Crash of a Heinkel He.111 near Untertilliach: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 1939 at 1345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Bad Wörishofen - Bad Wörishofen
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While cruising in poor weather conditions, the crew decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that crashed on the slope of Mt Mitterkar located near Untertilliach. A crewman was rescued while all three others were killed.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 on the Mt Leoganger: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Bad Wörishofen - Bad Wörishofen
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While flying in marginal weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft impacted the slope of Mt Leoganger located 17 km north-northwest of Zell Am See. All four occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-2 near Staple: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 2, 1939 at 1100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F6+EK
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
5350
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While on a reconnaissance mission over northern France, the airplane was attacked by two RAF Hurricane. The pilot attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crashed in an open field located near Staple. The airplane was damaged beyond repair after a wing struck an electric pylon while the undercarriage collapsed against a hedge. All four crew members were injured but one of them later died from injuries sustained.
Crew:
Fw Wilhelm Schmidt, pilot,
Oblt Wilhelm Ohmsen, observer,
Uffz Wilhelm Jung, radio operator,
Uffz Franz Wezel, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the pilots of two RAF Hurricanes.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-2 near Humbie: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 28, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
1H+JA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Westerland - Westerland
MSN:
449
YOM:
1935
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Westerland-Sylt Airport on a combat mission over Scotland. After passing through the last cloud layer, the airplane was shot down by the pilot of a RAF fighter and crashed near Humbie, about 24 km southeast of Edinburgh. Two crew members were killed and two others were injured.
crew:
Uffz Gottlieb Kowalke, †
Gefr Bruno Reimann, †
Uffz Kurt Lehmkuhl,
Lt Rolf Niehoff.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the pilot of a RAF fighter.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-1 off Saint Abbs: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 22, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F6+DH
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
3156
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While approach the British coast, the airplane was shot down by the pilot of a RAF fighter and crashed into the sea some 27 km off Saint Abbs. Three crew members were rescued while a fourth was killed.
Crew:
Oblt Arndt Fischer,
Uffz Wilhelm Unger,
Oblt G. A. Awater,
Uffz Endorf. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by the pilot of a RAF fighter.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-1 off Sandsend: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1939 at 1600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F6+PK
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
2728
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While approaching the British coast, the twin engine airplane was shot down by the pilot of a RAF Spitfire and crashed into the North Sea some 30 km off Sandsend. Two crew members were rescued and two others were killed.
Crew:
Oblt Joachim Kretschmer, †
Uffz Hugo Sauer, †
Ofw Eugen Lange,
Uffz Bernhard Hochstuhl.
Probable cause:
Shot down by the pilot of a RAF Spitfire.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 on Fanø Island

Date & Time: Oct 8, 1939 at 1705 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
1H+LM
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Lüneburg - Lüneburg
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft departed Lüneburg at 1130LT on an anti submarine patrol flight over the North Sea. While flying along the Danish coast, the left engine failed, followed shortly later by the right engine. The captain decided to reduce his altitude and attempted an emergency landing on Fanø Island. On final, the aircraft collided with telephone wires and tree tops before crashing in a wooded area. All four crew members were slightly injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
M/Sgt Hans Immel, pilot,
Lt Werner Wanderer, wireless operator,
Cpl Kurt Büchner, navigator,
Uffz Anton Brunner, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H in Mieszki-Kuligi: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L1+KN
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane was engaged in the first day of the German invasion of Poland. It was shot down by the Polish Armed Forces and crashed in Mieszki-Kuligi. All four crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111P in Gelnhausen: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 7, 1939 at 1700 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
56+G24
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Gelnhausen Airfield on a local training flight, carrying three crew members and an important load of bombs. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, one of the engine failed. The airplane stalled and crashed in a huge explosion onto a house located Seestrasse 11, about 1,300 metres east of the airport. All three crew members and one people on the ground were killed, and 105 other people were injured.
Probable cause:
Engine failure shortly after takeoff.