moved in, hitting the engine
significant losses on both sides. The again and the biplane hit the sea and
Luftwaffe’s efficient ASR service capsized. Siegfried Stelzner, Uffzs
He 59s were soon out looking for Karl Hirschmann Helmuth Fischer
downed airmen. and Karl Wischer were all killed.
On the British side, a Blackburn Meanwhile in Blenheim V-for-Vic,
Roc turret fighter of 2 Anti-Aircraft another Belgian, Plt Off Leon Prevot,
Co-operation Unit, flown by Plt sighted a second He 59. This was
Off ‘Nobby’ Clarke, was also 0541 ‘DA+MJ’, captained by Lt zur
ordered to search south of the Isle See Bernhardt Schulz, which also An amazing sequence showing a Messerschmitt Bf 110C, thought to
of Wight. In the increasing gloom, came under fire. Schulz attempted to be from III/ZG 76, ditching in the Channel on September 25, 1940 –
Clarke and gunner Sgt Hunt escape by flying at just 20ft above the probably after combat with 607 Squadron Hurricanes south of the
searched over the grey sea, noting sea, his rear gunner exchanging fire. Isle of Wight. Having survived the ditching, the crew (circled) had a
an aircraft in the distance. Puzzled A long burst from the Blenheim fair expectation of rescue. An He 59 managed to pick them up and
by its appearance and apparent silenced the Heinkel’s return fire take them to safety. IMAGES: VIA JOHN WEAL
size, Clarke closed – and seeing its and a thickening trail of smoke
“Eventually Pat Wells... set the port float on fire and the enemy
aircraft landed perfectly into wind. It gradually burnt until the
petrol tanks went up and covered it and the sea around with
burning petrol. I think all the crew were dead or badly wounded.”
Above appeared before it crashed into the Sgt Eric Pert, the Blenheim’s FOURTEEN-MINUTE
Camouflaged He 59 sea in a welter of spray. Schulz, Fw gunner, recalled: “We got caught in VICTORY
‘unsticking’ after a Nicolai Bridi, Ogfr Karl Kampf and a box barrage over Brest... We also Despite the Luftwaffe turning more
rescue. VIA JOHN WEAL
Uffz Stargnet were killed. flew over an enemy convoy and shot and more to night attacks, ASR by
The last He 59 to fall to the RAF down its escorting Dornier 24 [sic] armed and camouflaged Heinkel
during what is now recognised as the and passed an Me 110 returning He 59s continued. As dusk fell on
period of the Battle of Britain fell from Falmouth – we ignored November 26, 1940 Flt Lt ‘Orange’
to the Hurricanes of 229 Squadron each other! – and returned full of O’Meara in a Hurricane of 421
in a costly action on October 26. shrapnel holes and with our observer Flight attacked what he identified as
Just before mid-day a trio of fighters badly wounded... My pilot, who had an ‘He 60’ – it was an He 59.
led by 21-year-old Fg Off Geoffrey previous success, was awarded the O’Meara explained: “The presence
Simpson in W6669 spotted He DFC.” of an He 60 and its fighter escort
59 1984 off Boulogne, flown by Another He 59 was caught over approaching Dungeness was given
Lt Heinrich Wilke and crew. Sgt the Thames estuary that month by to us by the ‘Y’ Service unit at Capel
Rupert Ommanney shot it down, Hurricanes of 249 Squadron. In le Ferne direct by telephone link,
killing Wilke, Gfr Wolfgang Michels his diary Plt Off George Barclay instead of going through the usual
and Uffz Karl Backmaier. recorded: “In the afternoon we did a route via the sector control at Biggin
Retribution was swift, as escorting convoy patrol in pretty bad weather. Hill. I remember being in an awful
Bf 109s jumped the Hurricanes, We found an enormous ‘Hun’ hurry and took off in the nearest
sending Simpson into the sea to his seaplane [the He 59B had a span of aircraft available.
death. They also shot down V6704, 97ft], low on the water. “I arrived in the area plotted by
flown by Plt Off D B H McHardy “It did steep turns to the right ‘Y’ and found the Heinkel without
who became a prisoner of war. Only while we tried to shoot it down. It much difficulty. I never really
Ommanney returned to Northolt. turned so sharply that a stern attack thought about the possibility of a
turned into a head-on attack. I got fighter escort, and went for it from
ADOPTING NEW TYPES its port motor, and it had to do its the beam. I watched it fall into the
Such regular losses led the Luftwaffe turns to the left, turning against its sea and then raced back. I recollect
to acquire other aircraft for rescue dead engine. that I had been in the air for only 14
work, including a small number of “Eventually Pat Wells... set the minutes.”
Breguet Br 521 Bizerte flying-boats port float on fire and the enemy The Heinkel had been searching
from the Vichy French Navy. One aircraft landed perfectly into wind. for Fw Adolf Rosen of IV/JG 51
of them, ‘5G+FM’ of SNFlKdo 1, It gradually burnt until the petrol who had been shot down earlier in
flown by Ofw Ulrich Janke, was tanks went up and covered it and the combat with 66 Squadron. For the
engaged in early November by a sea around with burning petrol. I Seenotdienst floatplane crews, the
Blenheim IVf of 236 Squadron think all the crew were dead or badly Battle over Britain was over. It had
flown by Fg Off Graham Russell. wounded.” been a long and bloody campaign.
32 Luftwaffe Eagles
SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE
HAWKER HURRICANE
JUST MESSERSCHMITT BF109
£5.99 * FOCKE-WULF FW190
MESSERSCHMITT ME262
P-51 MUSTANG
P-47 THUNDERBOLT
AND MANY MORE!
ORDER DIRECT
*Free 2nd class P&P on all UK & BFPO orders. Overseas charges apply.
Free P&P* when you order online at Call UK: 01780 480404
www.keypublishing.com/shop OR Overseas: +44 1780 480404
Monday to Friday 9am-5:30pm
K E Y M A G A Z I N E S U B S C R I B E R S C A L L F O R Y O U R £ 1. 0 0 D I S C O U N T !
LUFTWAFFE EAGLES AUGUST 26, 1940
JUST
TASKED WITH DESTROYING RAF FIGHTER
COMMAND’S AIRFIELDS, ON AUGUST 26 THE LUFTWAFFE TURNED
Another Day
ITS ATTENTIONS TO SOUTHEAST ENGLAND.
CHRIS GOSS RELATES THE ACTION
R
Above ather than approach their POINT-BLANK RANGE Plt Off Harold Goodall and
A Do 17 Z of 7/KG 3. targets over land, on Two days before, 264 had been gunner Sgt Bob Young tackled
Above right
August 26, 1940 most of badly mauled by Luftwaffe fighters, another Dornier “with an
Günther Lützow, left. the bombers approached over the losing five aircraft, one of which was overtaking beam attack at 250 yards
Thames Estuary, turning north or flown by their popular squadron and got in two fairly long bursts;
south as required. commander, Sqn Ldr Philip Hunter. the Do 17 immediately lost speed
Just before midday, a small number At exactly the same time as the and came towards me when my
of Dornier Do 17s of III/KG 3, German escort lifted off from their gunner got in two fairly long bursts
based at St Trond in Belgium, lifted bases, seven Defiants, led by Flt Lt at point blank range. Pieces fell
off from their airfield. Their target Arthur Banham, got airborne. from the starboard engine which
was an airfield west of Ramsgate Instructed to patrol over Dover, the burst into flames.
– Manston. The small formation Defiants were then vectored towards “Just as the machine went into
of German bombers had a massive the Herne Bay/Deal area to intercept a dive, one of the crew baled out.
escort with at least the whole of JG 12 Do 17s. Mindful of the German I saw the machine go down in
3 to look after them; the fighters escort fighters, they successfully flames. I immediately attacked
were led by recently-appointed came underneath the Dorniers and another Do 17 which had broken
Geschwader Kommodore, Hptm attacked. In the ensuing confused formation and my gunner got in a
Günther Lützow. combats, 264 Squadron claimed short burst which appeared to hit. I
As the formation approached to have destroyed six Do 17s and then saw the Do 17 dive into cloud
the Kent coast and prepared to damaged another. and lost it.”
turn southwards, Hurricanes of 56 Plt Off Des Hughes with his Flt Lt Ernest Campbell-
Squadron (North Weald), Spitfires gunner, Sgt Fred Gash, tore into one Colquhoun and his gunner, Plt Off
of 610 and 616 Squadrons (Biggin bomber which burst into flames, but Gerald Robinson, carried out several
Hill and Kenley respectively) was not seen to crash. Going after passes on the Dornier formation,
and Defiants of 264 Squadron a second, they saw the nose of their seeing one aircraft break formation
(Hornchurch) tried to intercept. target break away, the hulk diving with a smoking starboard engine
It was 264’s task to attack the away with bits falling off it. Again, it before the pair were forced to return
bombers. was not seen to crash. to base with jammed guns.
34 Luftwaffe Eagles
TURN OVER AND FALL OUT crewed by Fg Off Ian Stephenson Spinning away to attempt a forced- Below
Flt Lt Arthur Banham and Sgt and gunner Sgt Walter Maxwell. landing near Herne Bay, they were Dorniers of 7/KG 3 in
Barrie Baker along with Sgts Edward Like Banham’s, Stephenson’s Defiant hit by another German fighter when formation.
Thorn and gunner Fred Barker crashed into Herne Bay – Maxwell they were at 500ft (152m) and
were quickly in the thick of the also being reported missing. Another about to land.
action, Banham recalling: “When flown by Plt Off Harold Goodall, Despite the Defiant being ablaze,
approaching Dover at 12,000ft, returned slightly damaged. Barker was able to open fire and saw
we sighted 12 Do 17s in ‘vics’ line the German fighter crash a few fields
astern. We approached on starboard FULL THROTTLE away. What the 264 Squadron crew
side in two vics line astern and I Having apparently shot down two had failed to see was another
opened fire at [the] leading bomber Do 17s, before Thorn and Barker RAF fighter above them.
of the last section. could attack a third they were badly Plt Off Ken
“I saw my gunner get in a long damaged by a Messerschmitt Bf 109. Marston of
burst at 100 yards; I then broke
away and turned towards the leading
section and got a long burst in at 100
yards on No.2 of first section. I
was then hit myself near the
cockpit and my machine
was on fire. I lost control
and telling my gunner to
jump as I turned the aircraft
on its back. I fell out and was
picked up in the sea.”
The Defiants had been
spotted by the Stab/JG 3
while the remainder of
JG 3 were tied up with
the single-seat RAF fighters.
In quick succession, Hptm Lützow
and his Geschwader Adjutant,
Oblt Friedrich-Franz von Cramon,
accounted for three Defiants.
One was Banham’s, whose
gunner was reported
missing. The second was
“Two days before, 264 had been badly mauled by Luftwaffe fighters...
Mindful of the German escorting fighters, they successfully came underneath
the Dorniers and attacked.”
