Crash of a Heinkel He.111P into the North Sea: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1940 at 1310 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T5+AH
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Juist - Juist
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Juist on a mission over Scotland. While cruising over the North Sea, the airplane was shot down by four RAF Spitfire and crashed into the sea some 110 km east of Aberdeen. Three crew members were killed and the fourth was rescued the following morning.
Crew:
Fw Ernst Breiler, pilot,
Lt Hans-Georg Froese, observer, †
Uffz Ernst Kerch, radio operator, †
Uffz Ewald Ofner, flight engineer. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by four RAF Spitfire.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H3 off Westerland: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 1, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
6889
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Westerland-Sylt Airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the sea. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Oblt Sighard Donner,
Ofw Johann Pietzarka,
Ofw Lothar Grossmann,
Gefr Günter Kleingartner.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111/H3 off Coquet Island: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1940 at 1255 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Schleswig - Schleswig
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a reconnaissance mission on behalf of the 26th Squadron based in Schleswig. While approaching the British coast, the twin engine aircraft was shot down and crashed into the sea off Coquet Island, killing all five occupants.
Crew (26th Squadron):
Hptmn Hans-Joachim Helm,
Uffz Karl Lassnig,
Uffz Heinrich Buchisch,
Ofw Artur Thiele,
Gefr Walter Rixen.
Probable cause:
Shot down by allied fire.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111/H3 off Saint Abb's Head

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1940 at 1230 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
1H+AK
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Schleswig - Schleswig
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While cruising off the British coast on a reconnaissance mission on behalf of the 26th Squadron based in Schleswig, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of an RAF fighter. The crew attempted to make an emergency landing but with both engines on fire, the aircraft lost height and crashed into the sea some 7 miles offshore. All four crew were rescued and became PoW.
Crew (26th Squadron):
Oblt Ernst Heinrich, pilot,
Fw Karl Henrici, radio operator,
Uffz Hermann Jonas, observer,
Uffz Kurt Weinert, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an RAF fighter.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111/H3 off Coquet Island: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Schleswig - Schleswig
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a reconnaissance mission on behalf of the 26th Squadron based in Schleswig. While approaching the British coast, the twin engine aircraft was shot down and crashed some 10 miles off the Coquet Island, killing all five occupants.
Probable cause:
Shot down by allied fire.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111P2 in East Coldingham

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
T5+OH
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1594
YOM:
1936
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While on a reconnaissance flight, the aircraft was attacked by the crew of an RAF fighter. The crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing in a field located in East Coldingham, near Saint Abbs Head. All four crewmen were slightly injured and became PoW.
Crew (1st Reconnaissance Group):
Lt R. E. Grote,
Fw Sprigarth,
Uffz Berger,
Uffz Bachman.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an RAF fighter.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111/P4 off Farne Islands: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 21, 1940 at 1212 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L2+CS
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
2694
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a reconnaissance mission over Carlisle. When approaching the British coast, the aircraft was shot down by an RAF fighter and crashed into the sea some 10 miles off the Farne Islands. All four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an RAF fighter.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H3 in Weimar-Nohra: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff, the airplane went out of control and crashed in an open field, bursting into flames. A crewman was injured while both other occupants were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Kurt Heine, †
Uffz Karl Klein, †
Fw Alfred Füllgrabe.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H2 in Memmingen: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Landsberg – Memmingen
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
On final approach to Memmingen in snow falls, the airplane stalled and crashed two km short of runway. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Fw Joachim Müller, pilot,
Oberfw Bernhard Knobelspiess, observer,
Oberfw Rudolf Klinke, radio operator,
Oberfw Johannes Gönner, air gunner.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H3 off Tynemouth: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 13, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While approaching the Northumberland coast on a reconnaissance mission, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by the pilot of an RAF fighter and crashed into the sea, maybe in the region of Tynemouth (unconfirmed). All four occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by an RAF fighter.