Military | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Shot down by the Swedish Flak and crashed in Bjørnfjell, on Norwegian territory, near the border with Sweden. All four crew members were rescued, one was injured.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the Swedish Flak.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7 Boston in Mercin-et-Vaux: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 6, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

U-241

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Pithiviers - Pithiviers

MSN:

YOM:

1940

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The airplane was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Mercin-et-Vaux. Two crew members were killed and a third was uninjured.
Crew:
Cpt Provoost, pilot,
Adj François Joseph Léon Montrozier, observer, †
Sgt/C Dominique Antoine Folacci, radio operator. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Bloch MB.210 in Champallement

Date & Time: Jun 5, 1940 at 0420 LT

Type of aircraft:

Bloch MB.210

Operator:

Registration:

E-462

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

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Site:

Schedule:

Saint-Florentin - Saint-Florentin

MSN:

115

YOM:

1939

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Following a fuel exhaustion, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing when it impacted a mound and crashed. All four crew members evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Adj Garlot, pilot,
Adj/C Colas, pilot,
Sgt Maujer, radio operator,
Adj de Hoorme, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Bristol 142 Blenheim IV at RAF Worcester: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 5, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 142 Blenheim

Operator:

Registration:

L1232

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Pembrey - Worcester

MSN:

8515

YOM:

1938

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Upon a night landing at RAF Worcester (RLG), the aircraft overshot and collided with trees and a house, bursting into flames. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Crew:
Sgt Thomas Lindsay Armstrong, pilot.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111 in Cologne: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 5, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

Cologne-Ostheim

North Rhine-Westphalia

Country:

Germany

Region:

Europe

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Right after takeoff from Cologne-Ostheim Airport, the twin engine airplane suffered a technical problem and crashed. A crew member survived while five other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Technical issue of unknown origin.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth in Lords Seat

Date & Time: Jun 4, 1940

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.85 Leopard Moth

Operator:

Registration:

AV986

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Lords Seat - Manchester

MSN:

7060

YOM:

1934

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While taking off from the Lords Seat Airstrip, the single engine airplane was blown into a wall by a sudden gust of wind, lost its undercarriage and crashed. The pilot, sole on board, was uninjured.

Probable cause:

Loss of control during takeoff due to blowing wind.

Crash of a Heinkel He.111H-4 in Grövelsjön

Date & Time: Jun 2, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Heinkel He.111

Operator:

Registration:

1H+CK

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Shot down by ground fire over Sweden and crashed in Grövelsjön. All seven crew members survived after they bailed out and became PoW.

Probable cause:

Shot down by Flak.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Riksgränsen: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 2, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

DC+SP

Flight Phase:

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Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

6751

YOM:

1940

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The three engine aircraft was completing a flight from Trondheim to Sweden (undetermined airport). Just after crossing the border between Norway and Sweden, the aircraft was shot down by the Swedish Flak and crashed on a mountain slope above Riksgränsen. Eight occupants were killed while seven others were injured.
Crew (Transportstaffel 2./KGrzbV 106):
Uffz HansTöchler, †
Gefr Kramer, †
Fw Franz Reichard.
Passengers:
Ofw Haase, †
Uffz Gustav Mank,
Fw Walter Himmerich,
Ufw Hermann Bansen,
Hans Vorsteffel, †
Arno Wolf,
Werner Fischer, †
Franz Langfeld, †
Konrad Hof, †
Walter Schnitzer, †
Bodo Westkamp, †
Ogefr Adolf Koch.
Source and photos:
http://ktsorens.tihlde.org/flyvrak/riksgrensen.html

Probable cause:

Shot down by the Swedish Flak.

Crash of a Douglas DB-7 Boston near Clastres AFB: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1940

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

U-220

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

YOM:

1940

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Crashed and burned on the shore of a canal located near the Clastres AFB. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Adj Louis Albert Beyney, pilot,
Sgt/C Pierre Jules Lajule, radio operator,
Adj Joseph Marcel Picart, observer.