Above 56 Squadron had been scrambled German fighter in cloud. His victim Paul Defiant. I dived with full throttle
Sqn Ldr Philip Hunter to intercept the German formation is believed to have been Uffz Willi and got about 70 yards behind the Me
(left) briefing pilots of coming from the northwest. Finke of 4/JG 3 who was killed when 109 at a height of 50ft.
264 Squadron.
Spotting a lone Bf 109 at 2,000ft his fighter crashed near Reculver. “I gave him a short burst and
Below below him, he dropped his As Marston flew back to base he saw flames appear from beneath
Edward Thorn and Fred Hurricane in behind, got in a short spotted a burning wreck in a crater the cockpit. The Me 109 crashed
Barker with their Defiant burst and saw the radiator and southwest of Westgate-on-Sea, about 100 yards behind the Defiant
and mascot. cowling fly off. which matches Finke’s crash site. But which had force-landed wheels-up.
The Luftwaffe pilot rolled Marston had not finished for the day: The crew... got away from their
his fighter onto his back “The first thing I saw machine and were picked up by an
and Marston could see was another Me army tender. The position of the
his head and shoulder 109 on the tail crash was approximately five miles
out of the cockpit, of a diving south of Reculver Church near
but he then lost the Boulton Herne Bay.”
36 Luftwaffe Eagles
DESTROYING
ANDREW THOMAS RELATES HOW HERMAN GÖRING’S CONCEPT OF
THE HEAVY FIGHTER WAS CRUSHED DURING THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN A Myth
W
hen it entered service, masked the fatal weakness of the
the Luftwaffe described Zerstörer, namely its size, lack of
the elegant yet agility and poor acceleration. There
formidably armed Messerschmitt Bf is no doubt that the Bf 110 was a
110 as a heavy fighter or Zerstörer formidable opponent, but in the
– ‘Destroyer’. It was intended to skies over England its flaws were
dominate the airspace deep in brutally exposed. Pitted against
enemy territory allowing unhindered an established air defence system
offensive action. and well-flown, well-armed single-
The sleek Messerschmitt twin engined fighters, the myth of the
captured the imagination of Zerstörer was shattered.
the Luftwaffe’s bombastic head, By the ‘official’ start of the Battle
Generalfeldmarschall Herman of Britain on July 10 the Luftwaffe
Göring and under his patronage the had almost 250 serviceable Bf 110s
creation of heavy fighter units forged available to the nine Zerstörer
ahead. It was at Göring’s insistence Gruppen. Both confidence and
that the three Zerstörer Gruppen expectation were high. By the end
then in service flew in the Polish of the Battle on October 31 it is
campaign but they really gained assessed that over 220 had been
their laurels during the invasions of destroyed.
Scandinavia, France and the Low On the day the Battle ‘began’ Lt
Countries in the spring of 1940. Kuhlrich and his gunner of III/ZG
26 were shot down over a convoy off
FATAL WEAKNESS Dungeness, Kent, in mid-afternoon
In these theatres the Bf 110s were by two Hawker Hurricanes of 56
largely operating in conditions Squadron flown by Flt Lt ‘Jumbo’
of German air superiority. This Gracie and Sgt Whitehead. This
38 Luftwaffe Eagles
HOOK, and
LINEsinker
DURING THE SUMMER OF 1940 RAF PILOTS REGULARLY
REPORTED COMBATS WITH A GERMAN FIGHTER THAT DID NOT EXIST. TOM SPENCER EXPLAINS
“I
then dived away from of which had first flown on January
the bombers and ran into 22, 1938, followed by two more. In
several He 113s. I attacked the hands of Ernst Udet, He 100V-
these and saw one burst into flames 3 D-IDGH captured the 100km
after a three-second burst from (62-mile) closed-circuit speed record
astern and directly above, using just of 394.6mph (635km/h) on June
over full deflection.” 6, 1938. This was considerably
That was how Flt Lt Terry Webster, faster than the Bf 109 then entering
the experienced 24-year-old ‘B’ Luftwaffe service as its standard
Flight commander of Hornchurch- single-engined day fighter.
based, Spitfire-equipped 41 The record was claimed by a type
Squadron, described his 13th and referred to as the ‘Heinkel He 112U’
final victory. Webster’s action had and, as no photographs were issued,
taken place shortly after 10:00 on it was assumed to be a variant
September 5, 1940 when the Battle of the existing He 112 unveiled
of Britain was at its height. the previous year at the Zurich
His action against ‘Heinkel He International air event. The type had
113s’ was just one of a number of been in limited combat service with
claims made against the elegant- the Spanish Nationalist Air Force.
looking single-seat fighter through The mysterious ‘He 112U’ again
the summer. RAF Intelligence had hit the headlines on March 30,
been reporting the He 113 as being in 1939. Flown by Heinkel test pilot
Luftwaffe service and issued estimated Hans Dieterle, the type gained the
performance and recognition absolute world speed record by
silhouettes, the latter adorning the clocking an average of 463.92mph.
walls of RAF briefing rooms. The record was eclipsed the
The reality was that all the single- following month by the specifically-
engined fighters encountered designed Messerschmitt ‘Me 209’.
over southern England were With the news of Dieterle’s
Messerschmitt Bf 109s. The achievement, photographs of the
presence of another type of fighter ‘He 112U’ were released. In reality
Top was merely a result of German it was He 100V-8 D-IVSR, specially
One of the original He 112s that saw limited service propaganda and misinformation! modified for the record attempt. It
in Spain and with the Luftwaffe. KEY COLLECTION
was evident to foreign air intelligence
Above RECORD-BREAKER analysts that this was a new design
A poster publicising the capture of the speed record The enigmatic aircraft was actually and bore no lineage to the rather
in March 1939. VIA AUTHOR the Heinkel He 100, the prototype ponderous-looking He 112.
40 Luftwaffe Eagles
Above
He 100D-1s masquerading for the cameras as He 113s
at the Heinkel airfield at Marienehe. B ROSMÜELLER
42 Luftwaffe Eagles
Left
Plt Off ‘Ben’ Bennions
claimed an He 113
probable as his final
combat success.
BENNIONS FAMILY
Its performance eclipsed the ’D-0s to Japan, together with a eastern Germany and so they were Below
Bf 109’s, a limitation that was manufacturing licence. During never called to action. The ‘man in the moon’
to cost the Luftwaffe dear in the 1939 Heinkel produced a dozen marking on an He 113 lent
summer of 1940. However, there production-standard He 100D-1s OPPORTUNITY FOR credence to the German
claim it was in service
remained little interest on the part which remained at the Marienehe MISCHIEF with a night-fighter unit.
of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium factory near the Baltic port of With the internationally recognised VIA M GOODMAN
(air ministry – RLM) as, under a Rostock rather than entering performance of the ‘He 112U’,
rationalisation programme, Heinkel Luftwaffe service. the propaganda ministry saw an
was to concentrate on bombers and On the outbreak of war the ’Ds opportunity for mischief – and
Messerschmitt on fighters. replaced some He 112s flown by an elaborate hoax on Allied
So Heinkel sold the six surviving Heinkel test pilots for the local Intelligence ensued. In early 1940
prototypes to the Soviet Union defence of the factory. At this the He 100D-1s at Marienehe were
and the three pre-production stage there were no incursions into painted in current Luftwaffe
44 Luftwaffe Eagles
ON THE RUN
ENGLA ND H O LLAN D
B E LGI U M G E R MA NY
ENGLISH CHANNEL
Amiens
Paris
St Brieuc (Crash landed)
O CCU PI E D FR AN CE
Tours D emarc ati on L i n e
Dijon
Nantes S W I T ZE R L A N D
Le Blanc
Chauvigny Macon
Brive
Grenoble
I TA LY
Back to Lyon
U N O CCU PI E D FR AN CE
St Hippolyt du Fort
Nimes
Toulouse
Back to Marseille
Toulouse
Luchon
Pergignan
Hodges
Embry
Phillips Figueras Oran
SPA IN
MEDITERRANEAN
Barcelona
The routes taken by Embry, Phillips and Hodges as they turned evasion into escape. PETE WEST © 2015
46 Luftwaffe Eagles
J
ust six weeks after it started, the Left
Battle of France was over. The last Portrait of Wg Cdr Basil
Embry.
of the RAF units deployed
to support the British Below
Expeditionary Force (BEF) had left Blenheim IV R3816 at
the country by the middle of June Wattisham, 1941. KEC
1940. During the fierce fighting 912
aircrew had been killed or missing
in action; around 150 had been
taken prisoner, but a small number
remained free. Almost 1,000 aircraft
had been lost.
It was not only aircrew who found
themselves behind enemy lines. As
the squadrons of the Advanced Air
Striking Force (AASF) and the Air
Component of the BEF lost forward
airfields and retreated deeper into
France, gallant ground crew made
great efforts to re-establish landing
grounds.
It was inevitable that some airmen
became cut off or lost contact with
their units in the chaos of retreating
armies and refugees. Others were
stranded when the surviving aircraft
finally flew back to the UK, leaving
many to find their own way home.
With French ports in German
hands, the survivors headed south for
Marseille or towards the Pyrenees. At
this stage of the war, the escape lines
that would later do such brave and
dedicated work assisting the men shot
down over enemy-held territory had
still not been established. So, with
the help of local people, a great deal
of initiative and a large slice of luck,
some managed to make a ‘Home
Run’ and get back to freedom.
Top
A Blenheim IV of 107
Squadron.
Above
Airmen on the Marne,
heading south, pose for
a photograph.
Right
Basil Embry in France
post-war, posing at the
road sign that helped
him decide to escape.
48 Luftwaffe Eagles
farmer gave him shelter and some Embry decided he must make faster francs and he bought a bicycle with Above
food and dried his clothes. Embry progress and travel by day, despite some of the money. He set off for Manhandling an AASF
decided to travel at night so he the added risk. Early the next day Bordeaux at 05:00 on June 21 and Battle. KEC
remained hidden near the farm he ran into a German patrol and reached Tours, where he mingled
throughout the day. Over the was captured. He was taken to a with crowds in order to cross a
following two nights he attempted farmhouse and asked his guard for guarded bridge over the River Loire.
to cross a very busy road but had to water. As the soldier approached, Embry continued to run into
return to his hiding place where the Embry knocked him out, made his German patrols, but when he
farmer fed him. escape and hid until nightfall when reached Le Blanc he found only
he resumed heading southeast. French soldiers. He met some
UNWILLING CAPTIVE He was soon apprehended and French officers near Limoges and
As he was making such slow tried to persuade a German officer was taken to see a general who gave
progress at night, Embry decided that he was from the Irish Free him breakfast and a pass allowing
to try walking quite openly by day. State, spoke Gaelic and knew very him to travel on all French railways.
