Bf 110 crash near Stalingrad, September 1942

[BWitt]

Hello,

Late last week a strip of fuselage panel was found from a Bf 110 that crashed around 40km Northwest of Stalingrad. I believe it belonged to a Bf 110 D-3 possibly of Zestörergedchwader 1 as it carries W.Nr 4240. Apparently downed by anti-aircraft fire on 4 September 1942 located at Pl. Qu. 49113 (Ssamofalowka-Wertjatschij). Does anyone have information on this craft? The handful of archives I am aware of containing Luftwaffe losses have no trace of it.

 

[Crimea_River]

John Vasco might know.

 

[John Vasco]

Hello,

Late last week a strip of fuselage panel was found from a Bf 110 that crashed around 40km Northwest of Stalingrad. I believe it belonged to a Bf 110 D-3 possibly of Zestörergedchwader 1 as it carries W.Nr 4240. Apparently downed by anti-aircraft fire on 4 September 1942 located at Pl. Qu. 49113 (Ssamofalowka-Wertjatschij). Does anyone have information on this craft? The handful of archives I am aware of containing Luftwaffe losses have no trace of it.


View attachment 745848

4 September 1942
1. Staffel, Zerstörergeschwader 1
Bf 110 D-3
S9+OH
W. Nr. 4240
Direct hit from flak.
4½ Kms. south-east of Solotoj Rog.
No crew casualties mentioned in the records I hold.

I have never seen it mentioned in books on the Battle of Stalingrad, but ZG 1 were involved in the aerial battle overhead. Many former members of ZG 1 that I interviewed told me that they would punch a hole in the encirclement with their fighter-bombers to help those on the ground escape, but after they landed at base, refueled, and took off again with the next bombload, the breach in the encirclement was always closed up again.