Planes down in Laacher See

[TopGun]

Dear all,




In the year 1942 is a British Halifaxbomber and a P-47 Thunderbold shot down, and came down in the Laacher See in Germany.
The two planes lay down on a depth of 50 metres,I am looking for the serial and registration numbers of both planes.
Who can help me to find these information of the two planes?
You can send your messages to my email address:[email protected].


Whit kind regards,
Mr.Abe v.d.Bijl,
The Netherlands.

 

[seesul]

Think this is another case, year 1945, but ...P-47D-22-RE Thunderbolt 42-26138 (48th FG, 494th FS) lost west of Laacher Lake, Germany Feb 23, 1945. Pilot POW.
1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-001 to 42-30031)

As for Halifax- went down on Aug 29, 1942, more at Britisches Wrack dicht vor dem Ufer des Laacher Sees
ser no. BB214, more at Lost Bombers - World War II Lost Bombers

Handley Page Halifax Mk. II BB 214 PM-?, with Merlin XX engines, built by the London Aircraft Production Group to contract number B124357/40.

Issued to 103 Squadron 11-8-42.
Categorised "Cat E" (Missing) 29-8-42.
Struck off charge 1-9-42.
The Movement Card records 18 hours and 50 minutes flying time on the airframe.

Took off 20:37 from Elsham Wolds, North Lincolnshire, on op to Nuernberg, carrying five bombs filled with either TNT or amatol. Crashed on 29-08-42 into the Maria Laach lake after having been shot three times 00:10 9,000 ft. at "Hohe Acht" mountain (near the Nuerburgring) by a Messerschmidt Me 110 night fighter from Mendig airfield (Fw. Fritz Schellwat: 5./NJG1). The Halifax Pilot tried to bring down the burning plane, just over the romanic church of Maria Laach, into the lake, however, the tail broke away and crashed on the grassland next to the lake. The plane then plunged into the water like an arrow, where it is still hidden today , likely broken into a lot of pieces, a few meters under the water surface, covered by a layer of mud.

Crew:
Sgt H G Dryhurst POW
Sgt J W Platt +
Sgt A A Roberts RAAF POW
P/O V M M Morrison RCAF +
F/S J J Carey RCAF +
Sgt B F Hughes RNZAF POW
Sgt J L MacLachlan +

Three crew members have been escaped by parachute. Of another crew member, the parachute did not open, so he died, like the fifth one, who was found dead in the lake. Two crew members are still missing today. There is some confusion over whether there was one or two crew left on board when the plane crashed. Possibly their remains are still in the wreck.

Of those who died two are buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery and two, Sgt Platt and F/S Carey RCAF are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. Sgt MacLachlan's father, George Henry MacLachlan, won the Military Medal and later gained a First Bar to his award.

From Bernie Hughes, the mid upper gunner on BB214, beside some photographs, a detailed letter exists describing how the plane was shot down and Bernie Hughes escaped.

source:Google Earth Community: Halifax WW II bomber crash site


To Erich: this lake is very close to Koblenz, some 20 miles away...
I was swimming in this lake 9 years ago...