Taking an old coat and a cap from little French. Asked to speak in He also advised him to “get
a scarecrow to cover his uniform Gaelic, he rambled in Urdu, which moving”.
he set off at lunchtime and walked appeared to convince the German
towards the River Somme. But officer. After a few hours he was set HEADING FOR SPAIN
there was so much German activity free. The French Army gave Embry a lift
that he realised he had no choice to Brive where he caught a train for
but to travel at night. Over the PARIS BY BICYCLE Toulouse. There he met another
next two days German and French Over the next few days Embry evader, Lance Bombardier A E Bird,
forces exchanged artillery fire but headed for the coast but soon and they decided to travel together.
eventually Embry reached the realised the Germans were in full They were told a British ship was
Somme and managed to cross. control of the area. Setting off due to leave Marseille and a French
He had hoped to cross the south, he found a bicycle and made Army unit drove them to the port,
German lines but with the French for Paris, arriving on June 19. only to discover that the ship had
in retreat he was never able to get Reaching the American Consulate departed.
behind the front line. On June 5 he he was taken to the British section The pair then headed for
reached a deserted farm but within and introduced to the English wife Perpignan, near the Spanish border,
hours German forces arrived and he of a Russian count. She took him but the British Consulate there was
had to hide in a hayloft for the next to their flat where her husband closed. At nearby Port Vendres they
two days. suggested he head for Bordeaux. tried to steal a boat, but without
With his wound turning septic The consulate gave him 300 success.
A few days later, Embry and Bird rank, when he identified himself as
reached the border where they were ‘Wing Commander Smith’.
able to contact the Assistant British Embry’s return from France was
Consul in Barcelona. They waited for a great boost to morale for RAF
19 days for the appropriate papers to aircrews. He was able to pass on much
be prepared. The French police were information to MI9, which proved
helpful and Bird got away first. very useful as it endeavoured to set up
A day later Embry crossed the escape lines and devise a training and
border in the boot of a car. He briefing programme for operational
reached Barcelona before being aircrew.
taken first to Madrid and then to For his brilliant escape he was
Gibraltar. He arrived in Plymouth awarded a Bar to his DSO, which
aboard HMS Vidette on August 2. had been earned on the North-West
Frontier of India. An outstanding
WG CDR ‘SMITH’ leader, he later commanded the
During his debrief with MI9, the Second Tactical Air Force, having
organisation dealing with escape received two more Bars to his DSO.
and evasion, Embry made the He retired as an air chief marshal.
following statement: “I should like When the RAF Escaping Society was
to make a special request that no established in 1945, Embry became its
part of the ‘narrative’ of this report is first chairman, a post he held for ten
communicated to the press or that my years. He had great affection for those
name is mentioned as having escaped.” who had helped him during his escape
He had two fundamental reasons and he returned to France in 1950 to
for this request: he did not want to meet the very brave farmers who had
implicate any of his French helpers; helped him.
and he had every intention of
returning to operational flying. LOSING BATTLE
Had the Germans known his name, Nineteen-year-old LAC Donald
and had he been shot down again, he Phillips was a wireless operator/
would have been subjected to intense air gunner (WOP/AG) with 150
interrogation to disclose details of Squadron when war broke out. The
those who had come to his aid. In unit’s Fairey Battles left for France
the event, Embry flew on many more on September 2, 1939 as part of the
operations, despite holding very senior AASF.
50 Luftwaffe Eagles
During the period following the and hid in a wood until it was dark. who agreed to take them by car to Left
German advance in May 1940, (Berry also successfully escaped.) Lyon together with a British officer, A memorial to the evaders
the Battle squadrons suffered huge Captain W G Stuart-Mentieth, who and their helpers in the
mid-Pyrenees.
losses. Phillips and his crew had GERMAN CROSSING was also on the run.
been forced down twice. They Intending to walk to Spain, Below
took off from Haussey at 10:05 on carrying farm implements as a ESCAPE-MINDED A Battle of 150 Squadron
June 13 on the second ‘op’ of the disguise, they headed cross-country, This time they were able to make in enemy hands.
day and headed for Vernon where avoiding all towns. The pair had contact with the American Consul
they ran into a large formation of to swim the River Somme but a in Lyon who gave them 500 francs,
Messerschmitt Bf 109s. Frenchman ferried them across the enabling the trio to take the train
The Battle was no match for the Oise and German soldiers rowed to Perpignan. There they started
German fighter. Phillips kept up a them across the Marne. They to walk cross-country towards the
constant fusillade but his aircraft pressed on to a town a few miles Spanish frontier.
was badly damaged and Plt Off A west of Dijon. As they approached to border,
R Gulley attempted to crash-land. By mingling with a herd of shots rang out and Stuart-Mentieth
It hit the ground hard, bounced cows they crossed into Vichy-held rushed into a vineyard and was not
over a wall and caught fire. Phillips France. Once safely established a seen again. (He eventually reached
and the observer, Sgt J Berry, were few miles inside the ‘unoccupied Spain and managed to return to
injured and suffered burns but zone’, Phillips and Witton got a England.)
managed to scramble clear. They lift in a lorry to Macon where they Phillips and Witton hid in a
tried to rescue Gulley but were reported to the Military Bureau wood and remained concealed
beaten back by the fire and their and were given railway tickets to until they were able to cross over
pilot died. Lyon. On arrival there they went to the mountains. For two days
The two men were soon captured the American Consulate but found they wandered, unsure of their
and admitted to different hospitals. it closed. So they tried the French whereabouts, eventually reaching a
Phillips was taken to Amiens where military authorities, but their luck Spanish farm where they were given
he remained for three weeks until ran out – they were arrested and food and shelter.
transferred to a nearby prison put in prison. Soon after leaving they were
camp. He teamed up with Pte J Over the next few weeks they arrested by Spanish police and spent
Witton and the pair made a rope were moved around. At Grenoble, several weeks in prisons before being
with the intention of escaping. On they were put to work mending sent to Gibraltar with a large group
July 28 they attached it to a tree roads and were allowed out of of other evaders. They left ‘The
and climbed up an unguarded wall; the camp for a few hours in the Rock’ on November 19 in a convoy
they then dropped the rope and evening. They managed to make and arrived at Liverpool three weeks
scrambled down on the other side contact with a Frenchman later.
“The Battle was no match for the German fighter. Phillips kept up a constant
fusillade but his aircraft was badly damaged and Plt Off A R Gulley attempted
to crash-land.”
FLÜGEL DES ADLERS
46-53_Runners_luft15.ke.indd 51 31/03/2015 12:03
LUFTWAFFE EAGLES RAF EVADERS
52 Luftwaffe Eagles
The two men set off on foot to forged passes and gave themselves five BRAVE PATRIOTS Above left
walk to Spain, keeping to fields days’ ‘leave’. These very early evasions Hampdens of 49
the whole time. They moved from Leaving the fort, they bought established a pattern that would Squadron. KEC
farm to farm, where they obtained railway tickets with their passes last until after the Allied invasion Above
civilian clothes, boots and maps, and headed for Perpignan where of northwest Europe in 1944. Plt Off Lewis Hodges.
which enabled them to avoid built- they took a taxi to a small, remote With the bomber campaign ALL VIA AUTHOR UNLESS NOTED
up areas. town near the Spanish frontier. intensifying, it was inevitable
For three weeks they kept walking. They climbed to a mountain pass at that an increasing number of men
A fisherman took them across the 4,000ft (1,219m) and crossed into would find themselves stranded
River Loire, east of Nantes, before Spain. behind enemy lines. Most were
they headed south to Chauvigny On April 13 they were caught by captured, spending the rest of the
on the Demarcation Line where Spanish customs officers and taken to war as prisoners, but more than
they had to cross the River Vienne. a prison near Barcelona before being 5,000 Allied airmen found their
Once in the ‘unoccupied zone’, transferred to the infamous Miranda way home.
villagers took them to a château concentration camp where conditions By 1941, numerous escape
owned by a Frenchman married to were primitive. Hodges managed ‘lines’ became established with the
an Englishwoman. She gave them a to contact the British Consul in support of MI9. The major effort
complete set of clothing and some Barcelona who negotiated his release came from patriotic and incredibly
money and put them on a bus for after eight weeks and arranged for brave ‘helpers’ who, at great risk
Limoges. him to be taken to Gibraltar. to their own lives, sheltered and
On June 13 he boarded a guided to freedom airmen on the
NORTH AFRICAN Sunderland flying-boat and arrived at run.
DIVERSION Plymouth the following day. For his As these organisations multiplied
Hodges and Wyatt then took trains activities in France he was mentioned and developed, there was an
to Toulouse and, later, Luchon, in the in despatches. additional value which can never
foothills of the Pyrenees. There they Hodges went on to have a very be underestimated – an increasing
were arrested and put in a detention distinguished career flying in support amount of the German war effort
centre where they found 30 other of the Special Operations Executive, was tied down, with troops diverted
British personnel. On October 18 including landing Hudsons and from their normal duties to search
Hodges was taken to Marseille where Lysanders in fields in France to for evading airmen and to counter
he was able to escape and head for the drop and collect agents. Among the escape organisations.
docks, stowing away on a ship bound those he picked up were two future With the passage of time, the
for North Africa. French Prime Ministers, Auriol and generation of men and women
At Oran in Algeria he was Mitterand. He later commanded a who displayed such fortitude and
discovered and returned to Marseille. special duties squadron in Burma. bravery is fading into the past.
The game seemed to be up: he was For his wartime exploits he was Their exploits remind us of just
sent to Fort St Jean and imprisoned awarded the DSO and the DFC, and what the human spirit is capable of
for two months. a Bar for each. He was also decorated when freedom and life are in peril.
At the end of January 1941 he by the French Government. After Today’s generation, and those
was taken in handcuffs to a prison retiring from the RAF he was the that follow, need to be reminded
for British officers at St Hippolyte president of the RAF Escaping of the sacrifices these warriors and
du Fort, near Nîmes. There it Society for many years and then patriots were prepared to make
was possible to get parole on the president of the Escape Lines so that others could live in the
understanding that no attempt Memorial Society. Air Chief Marshal freedom denied to so many of them
would be made to escape. Hodges Sir Lewis Hodges KCB CBE DSO* and their colleagues. This article is
languished in the camp until early DFC*, Grand Officier de la Legion dedicated to the memory of all RAF
April before meeting an old school d’Honneur, Croix de Guerre, died in and Commonwealth evaders and
friend who spoke fluent French. They January 2007. their many helpers.
54 Luftwaffe Eagles
BLOODY
Sunday
UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST, ENGLISH SKIES SEEMED
FULL OF JU 87S; THEN THEY WERE GONE FOR GOOD.
