August 1940

1 August

At 08.00 KG 54 asked whether He 111 B3+FC had landed in Münster.

4.(H)/31 reported one aircraft and crew lost on photographic reconnaissance between in the 24 hours up to 18.00 GMT on 1 August.

2 August

Reporting a strength of 109 (85) aircraft, JG 2 recorded that W.Nr. 3308 had been damaged when landing (its pilot was unhurt) and W.Nr. 1299, 3526 and 337 had been taken out of service.

3 August

Bergungstrupp 120 at Coulommiers was ordered to salvage three Ju 88 A-1 lying wrecked on the airfield: W.Nr. 7104 and 6039 were to be sent to Villacoublay for repair and then returned to I./KG 54; W.Nr. 4086 was to be broken up at Gosselies.

4 August

On the 6th Flugleitung [Flying Control] Wiesbaden asked its counterpart at Amiens for information about a Ju 52, DA+AA, overdue since the 4th.

JG 2 reported that Bf 109s W.Nr. 2765, 1412, and 1460 were damaged.

5 August

II./LG 1 informed Langenhagen that He 111 “AC” had made a forced landing at Brussels; its crew was unhurt.

7 August

It was reported that Bf 110 A2+DK of 2./ZG 2 had crashed at Verdun; its crew could be reached by telephone at Verdun.

III./JG 2 reported that 23 aircraft patrolled in the Le Havre sector from 0800 without encountering the enemy. A Do 17 was fired on and sustained five hits in the wings; members of the crew were injured.

A Kette of Do 17s from Gruppe Brest was sent out in search of an aircraft which had failed to report.

9 August

1.(H)/41 reported that an Fi 156 had crashed.

I./KG 54 notified Sorau that W. 34 W.Nr. 306 had crashed near "Kastellaun" with 85% damage. The casue was not known as yet. (This may refer to an incident on 18 July, see above).

A rear deatchment of III./KG 54 was asked, via the Ergänzungsstaffel at Münster-Handorf, for the types, fuselage markings and Werk Nummern of the aircraft of Ltn. Delf and Fw. Wifling’s missing crews.

10 August

It was reported that a Ju 87 B-1, GU+AC, W.Nr. 0875070 had crashed while doing stunts for the Tobis Film Co. and was 60% damaged; it had belonged to a Stuka Ergänzungsstaffel. An enquiry was to be convened by the training school at Deblin.

Major Schörner reported that Trupp Schilling had informed Fliegerkorps IV, II./JG 53 and Flughafenbereich Morlaix of three air attacks made between 18.00 and 18.45, in four waves with incendiary bombs and 50 kg high explosive bombs. An Me 109, pilot Wilhelm Heidemeyer, had crashed on an AA site, killing of three of the crew and seriously wounding two others [the location of this incident was not given].

12 August

I./JG 2 flew a patrol from 10.25–11.40 hours, one aircraft crashing when landing.

II./JG 2: 34 aircraft escorted bombers from 10.30–12.45; eight protected rescue boats from 13.45 to 15.45 hours.

III./JG 2: 20 aircraft escorted bombers from 10.38–11.55 and one Spitfire was claimed shot down by Obltn. Röders, south of the Isle of Wight at 11.15 hours.

At 1140, six SOS calls were heard from aircraft callsign G6B or GBB.

13 August

NOTE: see also the article on »Adlertag«.

1Z+EU “belonging to the 10. Staffel (presumably of KG z.b.V. 1)” force landed at Schwarza.

NOTE: identified by 12 O'Clock High forum member Rasmussen as an aircraft of 10./KG z.b.V 1, tentatively W.Nr. 3101.

In an RAF raid on Brest-Lanvéoc aerodrome, one Me 109 was hit in the engine and put out of action, another was slightly damaged, but not disabled.

An aircraft of 3.(F)/121, flown by Obltn. von Sachse force landed at L’Aigle.

14 August

A report to Fliegerkorps 5, Luftflotte 3 and Flughafenbereich Chartres dealt with engine trouble resulting from impurities in aviation fuel. It was stated that JG 2 had suffered from this for a fortnight, six aircraft of the I. Gruppe being forced to return hastily from engagements with the enemy in the last two days. Of these, one had been destroyed andanother damaged, in forced landings. The difficulties with contaminated fuel were arising despite the pumps being controlled [if the original German was »kontrolliert«, the word can also mean “checked”] after every flight. It was urged that the filters should be sealed, and fuel containers guarded. As a result of taking special measures, no difficulties had occurred at Beaumont-le-Roger. The Geschwader (JG 2?) asked for pure fuel to be supplied immediately, otherwise its operations would be endangered.

A Bf 110 of ZG 2 forced landed at St. Aubin-sur-Mer, NE of Le Havre, early in the day. Fliegerhorstkommandantur (E) 16/VII asked Flughafenbereich Chartres to have it “towed back.”

Leutnant Entres advised Stabsstaffel LG 1 that the planes’ arrival had again been delayed by the weather, they would arrive as soon as it improved. BA, piloted by Ofw. Kretschmar, was 70% damaged; the pilot had suffered slight facial injuries but should recover shortly; Fw. Schmieder was also slightly hurt. Aircraft AC had gone to Breslau for a complete overhaul. Two new machines were requested to replace BA and CA.

An aircraft crashed SE of Merzhausen following engine failure. Among the three killed were Obltn. Franz Wandrey of 6./KG 55 and Stabsarzt Albrecht von Liebenstein of the senior medical officer of the II. Gruppe. Three others were seriously injured.

15 August

An aircraft of I./KG 55 (based at Dreux) crashed south of Carolles and was destroyed by fire. Of the crew of five, one was dead and two seriously wounded.

A Ju 88 crashed at 17.55 near Fécamp, its crew safe.

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