He 111H-6 from I./KG26....code?

[Lucky13]

Is it in any way possible to find out the code for this machine, a He 111H-6, Wk. Nr. 7567, from I./KG26 other than 1H+?? It had to do an emergency landing at sea south of Svalbard, after a mission on 13.09.42. The crew was picked up by a U-boat but the U-boat never returned and they're all since then MIA.

Crew,
Lt. Arnold Harnau (F) MIA
Uffz. Werner Telgenwerth (B) MIA
Uffz. Walter Kullick (Bf) MIA
Uffz. Friedrich Trunner (Bm) MIA

Thought that I'd try here and a Luftwaffe forum...

 

[Lucky13]

Just been informed that this machine had the code 1H+NK and the U-boat that picked them up was U-589.


Sunk 14 Sept, 1942 in the Arctic Ocean south-west of Spitzbergen, in position 75.40N, 20.32E, by depth charges from the British destroyer HMS Onslow, and depth charges from a Swordfish aircraft of the British escort carrier HMS Avenger (Sqdn 825). 44 dead (all hands lost)".

 

[B-17engineer]

Well that could ruin your day. You crash, get picked up by a U-Boat, thinking all is OK, then a British Destroyer sinks you with Depth Charges

 

[Crimea_River]

Jan, that's excellent info! Nicely done!

 

[Lucky13]

Cheers CR! I can't argue with you there H!

 

[Lucky13]

Could anyone tell me the colours of the code for this '111?

 

[Micdrow]

Interesting Jan as this web site has your Henkel werk number labeled as 4818 for that loss.

Luftwaffe in Norway

 

[Lucky13]

Interesting indeed mate...

Found this at 12 O' Clock High....

1942-09-13: U-589 rescued crew of a Heinkel He 111
U-589 (Krvkpt Hans-Joachim Horrer) rescued the crew of a Heinkel He 111 in M.Qu. AB 3475 (approx. 75°27'N, 11°30'E, about 100 nautical miles south-west of Spitsbergen) at 1715hrs on 13 September 1942. The airmen were all lost when the U-boat was sunk with all hands the next day while operating against the convoy PQ-18.

1942-09-13, I./KG 26, He 111 H-6, 7567, 1H+NK
Emergency landing at sea (cause?), loss 100%
Flugzeugführer Lt Harnau, Arnold, +
Beobachter Uffz Telgenwerth, Werner, +
Bordfunker Uffz Kullick, Walter, +
Bordmechaniker Uffz Trunner, Friedrich, +

Axis airmen rescued by German U-boats - Page 4 - Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

 

[Micdrow]

Yeah Luftwaffe losses always seem to confuse me as you can find different sources with different answers. Wondering if it was a night mission as one source has the 13th as the date of lost and the other has the 14th.

 

[Lucky13]

My thought exactly buddy....

 

[Lucky13]

View attachment 336073

 

[Micdrow]

View attachment 336073

hum for some reason I cant open your attachment

 

[fubar57]

I had it opened, closed the thread, came back and now it won't open. He might be editing it.

Geo

 

[Lucky13]

 

[Lucky13]

Had it cut down and resized gentlemen....

 

[Micdrow]

Great find there Jan!!!!

 

[Lucky13]

I noticed that she's a 2./KG26 here and again #7576....

 

[Micdrow]

I noticed that she's a 2./KG26 here and again #7576....

Yeah I see that, I would stick with that one then.

 

[Micdrow]

Found this back in an old thread from 2012 on a german board. Looks like the same info you have Jan!!

U 589 und die aufgefischte Flugzeugbesatzung... - Forum der Wehrmacht

 

[Lucky13]

Any idea which colour this would make the 'N' then, should 1H+NK be correct..?