CRAIG DAVID DESCRIBES THE DAY THE STUKA FORCE ADMITTED DEFEAT
S
turzkampfbomber translates 77 headed for the south coast Ford 15 minutes earlier. Top left
as dive-bomber: the of England, with the airfields of An early victim of Fighter Stukas of StG 1 over the
Luftwaffe shortened the term Thorney Island and Ford and the Command was the Gruppe English Channel in the
summer of 1940.
to Stuka. From the Spanish Civil radar station at Poling as their Kommandeur, Hptm Herbert
War through to the carnage on the objectives. While Thorney Island Meisel, and his gunner who Bottom left
Eastern Front one aircraft became was the furthest away, its position perished in their Ju 87B-1 of Stab/ and below
wholly associated with the word on a peninsula in Chichester StG 77 in the English Channel. Stukas of I/StG 76 in the
Stuka – the Junkers Ju 87. With Harbour meant it presented few The British press meanwhile early summer of 1940.
By July, the unit was
its banshee wail, it became the navigational challenges. Ford, to made great capital out of Ju 87B-1 re-designated I/StG 3.
overriding image of the Blitzkrieg the west of Littlehampton, was ‘S2+UN’ of II/StG 77 which fell
and a much-feared weapon. less obvious – but it was less than to the guns of a 602 Squadron
With surprise on the side of the 3 miles (4.8km) from the coast Spitfire. It crash-landed almost
Stukagruppen, and opposition and close to the meandering River intact on the Ham Manor Golf
forces generally in disarray, the Arun. The radar station’s tall towers Course at Littlehampton.
Ju 87’s relatively slow speed and were prominent behind the town As the headquarters of StG 77
poor defensive armament was of Littlehampton – there was no began to take in the day’s events,
not a disadvantage. But using it mistaking it. it became clear that 14 Stukas had
to confront the organised, well Stukas of I and II/StG 77 failed to return and another four
disciplined and – thanks to radar attacked the two airfields, causing were badly damaged. The force was
– pre-warned RAF was a different significant damage, but thankfully withdrawn from the order of battle
matter. Escorting Stukas was not few fatalities. Poling was taken on and prepared for anti-shipping
easy and the provision of fighter by III/StG 77 and again the Stukas strikes and even small-scale night
cover countered the rationale that did what they did best – accurate nuisance raids.
had devised the Sturzkampfbomber. positioning of bombs – and two of The havoc that the Stukas had
the towers were crippled. wreaked on the south coast was
OVERWHELMED It was 14:30 and the dive- repairable – a distraction and a
It was only a matter of time before bombers were pulling out and nuisance, but nothing cataclysmic.
the Luftwaffe high command regrouping, ready to return to base, The loss of men and machines
appreciated that what had been a when Hurricanes of 43 and 601 suffered by the Luftwaffe, however,
highly efficient strike weapon had Squadrons and Spitfires of 152 would take months to remedy.
become a liability. The moment and 602 Squadrons arrived. They Germany had invested heavily in its
came in the mid-afternoon of pounced on III/StG 77 and were Ju 87 force: a new use awaited the
Sunday, August 18, 1940. in a position to go after the Stukas Sturzkampfbomber: on the Russian
A fleet of some 60 Ju 87s of StG that had hit Thorney Island and Steppes.
THE THREE
Musketeers THREE PILOTS PAUSE
FOR A PHOTO ALONGSIDE A Bf 109. FROM THIS, CHRIS GOSS
UNCOVERED THE BACKGROUND AND FATES OF
THREE LUFTWAFFE WARRIORS
56 Luftwaffe Eagles
Es T
here must have been Staffel Kapitän, Hptm Hans-Karl approached his 100th operational Below
countless impromptu Mayer who, by August 1940, flight, apprehension was starting The ‘three musketeers’ –
wartime photographs had shot down nine British and to show: “There was no talk Werner Karl, Willi Ghesla
and Heinrich Höhnisch.
taken of aircrew, ground crew or a French aircraft. His tenth ‘kill’ was about fear or being killed or taken
combination of both with ‘their’ witnessed by Werner Karl on the prisoner. At least, nobody admitted
aircraft as the backdrop. Every 12th. if he was scared. All around
image has a tale to tell. us [were] heroes, both in the
A photo of three Luftwaffe airmen IRON CROSS newspapers and on the radio.
leaning against a Messerschmitt By August 22, 1940 Karl had flown “I think everybody thought that
Bf 109 during the Battle of Britain sufficient missions to have been he was the only one who was afraid.
prompted research into the stories awarded the Iron Cross Second For example, our briefings were
of the trio. The fates of Werner Class. He had claimed two RAF always held outside in the open air.
Karl, Willi Ghesla and Heinrich aircraft but a lack of witnesses Immediately after it finished and
Höhnisch were fairly typical of the meant he was never given official before we went to our planes, we
conflict. confirmation. all ran to the latrines and sat on
Uffz Werner Karl joined 1/JG In preparation for the offensive the toilet. At first we thought it
53 in May 1940 as a replacement on London, the Staffel moved from was sabotage but in fact it was
pilot during the early days of the Rennes in Brittany to Le Touquet fear.”
Battle of France. He did not see south of the Pas de Calais At 07:40 on September 2,
any real action until the start of the and, as Karl the first German aircraft
Battle of Britain, invariably flying crossed the Kent coast and
as Rottenflieger headed towards Biggin
(wingman) to the Hill, Eastchurch,
North Weald and
Rochford. They were
almost immediately
engaged by the first
of six RAF fighter
squadrons.
58 Luftwaffe Eagles
anything because of the fog and Simultaneously, we opened fire, area, which fits in well with Hythe
dust until after we had taken off – but unfortunately I received a where Uffz Karl crash-landed.
as forecast, we went through the concentrated burst into the back “I remember that it did crash-land
thick fog into the most wonderful of the fuselage which destroyed my near a Do 17 at Newchurch. Later
sunshine. At once we formed up. radio. that day on my second sortie, I
I was the wingman to my highly- “My Staffel did not see all of this again destroyed another ’109 and
decorated Staffel Kapitän, Hptm and flew on. During the dogfight also claimed a Do 215 damaged.
Hans-Karl Mayer, in the first with the enemy fighters I was My third trip of the day yielded
Schwarm. outnumbered and without hope, nothing. This is the only time I
“When we reached the middle of and I received many hits in the have ever had news on one of my
the Channel, Mayer had to turn cockpit. One of these caused a ex-opponents!” (This was Lacey’s
back due to engine trouble and superficial wound at the back of my 12th of 28 confirmed victories.)
Oblt Ohly took command. So then head and I lost a lot of blood. Karl continued: “On instinct,
positions changed and I had to fly “I tried to shake off my I rolled over my right wing and
at the rear of the formation with opponents... by going into a power dived again. I went down and tried
Left
Unidentified pilot in a Bf
109E-4 of I/JG 53.
“We could still not see anything because of the fog and dust until
after we had taken off – as forecast, we went through the thick fog
into the most wonderful sunshine.”
another comrade and had to protect dive. At first I thought I had to get rid of my pursuer by hedge-
the Staffel against attacks from been successful. I could not see hopping so it would not be possible
behind. any pursuer so I made a kind of for him to shoot at me. However,
“Our mission was a Freie Jagd inventory of my plane. It looked he was too clever. He flew about
[fighter sweep] between 4,000 quite bad so I headed for home. 200m higher and behind me so
and 5,000m as a cover for our However, a quick look into my he could get more hits when the
bombers which were attacking a rear view mirror showed there was situation was suitable.
target north of London. We reached an enemy fighter behind me in an “Apprehensive, I noticed that
the southern outskirts of London ideal shooting position.” white and black smoke was coming
without enemy contact but then, out of my plane which meant hits
after we turned east, I heard the VICTORY NO.12 in the engine and cooling system.
warning over the radio that enemy It is thought that Karl was initially There was a very strong smell of
fighters were attacking from the damaged by Alec Trueman and, petrol in my bullet-riddled cockpit
west. if he thought he was lucky to get – a fuel line had been hit. Now
“Because I did not want to away, his next assailant – Sgt James there was the danger of explosion
be caught by surprise from ‘Ginger’ Lacey of 501 Squadron – the next time my cockpit was hit
behind, I flew a turn to the left was not as obliging. In later years, and my first thought was to bale
and so there was some distance Lacey commented: “According out, but that was absurd as I was
between my Staffel and me. Just to my logbook, I had taken off at too low.
as I was turning, I saw three 07:30 hours and claimed an Me “I looked back to my pursuer
Spitfires rushing down on me. 109 destroyed in the Dungeness but could not see him, but to
Flying over England, he shot down 110 Gruppe. I hit a Spitfire between
two Hurricanes on the evening of the fuselage and the wing with two
August 13 but almost became a 20mm shells.
victim himself: “We had an escort “I was then hit in my right wing by
mission for some Ju 88s near a Hurricane which came up behind
Portsmouth. I shared the me. I escaped by rolling and diving.
shooting down of three The Hurricane followed to sea-level
Hurricanes flying but turned away when I climbed for
in line. After that home.”
we had a dogfight Since then, Höhnisch had not
above a circling Bf increased his personal tally of ‘kills’
60 Luftwaffe Eagles
with severe burns to my face and was not assigned to what would
bullet wounds to my right calf. I become my last flight. However,
stayed in hospital in Woolwich for as the mission was only escorting
two months.” Bf 110s as far as Dover, because of
low cloud, I agreed to fly with my
THEN THERE WAS ONE Staffel.
That left just one of the trio, “Near Dover, the cloud was higher
something not lost on 25-year-old and our Staffel Kapitän ordered
Mayer’s Bf 109.
Uffz Willi Ghesla (pronounced us to fly on to London at 7,000
Gazler). Transferring to 1 Staffel to 8,000m altitude. A comrade
from 2 Staffel in June 1940, he and I flew as cover for the rest of
did not score any victories in the the Staffel just under the clouds.
Battle of France but was awarded Suddenly, British fighters appeared
the Iron Cross Second Class on out of the clouds and before being
May 18. His first ‘kill’ was believed able to turn away I received hits in
to be on August 30, with another the engine and oil cooler. I dived
the following day and a third on down to 4,000m, got my plane
September 7. under control again and tried to
On what became known as Battle make for Calais by gliding.
of Britain Day, September 15, “But now I was fired at again and
Ghesla chalked up two ‘kills’. But I lost consciousness for a short time.
the achievement was tempered by When I had a clear head again, I
his friend Fw Herbert Tzschoppem found myself near the ground and
being shot down and taken prisoner. immediately looked for somewhere
Ghesla recalled his mission of to land. I did not have a choice and I
October 5: “The night before this landed under difficult circumstances
flight I was on guard duty and so in a meadow.
62 Luftwaffe Eagles
“The night before this flight I was on guard duty and so was not
assigned to what would become my last flight. However, as the
mission was only escorting Bf 110s as far as Dover, because of low
cloud, I agreed to fly with my Staffel.”
