August 12th, 1940, Portsmouth, and Ventor RDF Station, Isle of Wight, 11.50 to 12.15 hrs.
The Ju 88s of KG 51 were part of a large mixed force of bombers, fighters and 'Zerstorers' tasked with destroying RDF (Radar) stations in the west, along with the naval dockyards at Portsmouth, with other forces attacking RDF stations and airfields further east, in Kent.
The RDF Station at Ventnor, on the south coast of the Isle of Wight, first detected the build-up over the Cherbourg Peninsular, with two groups of 30+, and two smaller groups plotted, orbiting just off the coast.
A little later, at 11.40 hrs, the plots were defined as 150 + approaching the Isle of Wight, with a further 30+ further west, heading for Selsey Bill.
The main Luftwaffe force was made up of 50+ Me109s leading 40+ Ju 88s on the western edge, with 15 + He 111s and 40+ Me110s in the center, whilst on the eastern flank there were 20+ Me109s ahead of 12+ Ju88s, with escort of 20+ Me110s.
Spitfires of 609 Sqn and 152 Sqn, with Hurricanes from 213 Sqn approached the raiders from the north west, whilst Hurricanes of 143, 257 and 43 Sqns, along with 12 Spitfires from 266 Sqn, were scrambled to intercept the incoming eastern raid.
A huge air battle ensued, but Portsmouth was heavily bombed, with damage to the town and naval dockyards, and Ventnor RDF Station was put out of action.
Luftwaffe damage and losses were heavy, with no less than 10 of the Ju88s from KG 51 alone failing to return, including the aircraft from Stab KG51, 9K + AA, with the Geschwader Kommodore,. Oberst Dr. Johan-Volkmar Fisser, who was killed, although the remainder of his crew survived, wounded, to become PoWs.
Three Ju88s from this formation returned damaged, one crash-landing at Le Havre.
RAF losses were six Hurricanes and one Spitfire missing, with the pilots lost, and a further five Hurricanes and one Spitfire damaged, some severely, with the Spitfire burned out after a forced landing at Bembridge, on the Isle of Wight.
The Ju88A-1 from 3/KG51, code 9K + EL, W.Nr. 3134, was crewed by Ufz. Walter Floeter (Pilot), Oblt Hans Graf (Beobachter), Ofw. Horst-Gunther Czepik (Bordfunker), and Gfr. Gunther Flieschmann (Bordmekaniker), and was finished in the standard splinter scheme of RLM 70 / RLM 71 on upper surfaces, with RLM 65 undersides. Code letters were in black, with the individual letter 'E' in yellow, and the Werke Nummer was carried on both sides of the top of the fin, in white. The KG 51 shield, a white Edelweiss on a blue background, was displayed on both sides of the nose, beneath the cockpit.
The aircraft took off from Melun, near Paris, tasked with attacking Portsmouth, and was attacked by fighters at 9,000 feet, when the radio operator, Czepik, was killed, and an engine hit.
The aircraft went into a spin, and broke up in the air, with the tail gun section landing outside the Operations Room at RAF Thorney Island, and the aircraft crashing at Horse Pasture Farm, Rowlands Castle, Hampshire .
Only the Flight Engineer, Gunther Fleischmann, managed to bail out, wounded, landing at Hayling Island, with the remainder of the crew being killed.
The photos below show 9K + EL before being lost, and the main wreckage at Horse Pasture Farm.