Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in the Hemnfjorden: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
W1044
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Lossiemouth at 1851LT to attack the German battleship Tirpitz moored in the Fættenfjord northeast of Trondheim. Approaching Trondheim from the west, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in the Hemnfjorden off the village of Heim. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Neil Ralph Blunden,
P/O Geoffrey Cyril Day,
Sgt William Benjamin Eastwood,
Sgt Reginald G. A. Richards,
F/Sgt Harold Ralph Franklin,
Sgt Kenneth Coverdale May,
F/Sgt Arthur Reginald Henman.
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.57 Halifax II in the Fættenfjord: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
W1043
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lossiemouth - Lossiemouth
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Lossiemouth at 1846LT to attack the German battleship Tirpitz moored in the Fættenfjord northeast of Trondheim. Approaching the target area, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea. The entire crew was killed.
Crew:
S/L Frederick David Webster, pilot,
Sgt Eric Archibald Hall,
F/Sgt Harold Sydney Wheatley,
F/Sgt Aubrey Charles Stevens-Fox,
Sgt Arnold Hague,
P/O Samuel Robert Leney,
Sgt Walter Hall.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m4ge in Oslo: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 23, 1942 at 0825 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VB+VE
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
6837
YOM:
1940
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Oslo-Fornebu Airport, while climbing, the pilot initiated a sharp turn when he lost control of the airplane that crashed in Høvik, less than 2 km west of the airfield. All six occupants were killed.
Crew:
Uffz Alfred Kratoschwill, pilot,
Lt Gerhard Buchner, observer,
Obfw Heinz Schönbeck, radio operator,
Uffz Gerhard Lehmann, mechanic,
Gefr Arno Baumann, air gunner.
Passenger:
Oblt Gerhard Holdt.
Probable cause:
Pilot error.

Crash of a Blohm & Voss BV 138 off Trondheim: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
K6+AK
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
310053
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew encountered poor weather and limited visibility due to heavy snow falls when the floatplane crashed in the fjords north of Trondheim. Three crew members were killed and two others were rescued.
Those killed were:
Lt Rolf Klein, observer,
Hptm Rudolf Claus, pilot,
Uffz Dietrich Nientiet, mechanic.

Crash of a Junkers W.33hi in Sletthøa

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
BV+CL
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
2839
YOM:
1933
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
For unknown reasons, the crew was forced to make an emergency landing in Sletthøa, some 15 km southeast of Tolga. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all three crew members were injured and later rescued by locals.
Crew:
Mr. Gerber, pilot,
Ober. Seget,
Ober. Wernter.
Source & photos: http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/vingelen.html

Crash of a Focke-Wulf Fw.200C-3/U4 Condor off Trondheim

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1942 at 1753 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
F8+BR
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Trondheim - Trondheim
MSN:
0063
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew departed Trondheim-Værnes Airport at 0809LT on a maritime patrol flight off the east coast of Iceland. Following a uneventful mission of nine hours and 44 minutes, the crew approaching Trondheim Airport when he encountered technical problems with the flaps. The airplane stalled and crashed into the sea few hundred metres from the runway threshold. All six crew members were rescued and the airplane sank and was lost.
Crew (7.Staffel III Gruppe KG 40):
Oblt Werner Thieme, pilot,
Wolfgang Tonn, pilot,
Ofw Leo Ludorf, mechanic,
Karl Kiessling, radio operator,
Ogefr Klaus Kappes, radio operator,
Gefr August Kaufmann, air gunner.
Source and photo:
http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/hommelvik.html
Probable cause:
Flaps malfunction on approach.

Crash of an Avro 679 Manchester IA off Stavanger: 7 killed

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
L7522
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Scampton - Scampton
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Scampton at 0348LT on an operation to Stavanger-Sola Airport. While approaching the target area, it was shot down by a Me.109 and crashed into the sea off the airport. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (83rd Squadron):
S/L John Rawsthorn Rainford, pilot,
P/O Eric Alfred Warren, pilot,
P/O Trevor Hardy Smith, navigator,
F/Sgt John Charles Macgregor, wireless operator,
Sgt Thomas Rodie Riddell,
Sgt Robert Harold Taylor,
Sgt Peter James Jordan.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Blohm & Voss BV 138C-1 in Båtsfjord: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 21, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
K6+GL
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
MSN:
310044
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While returning to base following a maritime patrol flight, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy snow falls. In limited visibility, the floatplane impacted the slope of a mountain located near Båtsfjord, bursting into flames. Two crew members were killed, two others were injured and a fifth escaped unhurt.
Crew:
Uffz Fritz Dornauf, pilot, †
Lt Fritz Karpf, observer, †
Ogefr Kurt Haager, radio operator,
Ogefr Helmut Rende, air gunner,
Ogefr Winter.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain in poor visibility due to snow falls.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88D-1 on Mt Møsnuken: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1942 at 1435 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A6+EH
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Stavanger - Stavanger
MSN:
1049
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew departed Stavanger-Sola Airport on a SAR operation over the Atlantic Ocean after a JU.88 registered A6+OH was missing since the previous day. Following an unsuccessful mission, the crew returned to Stavanger but decided to make a pass over Bergen. In limited visibility due to poor weather conditions, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Møsnuken located northwest of Osøyro, some 20 km southeast of Bergen. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Friedrich Buczko, pilot,
Oblt Werner Gustav Schräpler,
Lt Theodor Hitzlberger,
Uffz Paul Gerninghaus.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Blohm & Voss BV 138 off Ulvåg

Date & Time: Jan 17, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
K6+IL
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
310064
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route to Tromsö, the crew encountered heavy snow falls and made an unscheduled landing off Ulvåg. While taking off, the floatplane crashed for unknown reasons. There were no casualties among the crew.