“During this crash-landing – and with 303 (Polish) Squadron and 229 behind me and shot me down.” Above left
because I had opened my seat belts Squadron vectored onto a bomber It’s possible that Molson was shot Willi Ghesla on his Bf 109.
instead of my parachute release – I raid coming over the coast towards down by Zeis, who was then shot Note the gutted hangar
behind.
hit my head on the Revi gunsight Canterbury. down by Fg Off Paul Pitcher, also
and got concussion. I quickly left “When I returned to altitude, as so from 1 Squadron RCAF. Above
my plane and walked to a nearby often happened everybody seemed The ‘three musketeers’ were luckier Lt Alfred Zeis, shot down
farmhouse where I was captured a to be a long way off and I was alone, than many other German aircrew same day as Willi Ghesla.
few minutes later.” but a few miles ahead was a terrific shot down in the Battle of Britain
Below left
dogfight. Heading to join, I saw a in that all three survived. Between Prisoners of War in
JOINING THE PARTY pair of Me 109s well above the party, August 25 and October 5, 1940, Canada. Willi Ghesla is on
It would seem Ghesla had been cruising around looking for a victim 1/JG 53 lost nine Messerschmitt the back row, second from
bounced by Hurricanes of 1 and I was conceited enough to think 109s with seven pilots being taken right. Heinrich Höhnisch
Squadron RCAF and it’s possible I might score on them. prisoner, one killed and one slightly is sitting third from left.
that two pilots from this unit were “At full bore I tried to get closer wounded. Werner Karl is sitting far
right.
responsible for the two 1/JG 53 to the rear one and opened fire The trio met up again as prisoners
losses that day: Willi Ghesla and his too far away; he half-rolled out of of war and the author was fortunate
Rotten Führer, Lt Alfred Zeis. sight and I thought perhaps I had to put them back in contact with
Fg Off Hartland Molson recalled: damaged him. I tried to close on each other again in the early 1990s.
“On our way south from Northolt the leader of the pair. I neglected Sadly, they are no longer with us,
we were jumped by some Me 109s. to keep my eye on the first one Werner Karl being the last to pass
I believe we were flying as a wing who, of course, simply came up away, in December 2013.
Above
A Heinkel He 111 of KG 26 (identified by the lion badge on the nose) after having
taxied into a car at its Norwegian base. Damage appears slight, but the car and
trailer were very much the worse for wear!
Right
Believed to be a Bf 109E-4 of I (Jagd)/LG 2, this machine came down on the
beach at Cap Gris Nez. It was not recovered in time and the sea ensured its total
demise. Date of the incident was either August 31, 1940 or September 23, 1940.
Below
On August 30, 1940, Bf 110C-4 3583 ‘U8+AL’ of 1/ZG 26 was damaged in combat
over the UK and force-landed on the beach at Cap Gris Nez. The crew were not
injured so were not identified. The wreck was assessed at 100%, which looking
at the condition may come as a surprise, but salt water ingestion might have
accounted for the pessimistic rating.
64 Luftwaffe Eagles
MADE IT!
CHRIS GOSS REVEALS THAT MANY LUFTWAFFE AIRCRAFT THAT MANAGED TO RETURN TO THE
CONTINENT WERE WRECKED IN FORCE LANDINGS, OFTEN NEVER TO RETURN TO THE FIGHT
W
e are all used to was 100% – a total loss. Less than be cannibalised to varying degrees: Above
seeing photographs of 10% was assessed as minor gunfire 60% and above. The coding ‘9K+AT’
German aircraft having damage which could be repaired The Luftwaffe kept very detailed identifies this Ju 88
as 5042 of 9/KG 51.
been shot down on British soil, but by the unit. Local damage which loss reports but up to the middle of
Damaged in an attack on
many more made it back across required component replacement August 1940, rarely recorded full Portsmouth on August
to Channel to crash-land on the was in the range of 10-24%. crew lists (only the officers) and 12, 1940, it returned to
Continent. The Luftwaffe used a Damage requiring engine or aircraft details. From mid-August crash-land near Le Havre
percentage system to assess losses system replacement: 40-45%. onwards, codes, units, crews and where it was assessed as
and damage. Severe damage requiring major werk nummer (serial numbers) 10%. The pilot, Lt Kurt
Capesius, and his crew
Any aircraft that went down in component replacement: 45-60%. were noted, which helps make
were uninjured.
the sea, or over enemy territory Total write-off but aircraft could identification easier.
One of the most intense days of the Battle of Britain was August 18, 1940. Do 17Z-3
‘F1+CT’ of 9/KG 76 was involved in the attack on Kenley and badly damaged in
the target area. Fw Reichel brought it down near Abbeville with a wounded crew
member. The aircraft was assessed at 60%.
Above Left
A brand new Ju 88A of Taking off from Grandvilliers on July 6, 1940, Uffz
II/LG 1 appearing to have Hermann Marquardt of 1/JG 3 suffered a problem.
developed double engine Bf 109E-1 4051 crashed, killing him and a member of
failure. ground crew. The hulk was assessed as 90%.
66 Luftwaffe Eagles
SUBSCRIBE
AND SAVE LUFTWAFFE EAGLES SPECIAL 2015
www.flypast.com
Britain at War is dedicated to exploring every Aeroplane traces its lineage back to the weekly
aspect of Britain’s involvement in conflicts from The Aeroplane launched in June 1911, and is still
the turn of the 20th century through to modern continuing to provide the best aviation coverage
day. From World War I to the Falklands, World around. With a distinct emphasis on military
War II to Iraq, readers are able to re-live decisive aircraft from the 1930s to the 1960s, the magazine
moments in Britain’s history through fascinating features such icons as the Spitfire, Hurricane,
insight combined with rare and previously unseen Lancaster and many more.
photography.
www.britainatwar.com www.aeroplanemonthly.com
365/15
RICHTOFEN
CHRIS GOSS PROFILES THE FORTUNES OF BATTLE OF
BRITAIN PILOTS OF THE ELITE JG 2 – THE
RICHTHOFENGESCHWADER
Kameraden
A
Above capital ‘R’ in script on a
Rudi Miese with a unit white shield painted near
mascot. the cockpit adorned the
Left
Messerschmitt Bf 109s of JG 2. This
Left to right: (unknown), potent symbol set the unit apart
Siegfried Schnell, Hans from the other Luftwaffe fighter
‘Assi’ Hahn and Geschwaderen and it was known
Rudi Miese. as the Richthofengeschwader,
honouring the famous ‘Red Baron’
of the Great War.
Rudi Miese joined 4/JG 2,
commanded by the enigmatic Hptm
70 Luftwaffe Eagles
N
n
72 Luftwaffe Eagles
3. The following day he received himself. The combat saw him run posthumous award of the Victoria Clockwise
the Iron Cross second class. out of fuel and he was badly injured Cross to Wg Cdr Hugh Malcolm). from top left
After being in hospital from in the resulting crash-landing. Meimberg added three Spitfires the Lorenz Dessoy, Rudi’s
Rottenführer on his last
September 26 to October 2, he He spent periods in hospital until day after and another the day after flight.
managed to bag a Spitfire and two the start of April 1942, during that.
Hurricanes during the last weeks of which time he was promoted to On December 17 he returned to
the Battle of Britain. In November Oberleutnant and awarded the Germany to get married. Returning Left to right: Stfw Franz
Willinger, Lt Oskar Ziesig
his tally increased with another Ehrenpokal (honour goblet). after Christmas he downed his and Fw Walter Ebert.
Hurricane and Spitfire. When Meimberg rejoined 3/ first American aircraft, a P-38
Meimberg shot down his first JG 2 the unit was flying Fw 190s. Lightning, at high altitude over
The Bf 109 flown by
bomber on November 29, a In three months he downed five Tunis, on January 31, 1943. The
Helmut Wick, Kommodore
Blenheim IV. Tasked with searching Spitfires, taking his total to 21 kills. aircraft was from the 3rd Photo of JG 2. Note the ‘R’ in
for his Geschwader Kommodore, The last of these was probably that Reconnaissance Group and flown a shield.
Major Helmut Wick, who had of Flt Lt Henry Bowman DFC of by 2nd Lt Robert Young who baled
been shot down the day before, 129 Squadron, on July 28, 1942. out and was captured. Sgt John Glendinning of
Meimberg and another pilot were Following the death in action of The day after, Meimberg shot 74 Squadron.
searching at very low level in bad Oblt Rudi Pflanz on July 31, 1942, down a B-17 Flying Fortress, only
weather when they stumbled Meimberg was posted to command to fall victim to its rear gunner.
across the 59 Squadron Blenheim 11/JG 2, the so-called Höhenstaffel With his Bf 109G-4/Trop on fire,
flown by Fg Off Arthur Hovenier. (high-altitude Staffel), flying the he baled out, suffering burns to his
The combat was short and sharp Bf 109G-1. On August 20 he shot hands and face. While in hospital,
and all three crew, Hovenier and down a Spitfire of 91 Squadron, his victim from the day before,
Sgts James Scotchmere and Lewis flown by Plt Off Edwyn Tonge, and Robert Young, tried to visit him but
Magee, were killed. another on September 5. He was the German was in such pain he
awarded the German Cross in Gold refused, something he regretted for
DAYLIGHT BOMBERS on October 29, 1942. the rest of his life.
At the end of March 1941, Hospitalised until the end of
Meimberg was posted to the TAKING ON AMERICANS August 1943, Meimberg was
Ergänzungsgruppe (training Everything changed on November then posted to Stab/JG 53.
section) of JG 2, returning to front 4, 1942 when 11/JG 2 was Because of his burns, he did not
line duties but with 3/JG 2 on April deployed to North Africa. En route, fly operationally until November
15. His first victory of 1941 was a Meimberg had to force-land his Bf and, despite shooting down a
Spitfire on July 3, by which time 109G-1 at Mannheim, the aircraft P-51 Mustang on December 9,
he was 3/JG 2’s Staffel Kapitän. suffering 25% damage. 1943, was readmitted to hospital
Another Spitfire fell to his guns on Once established, 11/JG 2 became on January 31, 1944 for further
July 17. Stabstaffel (headquarters flight) II/ attention to his hands.
During a daylight attack on JG 53 and Meimberg was quick
Brest by Bomber Command on to make his mark, shooting down UNARMED, UNESCORTED
July 24, Meimberg shot down three Bristol Bisleys – more often Jule Meimberg was finally
two Hampdens and a Wellington referred to as Blenheim Vs – on discharged from hospital on
but not without serious harm to December 4 (the combat led to a April 14, 1944, assuming
74 Luftwaffe Eagles
Above left
A claim on September 24, 1944 to be unarmed. We’re very close “It picks up so much speed in the Willi Morzinek with a
may have looked like a typing error now and suddenly I’m electrified. I dive that its structural limits are member of his ground
in his records – a C-47. But post- recognise blue-white-red cockades exceeded when the enemy pilot crew on the cowling of his
war research confirmed this was on the fuselage and wings. An tries to pull out. One of the wings new Fw 190.
Dakota KG653 of 1 Ferry Unit Englander! Is he crazy, flying on a rips away from the fuselage with
Above
which got lost transporting 17 sunny day through the middle of a jerk and tumbles to earth like a Personnel of 4/JG 2 in
Canadian ground crew to Sardinia Germany – with no escort? leaf while the rest plunges down, late 1940. Back row, left
and ultimately India. “I push the throttle forward as I with no parachutes blossoming. to right: Georg Bock
Its pilot, Flt Lt Ralph Korer, want to try to force him to follow We follow the steep spiral until (killed June 23, 1941),
refused to land and what happened me. However, at that moment he the aircraft strikes the ground. I do Jule Meimberg, Heinz
next saddened Meimberg, as he must have seen us, as he curves not feel at all like myself. I give the Bolze (killed June 24,
1941) and Willi Morzinek.
recorded in his memoirs: “There, towards the wall of clouds and is order to return.” Front, left to right: Gefr
in front of a blinding white wall clearly attempting to escape us. A month later Jule Meimberg was Plenkers, Lorenz Dessoy,
of cloud, a tiny dot, a little higher “Now I’m sitting behind him and awarded the Ritterkreuz – but the Helmut Schönemann
than us on a parallel course. A twin- fire a short burst at the starboard deaths of 20 aircrew and passengers (killed July 24, 1941) and
motor aircraft... strange... the wings motor. I don’t want to shoot him in his 41st kill sickened this fighter Gefr Jäschken (not with
look like those of a Focke-Wulf Fw down and therefore use just the two pilot, who had been in almost 4/JG 2).
58 but [that] is smaller. machine-guns, and not the cannon constant action since just before Below
“We swing in towards it. It’s a of my Me 109. The aircraft climbs Christmas 1939. He had seen more Jule Meimberg on his Bf
type of aircraft which I’ve never steeply, rolls on its back and pulls than his fair share of death and 109. He made his fifth kill
seen before. The machine appears into a dive. sorrow. on September 6, 1940.
76 Luftwaffe Eagles
TWICE
Dead
DURING 1940 THE MEN AND MACHINES OF 82 SQUADRON
WERE DECIMATED TWICE IN THE FACE OF FIERCE OPPOSITION. GRAHAM PITCHFORK TELLS
THE STORY OF THE UNIT THAT REFUSED TO DIE
A
s the German blitzkrieg When the scale of the massive Cdr Basil Embry, took off at 08:10. Left
raced through the Low German offensive became clear on (More about Embry in On the Run Blenheim IVs en route
Countries and into May 11, the Blenheim IV units of on page 46.) They ran into intense to a target. KEC
France on May 10, 1940 it was 2 Group were placed on readiness. flak before enemy fighters arrived. Below
immediately apparent that the During the day, the crews of 21 and Four of the Blenheims failed to A Blenheim IV of 82
light bombers of the Advanced Air 110 Squadrons attacked bridges and return. Squadron at Watton.
Striking Force were easy prey to the armoured columns. Next it was the turn of 15
Luftwaffe’s fighters and anti-aircraft On the 12th there was an urgent Squadron and its losses were even
batteries. By the end of the first requirement to destroy the bridges greater with six of the 12 crews lost.
day of operations, 13 Fairey Battles over the canal and the river at No.110 Squadron got through to
had been lost and the pattern of Maastricht, and Blenheims were the bridges and registered a hit, but
crippling losses over the next few tasked for this. Twelve crews of 107 only superficial damage was caused.
days had been established. Squadron, led by their CO Wg Two crews were lost.
Right
The Earl of Bandon
(second from left) with
some of his crews.
Only Sqn Ldr P Sutcliffe
(left) survived the May
massacre of 82 Squadron.
NORMAN FRANKS
Below
Blenheim IVs of 82
Squadron lined up at
Watton.
In the meantime, a valiant effort but they were back in action the attack enemy troop concentrations
by Battles of 12 Squadron, which following day. During the afternoon, at Montherme. With the benefit of a
led to the award of the first air VCs 17 set off from Wattisham headed fighter escort, all returned safely.
of World War Two, ended in tragic for France, this time with a fighter The next operation by 82 proved
failure. escort. They were followed later by to be very different. It was still dark
At Watton in Norfolk, 82 21 Squadron. Losses continued and on the morning of May 17 when
Squadron had been on standby all by the end of the day, five Blenheims 12 crews assembled in the briefing
day; finally taking off at 19:30 to had been shot down, two had to room at Watton. German panzer
hit the approaches to the bridges. force land and at least five were forces had made great advances
Unlike earlier raids, all the crews damaged. overnight and orders came through
returned to their base at Watton. No.82 Squadron was next in to take off for a dawn raid in an
action during the afternoon of the attempt to stop further thrusts into
FIERCE BARRAGE 15th. Led by its CO, Wg Cdr the France.
There was some respite for the Earl of Bandon, 12
2 Group Blenheims on May 13 aircraft took off to
78 Luftwaffe Eagles
FALL OF FRANCE
The evacuation from Dunkirk did
K AT T E G AT not spell the end of ‘ops’ for the
c k Blenheims and 82 was out in force
d Tra with other squadrons attacking the
de
en German advance deeper into France.
Int
On June 5, in addition to hitting
targets in France, Blenheims began
to take on longer range sorties into
Holland and Germany and the Air
k Sǿndervig
l Tra
c Office Commanding of 2 Group
tua announced that raids would be
Ac
DENMARK made “only when cloud cover gives
adequate security”.
NORTH However, the greatest air effort
SEA was still directed against targets
in France. No.82 attacked troop
concentrations near Abbeville on
June 8. The following day the
unit teamed up with the Wyton
Blenheims to bomb roads and
railways. This was in an attempt
to slow down the German advance
before the final evacuation of the
BEF from Le Havre and St Valery.
On June 12, the withdrawal of the
remaining British forces from Le
Havre was complete and the only
GERMANY remaining units were south of the
River Seine. There was no indication
that French forces would contain the
B A LT I C S E A advancing Germans and a major air
effort to support the ground forces
was mounted on the 13th.
Blenheims attacked the road
system and motor transports.
During the afternoon, 82 launched
nine aircraft, led by Flt Lt L V E
Atkinson, to bomb river crossings
and approaches to the Seine. Three
Blenheims were shot down with the
SKAGERRAK loss of three aircrew with two others
captured.
SWEDEN
With the fall of France on the
14th, ops by 2 Group’s Blenheims
Aalborg
almost ceased. No.82 Squadron flew
the last raid by Blenheims on the
K A T18th
T E G Awhen
T Philip Sutcliffe, who had
k
rac
e dT recently been awarded the DFC, led
nd
Int
e six aircraft against armoured vehicles
on the roads south of Cherbourg.
On June 22 the French accepted
Tra
ck Sǿndervig the armistice terms – the Battle
al
Ac
tu of France was over. The Blenheim
DENMARK
squadrons had suffered heavy losses,
NORTH none more so than 82.
SEA
80 Luftwaffe Eagles
GERMANY
attention to the enemy-occupied much cloud thwarted it. Six days turn back in accordance with the Clockwise
airfields and industrial and power later, on the 13th, the squadron was ‘cloud cover’ policy but he pressed from top left
plants. This included a successful tasked with a repeat of this tactic. on and the formation followed. The location of Aalborg,
a vital staging post for
surprise attack against Abbeville The target was Aalborg airfield The 11 Blenheims faced a much transports flying to
airfield. in northern Denmark, which longer track over the mainland of Norway and for bombers
During June, the Earl of Bandon was a strategic base for Luftwaffe Denmark. raiding Britain. The
became the station commander transports en route to Norway, and planned track of the 82
at Watton and 38-year-old Wg where bombers were massed to raid NO ESCAPE Squadron raid and the
Cdr Edward Collis de Virac Lart Britain. Below, the personnel of Flafwache actual show how much
more enemy-occupied,
replaced him. A few days later, it In good weather, 12 Blenheims 8 at Søndervig had detected them. and heavily defended
was announced that the Earl had took off from Watton at 08:45 and The Luftwaffe’s air defence system territory the Blenheims
been awarded the DSO for his, formed up into two sections. The was alerted and eight Bf 109Es of 5/ had to cross.
‘gallantry and devotion to duty’. squadron commander, Lart, led ‘A’ JG 77, led by Oblt Erich Friedrich, PETE WEST © 2015
On the 3rd, Operation Instruction Flight followed by the six of Sqn took off from Rordal a few miles
No.38 was issued extending the Ldr ‘Rusty’ Wardell’s ‘B’ Flight. east of Aalborg. The flak batteries Blenheim R3800 shot
down by flak into the
campaign to concentrated attacks The bombers climbed to height of 15/Lg-Nachr-Regiment 11 on waters off Aalborg.
against captured airfields in the and headed on a direct track for the the airfield came to immediate
Low Countries and France. Some Danish coast due west of Aalborg. readiness.
One of R 3800’s crew is
squadrons raided airfields in There was good cloud cover and Lart and his section managed
helped ashore by German
Norway but 82 targeted airfields in their approach was undetected until to penetrate the anti-aircraft fire, soldiers.
northern Holland and France. they reached the coast. some dropping their bombs before
On July 28, Lart led a daring low- The leader’s aircraft had steered turning northwest to escape. As
level attack against Leeuwarden a few degrees south and the radio they departed to the north, the
airfield in northern Holland. His silence prevented the rest of the German fighters immediately set on
gunner, Sgt A S Beeby, shot down a formation alerting him. As they them and over the next few minutes
Bf 109E of II/JG 27, an action that neared Denmark, one Blenheim all six were shot down.
resulted in him being awarded the had to turn back with fuel Plt Off B Newland and his crew
DFM. problems. were the first to go, only Newland
The formation coasted in at surviving. Next was the flight
STRATEGIC TARGET Søndervig, around 30 miles (48km) commander and Old Cranwellian,
Twelve crews of 82 made an south of the intended turning Sqn Ldr Norman Jones whose
attempt to bomb Hamstede from point. The cloud also disappeared gunner, Sgt John Bristow, was the
20,000ft on August 7, but too and the crews expected Lart to only survivor. Almost at the
Below same time, Flt Lt Ron Ellen was shot of the formation was played out in Within minutes, Plt Off E R Hale
Lt Col Friedrich saluting down. He and his gunner escaped by front of those on the air base and and his crew were killed and ‘Rusty’
the successful pilots of parachute. the eyewitnesses in the surrounding Wardell was shot down. He was the
5/JG 77.
Heading west, Plt O C W Wigley town. only survivor from his aircraft.
and his crew perished. Moments Flt Lt T E Symes and his crew The survivors, some badly
later, Wg Cdr Lart and his crew were the first to fall. Symes and his injured, were cared for the
died. Last of ‘A’ Flight was Sgt John observer, Sgt K Wright, managed German authorities and the local
Oates who had managed to fly to bale out and they came down in Danish people. Only 13 of the 33
further west but his aircraft had been the sea just south of the island of men who set off on the ill-fated
severely damaged and, at 12:30, he Egholm, near the town of Aalborg. operation survived to become
was forced to crash land near Vust. German soldiers waded into the sea prisoners. For the second time in
Oates and his observer were badly to bring the two men ashore. three months, 82 Squadron had
injured but his gunner escaped Plt Off Parfitt’s aircraft was hit been decimated.
unscathed. He remained with the and only one parachute was seen The pilots of 5/JG 77 had shot
wreck burning papers until the to stream but it caught up on the down six of the Blenheims. Uffz
German authorities arrived at the airframe. Sgt Youngs, the observer, Robert Menge accounting for three
scene. died with his colleagues. of them.
Sgt Blair’s Blenheim was hit and Early on the morning of August
MASSACRE an engine caught fire. He managed 16, the 20 who had lost their lives
Following behind the first section to ditch and his aircraft was very were buried at Vadum Cemetery
were the five Blenheims of ‘Rusty’ badly damaged in the impact. It was with full military honours.
Wardell’s ‘B’ Flight. The flak gunners a miracle that anyone could survive Although they were the enemy, the
had found their range and put up a but all three men, albeit severely Germans recognised the gallantry
fierce barrage. In broad daylight and injured, were brought ashore by and sacrifice of the Blenheim crews
perfect summer weather, the massacre Danish villagers. and paid them the ultimate respect.
82 Luftwaffe Eagles
SEEKING VENGEANCE?
Why Lart decided to press on will
never be known. At 38 he was of the
old school having joined the RAF in
1923 after completing his education
at Cambridge University. He had
served with distinction on India’s
North West Frontier where he was
mentioned-in-despatches. At this
early stage of the war, the majority
of squadron commanders rarely flew
on operations – Lart was one of the
few exceptions.
Left
Five days before the attack on Military honours at
Aalborg, Lart had learnt that his Vadum Cemetery on
brother, a captain in the Royal Army August 16, 1940.
Left
A propeller salvaged
from R3800 as a
memorial at Watton to
the fallen aircrew.
ALL IMAGES VIA AUTHOR
TOKEN
DANIEL FORD OUTLINES ITALY’S BRIEF PART IN THE BATTLE OF
BRITAIN AND THE PEDIGREE OF HENDON’S FIAT
Effort
I
Above n the second week of September
With RAF roundels and 1940, a force of Fiat CR.42
serial number, the Falco Falco biplane fighters and twin-
was briefly assessed
by British pilots.
engined BR.20 Cicogna bombers
PETER GREEN COLLECTION was formed up as a blatant piece of
opportunism. Despatched by Italian
Right leader Benito Mussolini to airfields
The Fiat is on show in the in Belgium, they were to allow
Battle of Britain Hall at
Italy to play its part in the Battle
the RAF Museum, Hendon.
of Britain. Determined to prove
Far right that he was an equal partner in the
Fiat CR.42 MM5701 on its Rome-Berlin Axis, Mussolini was
nose, under guard, on sending a token force when it looked
the beach at Orfordness, as though the battle had gone the
November 1940. KEC
Luftwaffe’s way.
German commanders were
outraged at the gesture; while Hitler
felt it underlined that the founder “Determined to prove that he was an
of Fascism had been reduced to a
very junior role. Fighter Command
equal partner in the Rome-Berlin Axis,
knew that statistically ‘Il Duce’ had Mussolini was sending a token force when
missed the boat; when planning
the deployment, things must have it looked as though the battle had gone the
looked favourable, but the tables had Luftwaffe’s way.”
84 Luftwaffe Eagles
turned. Hurricane and Spitfire pilots up on its nose. As Salvadori started the New Year with
found the oddly-marked, poorly- life as a prisoner of war; MM5701 instructions that
performing machines, easy pickings. was being dismantled and taken to it be crated and
Mussolini’s expeditionary force nearby Martlesham Heath. stored. It was at
was the Corpo Aereo Italiano With Hurricanes shepherding, 49 Maintenance
(CAI) and CR.42 MM5701 of the repaired Falco was flown to Unit, Colerne,
the 18º Gruppo, 56º Stormo, 95ª the Royal Aircraft Establishment in 1960 for
Squadriglia settled into Maldegem in at Farnborough, Hampshire, and refurbishing.
Belgium on October 6, 1940. CAI there was painted in RAF markings By 1968 it
fell under the reluctant command of and given the serial BT474. As it was with the
the German Luftflotte 2. was hardly cutting-edge, RAE spent station museum
little time flying the biplane and at St Athan, Wales,
NOSE DOWN on April 28, 1941 it was issued to in the mid-1970s
AND CAPTURED the Air Fighting Development Unit had acquired 95ª
On November 11 a force of around at Duxford, so that tactics could Squadriglia colours;
20 CR.42s was escorting ten BR.20s be developed should CR.42s be moving to the
to raid Harwich, Suffolk. En route, encountered in combat again. RAF Museum
Sergente Pilota Pietro Salvadori’s In December 1942 the Air at Hendon
MM5701 suffered engine problems Historical Branch (AHB) expressed in
and he force-landed it on the beach interest in keeping BT474 for October
at Orfordness; the biplane ending posterity and followed this up in 1978.
TURNING
Point
CHRIS GOSS TELLS THE STORIES OF THREE GERMAN AIRCRAFT SHOT DOWN
DURING THE CRUCIAL AFTERNOON OF SEPTEMBER 15, 1940
G S
unday, September 15, 1940 “A British newspaper wrote when Hurricanes and Spitfires sent to Below left
saw the climax of the Battle our Gruppe flew for the first time intercept them, damage was slight ‘Battle over London’, a
of Britain when the Luftwaffe over Kent: ‘Today flew a group of and as they turned for home their superb depiction by Geoff
Nutkins of Sgt Ray Holmes
launched a massive series of attacks German fighters over Kent and casualties began to rise. of 504 Squadron ramming
against London in the hope of London. Nobody had expected One of the most spectacular and the Do 17 flown by 1/KG
finally defeating the Hurricanes and they were carrying bombs but they well known losses was a Do17 flown 76’s Oblt Robert Zehbe.
Spitfires of RAF Fighter Command. did so. It is not fair to fly like a by Oblt Robert Zehbe of 1/KG 76. COURTESY GEOFF NUTKINS –
The Germans flew more than 1,000 fighter and then drop bombs like a Attacked by swarms of RAF fighters, WWW.AVIARTNUTKINS.COM
sorties that day and, although the bomber.’ it was claimed shot down by at least
Inset: Zehbe’s Do 17
RAF claimed to have shot down “I should say that we didn’t do it six RAF pilots. Sgt Ray Holmes of disintegrating
183, the losses actually numbered because we were unfair; it was just a 504 Squadron rammed the bomber over London.
56 bombers and fighters while many new development as is usual in war!” with his Hurricane. The Dornier CHRIS GOSS COLLECTION
aircraft returned to occupied Europe broke up, most of the wreckage
badly damaged. DESPERATE ACTION falling on Victoria Railway Station.
The first attack of the day came at Twenty minutes after the fighter- The German crew tried to bale out
about 11:00 when fighter-bombers bombers departed, Dornier Do of the disintegrating bomber. Two
of II/LG 2 struck the capital. This 17s of I and II/KG 76 appeared of them, Obgf Ludwig Armbruster
was a relatively new idea for the over London’s suburbs. Their target and Uffz Leo Hammermeister, were
Germans which, as Oblt Viktor was either the docks or the railway captured. Robert Zehbe managed
Krafft of Stab II/LG 2 recalled, was junction at Latchmere End but, to land by parachute. He died
not regarded as fair: owing to the massive number of of his injuries the following day.
Below Uffz Gustav Hubel and Uffz Hans TAKING TO THE SILK about 3,500m and had to fly with
A Bf 109E-4/B with a Goschenhofer were both killed. The escorts also fared badly. Fw our flaps down so that we could stay
250kg bomb in France at Fw Rolf Heitsch of 8/KG 76 was Herbert Tzschoppe of 1/JG 53 had close to the slower bombers.
the end of the Battle of
Britain.
on the right of his formation of already flown in the Battle of France, “During a turn we were attacked
bombers and, after a turn, found his Messerschmitt Bf 109 being by Spitfires which came out of the
himself at the rear – much easier damaged in combat with Hurricanes sun. Müller was hit in the arm and
prey for RAF fighters. “They of 1 Squadron at 15:45 on May 14, broke away and my ’plane was hit
attacked us from behind. Trying to forcing him to crash-land near Sedan. in both wings. I wanted to get back
take evasive action by flying up and Herbert’s first ‘kill’ was not until to France and tried to hide in the
down, they hit us with three bursts the Battle of Britain had well and clouds which were at 1,500m.
with the result that we only had truly started when, on August 25, “When I came out of the clouds I
limited power from the engines. he shot down two Hurricanes off was hit by a second burst, so I threw
“The right engine was totally Portland, Dorset. His third and last off the cabin roof and undid my seat
destroyed and the left one just victory was on September 9 when he belt. I now think the drills I learned
idling. We managed to get between shot down another Hurricane to the in flying training then saved my life.
two clouds and had to force-land east of London. We were often woken up at night
in a field which was occupied by Six days later Tzschoppe’s luck ran and had to say what to do if we were
cows at their midday rest. When out as he recalled: “On September hit: throw off the roof, undo the seat
the plane came to a halt, we could 15, 1940, I, with Uffz Heinrich belts, jump out and pull ripcord.
not get out as the exits had been so Kopperschläger, was one of the last “A third burst hit home – from
badly damaged by gunfire.” of the Staffel to take off. We were to the instrument panel came flames
Credit for shooting Rolf down fly as the lookout pair. We flew at like an oxyacetylene torch
was given to Fg Off John Dundas the back of the escort formation. and my hands and face
and Plt Off Eugene Tobin of 609 “The Staffel Kapitän, Oblt Hans were severely burned.
Squadron (see page 18). KG 76 lost Ohly, had to turn back with radio An explosion
six bombers on this sortie with trouble and the lead was then followed and I
another two badly damaged. given to Obfw Alfred found myself
Twelve aircrew were killed, ten Müller. We were hanging on a
captured and three wounded. flying at parachute.”
88 Luftwaffe Eagles
“It is not fair to fly like a fighter and then drop bombs like a
bomber. I should say that we didn’t do it because we were unfair; it
was just a new development as is usual in war!”
by parachute. The pilot came to Below
Uffz Hans Figge managed to get his crippled Do
17 of 2/KG 76 almost as far as the French city of
earth at the edge of a wood near The crew of Dornier ‘F1+FL’
to where we were standing. He of 3/KG 76 immediately
Poix. With one engine stopped after a fighter before take-off on
attack, he successfully crash-landed and the surrendered to us and unloaded his September 15, 1940. A few
crew clambered out. pistol and handed it to us. hours later, the bomber
“We handed him over to a crashed at Sturry in Kent.
detachment of New Zealand Left to right: Fw Karl
soldiers who quickly appeared on Niebler (pilot – killed); Oblt
the scene – this would have been Karl-Ernst Wilke (observer
– PoW), Fw Karl-Heinz
about two or three miles from Wissmann (gunner –
where the Me 109 crashed at killed), a ground crewman,
Adisham Court [near Canterbury]. Uffz Johann-Friedrich
The victorious Spitfire over flew Schatz (gunner – killed)
us after we had apprehended the and Uffz Hans Zenner
German pilot.” (radio operator – PoW).
“We were flying at about 3,500m and had to fly with our flaps down
so that we could stay close to the slower bombers.”
Above Herbert’s recollections perfectly 1/JG 53 suffered another aircraft India and Surrey Commercial Docks
Fw Herbert Tzschoppe of match John’s account: “Two Spitfires badly damaged in combat which was in east London. The raiders were Do
1/JG 53. circled me at full bank – the first able to crash-land back in France. 17s of II and III/KG 2, and II/KG
Above right
pilot saluted and I did the same. I Of the rest of the Geschwader, 2/ 3, together with Heinkel He 111s
Herbert Tzschoppe as a came down in a mixed forest and I JG 53 lost its Staffel Kapitän, Oblt of I and II/KG 53 and I and II/KG
prisoner of war. got hung up in a tree about 5ft from Rudolf Schmidt, and Uffz Hans 26. Flying in three parallel columns
the ground. I released myself from Schersand (both were killed) while 3 miles (4.8km) apart, 114 bombers
Below the parachute and landed heavily, 3/JG 53 also lost its Staffel Kapitän, approached the docks.
A Bf 109E-4 of 1/JG 53.
hurting my knees. Two youths and, Oblt Julius Haase, and Uffz Karl- Throwing themselves at the
shortly after that, soldiers appeared Heinz Feldmann; Haase was killed bombers and their escorts, RAF
and I was taken prisoner.” and Feldmann captured. fighters engaged in dogfights
Losses for I/JG 53 were heavy that over much of Kent, London, East
afternoon. In addition to Herbert WELCOMING BARRAGE Sussex and Essex. London was
Tzschoppe and Alfred Müller (who The next attack of September 15 spared serious damage as when the
ditched in the sea and was captured), was against the Royal Victoria, West Germans arrived overhead they
90 Luftwaffe Eagles
found their targets obscured by variable amount of cloud and the FATAL MISTAKE Below
cloud. tumult of battle made it difficult to Having bounced a Hurricane, Alfred Müller (second
One of the escorting fighters was tell friend from foe.” August Klik made the fatal mistake from right) was shot
down and captured on
flown by Uffz August Klik of 2/LG German losses were high – KG of following his victim only to
September 15.
2 who recalled the fighter defences: 2 suffered eight Do 17s destroyed have the tables turned, possibly
“Before we reached Tonbridge, and seven damaged with 19 by Fg Off Leonard Haines of 19
heavy AA [anti-aircraft] fire aircrew killed, nine captured and Squadron.
welcomed us and the sky began to ten wounded. KG 3’s toll was six Klik managed to get into cloud
cloud over. Then the sky was full of aircraft destroyed and four damaged and took stock of the situation:
British fighters. with 15 aircrew killed, ten captured “All instruments showed normal
“The first Gruppe of bombers and four wounded. The He 111s readings – only the radiator
was torn apart and disappeared fared no better – seven destroyed, temperature was alarmingly high.
into protective cloud. During the five damaged, 12 aircrew killed, 22 It was getting hot in the cockpit
subsequent air battle, we were captured and six wounded in both and when I tried to put the locking
pushed away to the east and the units. pin of the cockpit hood into its
Above second notch, the canopy suddenly the risk; first option only in an
Uffz Hans Schersand flew off. emergency as a few days earlier we
of 2/JG 53, killed on “The cloud bank had come to an had been warned not to bale out as
September 15.
end and below me was the Thames Polish pilots shot at every parachute
Below Estuary. Because of the combats over the coastal area.
Pilots of JG 53 as around Maidstone and the bombers “The engine was only at 880rpm
prisoners of war in having been pushed away, much fuel so I turned towards dry land and
Canada. The two captured had been used; the red fuel warning made a smooth landing on an island
on September 15, 1940 are lamp began to flicker. in the Thames Estuary. After five
Uffz Karl-Heinz Feldmann
of 3/JG 53 (sitting second
“There were three options to be minutes, Home Guards came and
from right) and Herbert considered: baling out, force-landing took away my sunglasses, watch
Tzschoppe (sitting second or flying out to sea and being fished and pistol. In return for these they
from left). out by a German air-sea rescue offered me a bottle of beer.
aircraft. Third option was not worth “I was then taken to a fort at
92 Luftwaffe Eagles
94 Luftwaffe Eagles
WEINACHTEN
CHRISTMAS DAY HAD AN UNWELCOME OUTCOME FOR A
GERMAN CREW AND AN UNEXPECTED ‘PRESENT’ FOR
THE ROYAL NAVY, AS ANDY THOMAS REVEALS
in Orkney
C
hristmas Eve, or Grumman Martlet, a variant of With damage to both engines, Left
Heiligabend, 1940 was the US Navy F4F Wildcat, taken and his air gunner badly wounded, Martlet Is BJ561,
probably celebrated by over from French contracts. By Schipp realised the long return unidentified and BJ562 of
804 Squadron.
Lt Karl Schipp and his crew Christmas, 804 was operational and flight over the North Sea was R H P CARVER
with a traditional German meal shared responsibility for the defence not possible. He skilfully landed
of fish and potatoes. They were of the great naval base with RAF his crippled aircraft on fields at Inset left
part of 3 (F)/122, a long-range squadrons stationed in the area. Sandwick on the west side of Lt Karl Schipp, his war
reconnaissance unit based at mainland Orkney, to the north of ended on Christmas Day
Schiphol, near Amsterdam, flying BLIP ON A SCREEN Stromness. 1940. ORKNEY LIBRARY
Junkers Ju 88As. RAF radar had been finely honed Two members of the Home Below
Festivities on December 25 would by the Luftwaffe attacks over the Guard, farmer Thomas Harcus and Ju 88A ‘4N+AL’ of 3 (F)122
depend on when Schipp returned previous months, and as Schipp’s his son Leslie, were quickly on the after the crash-landing at
from their duties: the crew was Ju 88 crossed the North Sea it was scene. They arrested the Germans Sandwick. R H P CARVER
tasked to photograph the anchorage detected. As a single aircraft it was before they could set fire to the Ju
of the Royal Navy’s Home Fleet assessed as being on a recce and its 88 and gave aid to the wounded
and at Scapa Flow in the Orkney likely destination identified. gunner. To their undoubted
Islands off the north coast of Eventually the sector controller chagrin, Schipp’s crew ended
Scotland. Schipp, Fw H Schreiber, scrambled fighters to intercept the Weihnachten (Christmas Day) in
Uffz H Sportl and Obgf K Rotter intruder and shortly after 14:00 captivity.
took off in Ju 88A 535 ‘4N+AL’ six Martlets were airborne. ‘Red’ Having watched their victim go
mid-morning and set course for Section comprised Lt R H P Carver down, Carver and Parke returned
their objective, 450 miles (724km) in BJ562, leading Sub Lt Tom cock-a-hoop to Hatston, their
distant. Parke in BJ561 and they closed to seasonal celebrations capped by
Based at Hatston on Orkney attack. Taking it in turn, the pair a moment of aviation history.
was 804 Squadron, Fleet Air Arm, opened fire and hit the tailplane, Not only had they claimed 804
under Lt Cdr B H M Kendall. starboard radiator and an oil pipe Squadron’s first victory but it was
In September 1940 the unit had in the port engine with their 0.50in the beginning of countless ‘kills’ for
begun re-equipping with the Browning machine-guns. the Grumman fighter.
96 Luftwaffe Eagles
CHECK
WARBIRDS THROUGH THE AGES
Six
Recently published by Titan Books is Warbirds - The Aviation
Artwork of Adam Tooby. This features over 200 of Adam’s
Adam Tooby’s ‘Check Six’ provides an ideal way to ‘top stunning images of aircraft in action from World War One
and tail’ our 75th anniversary Battle of Britain special. to the recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of the
Our front cover showed Major Adolf Galland leading
Bf 109Es of Stab/JG 26 over the Channel. Here, ‘Dolfo’ Galland is portrayed on images have been produced exclusively for the book, others
August 15, 1940 when he was Gruppenkommandeur of III/JG 26, based at Caffiers have previously appeared on the covers of Airfix construction
and flying the Bf 109E. Encountering New Zealander Flt Lt ‘Al’ Deere, in a Spitfire I of kit boxes. Step-by-step sections, close-ups showing the
54 Squadron; the fight progressed to low level and the ‘Kiwi’ was eventually forced
incredible accuracy and detail of the art – down to rivets and bolts – as well as historical
to bale out of his badly-damaged aircraft between Folkestone and Dover.
At the time, Deere had shot down 17 enemy aircraft: this dogfight resulted in context are sure to enthral aviation enthusiasts, military historians and artists. For
Galland’s 22nd victory. details of the book and prints of Adam’s work take a look at: www.adamtooby.com
98 Luftwaffe Eagles
GERMANY’S BLITZKRIEGOF
F ROM the invasion of
Poland in September
1939, the men and machines
of the Luftwaffe provided the
spearhead of Hitler’s blitzkrieg
across Europe and then into
the heart of the Soviet Union.
Luftwaffe Eagles is a new 100-page
special magazine packed with first-
hand accounts, features by leading
aviation writers, glorious artwork
and contemporary photos. Brought
to you by the team behind FlyPast,
Britain’s top-selling aviation monthly,
this is a highly collectable tribute to
a formidable air force.
FEATURES INCLUDE:
EMIL AND GUSTAV
Sam Tyler examines the pedigree of a
pair of surviving Messerschmitt Bf 109s.
RICHTHOFEN ACES
Chris Goss analyses an informal gathering
of brothers-in-arms and their destinies.
FELLING GIANTS
The Luftwaffe’s long-ranging Fw 200
Condors were vulnerable as they returned
to their bases. We describe how Allied
ORDER DIRECT
JUST £5.99 FREE P&P*
*Free 2nd class P&P on all UK & BFPO orders. Overseas charges apply. 386/15
Free P&P* when you order online at Call UK: 01780 480404
www.keypublishing.com/shop OR Overseas: +44 1780 480404
Monday to Friday 9am-5:30pm
SUBSCRIBERS CALL FOR YOUR £1.00 DISCOUNT! SUBSCRIBERS CALL FOR YOUR £1.00 DISCOUNT!
Luftwaffe F_P.indd 1 07/04/2015 12:10