Left: A rare in-flight photo of S9+CK which was shot down at Hawkhurst on 15 August 1940. The pilot Obltn Alfred Habisch Above: A rare colour still of the (below) managed to EproGr210 emblem on the nose of get his aircraft down S9+CK, filmed in the USA where it successfully, giving the was being evaluated by the Vultee RAF the chance to later Aircraft Corporation. exhibit the 110 to the public in London. 15 August 1940 Bf110D-0/B Wn.3341 S9+CK 2/EproGr210

Hawkhurst, Kent. 19.10 hrs. The crew took off from Denain aerodrome. They bombed Croydon aerodrome prior to being attacked by fighters, the wireless operator being wounded and the undercarriage damaged. The pilot managed to make a forced landing damaging the engines and airscrews. ID: 69059, AW: -, FP: -. Ff: Obltn Alfred Habisch. Bf: Uffz Ernst Efner wounded.

ID disc was identified as a Dornier Do17 unit. The aircraft was exhibited at Hendon and in a London street, to raise money for the Spitfire Fund. It was later shipped to Los Angeles, aboard the SS Montanan in April 1941, where it was reassembled and evaluated by the Vultee Aircraft Company.

15 August 1940 Bf110D-0/B S9+ - K 2/EproGr210

Ightham, Kent. 19.05 hrs. Believed to have been shot down by fighters while targeting Croydon aerodrome, crashed and burnt out. The pilot baled out. AW: -, FP: -. Ff: Ltn Helmut Ortner. Bf: Ogefr Bernhard Lohmann 53585/125 +. CC 1/246.

Left and opposite page: The British public get to see a real enemy aircraft for the first time at close quarters.

16 17 15 August 1940 Bf109E-4/B Wn.1910 Yellow 3+ 3/EproGr210

Lightlands Farm, Frant, Sussex. 19.10 hrs. Above: Yellow 3 sitting in dispersal in France shortly Took off from Calais-Marck aerodrome to attack Croydon aerodrome. The pilot baled out following an before being shot down attack by British fighters, before the aircraft dived in flames into an orchard and disintegrated. over England on 15 August Markings: 3 in yellow. 1940. Engine: DB 601. AW: Köln, 5/8/40, FP: L 33858. Above: Horst Marx Air Intelligence Note: Kampfgruppe 210. Eprobungsgruppe 210 - EproGr 210. Armament: remains of two MG17 machine guns and two 20 mm shell guns found. One piece of armour poses in in front of an recovered. EproGr210 Bf110, the Air Intelligence reported that the aircraft had no bomb racks fitted as they did not identify any in the Below: Ltn Horst Marx emblem can be seen poses for the camera, wreck. However, fellow Erprobungsgruppe 210 pilot Otto Hintze recalled that they flew in the role of just behind his head. This unit was formed at Lille around 10th May 1940, with the first operation taking place on the 13th note the bomb rack under July 1940, specialising in attacking convoys in the English Channel, before spearheading attacks on fighter-bomber and their Bf109s did carry bombs to attack Croydon. the 109’s fuselage. Ff: Ltn Horst Marx 53581/29. important ground targets in England. Some personnel were drawn from ZG1, subsequently spending time training in Denmark, where two Messerschmitt Bf110s were lost during dive bombing practice. The ID disc was of 1/ZG1. The unit comprises of three Messerschmitt Bf110s in a Gruppen Stab and three Staffeln of nine aircraft each. Staffel 1 and 2 are equipped with Messerschmitt Bf110s, six of the aircraft from each Staffel having been equipped with bomb racks, the three remaining aircraft being ordinary Zerstörers used for fighter protection of the bombers, the third Staffel is equipped with Messerschmitt Bf109s which are also used for fighter escort duties and free-lance patrols. All the Messerschmitt Bf110s have a shield painted on them with a map of England and Northern Ireland in red, which has a yellow ring and crosswire sight superimposed over it.

Note: The above was established by RAF Air Intelligence in 1940, but it is now known from Luftwaffe documents that:

Erprobungsgruppe 210 officially came into existence on 1st July 1940 at Köln-Ostheim airfield.

The initial complement of aircraft was as follows:

Gruppenstab: Bf 110 D-0/Bs freshly supplied from the factory.

1. Staffel: Bf 110 C-6s brought from 1./ZG 1 upon transfer.

2. Staffel: Bf 110 D-0/Bs freshly supplied from the factory.

3. Staffel: Bf 109 E-4/Bs freshly supplied from the factory.

1. Staffel got its initial batch of fighter-bombers during the first week of August, and flew its first mission with fighter-bomber Bf 110s on 11th August.

The unit emblem did not have a ‘shield’ as a background, but was painted directly over the camouflage.

18 19 15 August 1940 Bf109E-4 2+ 5/JG51 AW: -, FP: L 20758. Ff: Fw Fritz Baldauf 51904/98. At sea - off Margate, Kent. 15.30 hrs. Bo: Ltn Adolf Renner 51904/97. While on a ‘Freie Jagd’ mission got into combat with fighters and ditched onto the sea. Bf: Ogefr Wilhelm Rössiger 51904/94. ID: -, AW: -, FP: L 04649. Bm: Gefr Walter Lorenz 51904/99. Ff: Fw Otto Steigenberger. EKII. Bs: Uffz Christoph Schumann 51904/26.

The pilot gave his Geschwader Kommodore as Oberst Osterkamp and his Staffelkapitän as Hauptmann Diepzen.

15 August 1940 Bf109E-4 9/JG54

‘Hadding Hall Farm’, Hartley, near Cranbrook, Kent. 19.30 hrs. Believed to have been hit by AA fire, dived into a wood and destroyed. One complete section of bulkhead armour 8 mm thick found amongst the wreckage. AW: -, FP: L 51578. Ff: Uffz Friedrich Niedermaier 51578/10 +. CC 1/77. Right: Although of poor quality, this photo shows 15 August 1940 Do17Z-2 5K+LP 6/KG3 4D+KL shortly after crash landing with the fire At sea - one mile east of Reculver, Kent. 15.30 hrs. taking hold of the cockpit area. While on bombing operations to targets in the Thames Estuary, shot down by fighters and crashed into the sea. AW: -, FP: -. Below: The fire eventually Ltn Heinz Kringler 51593/34 +. CC1/418. destroyed the entire Uffz Herbert Depenheuer +. CC 1/419. Body recovered at Minster, Kent. centre section leaving Ogefr W Duda 51593/12. little for the RAF intelligence officers to 15 August 1940 Ju88A-5 4D+KL 3/KG30 Gefr Oscar Rohleder 51593/20 +. Ramsgate, Kent. find. Hamilton Hill Farm, Barnstown, nr Bridlington, Yorkshire. 13.25 hrs. Unit assumed from aircraft code. Took off from Aalborg. Bombed Driffield aerodrome prior to being shot down by fighters and making a forced landing. 15 August 1940 Do17Z-2 5K+ - P 6/KG3 ID: 53557 & 53558, AW: -, FP: -. At sea - off Deal / Ramsgate, Kent. 16.00 hrs. Ff: Uffz Ludwig von Lorentz. Bo: Uffz Heinrich Kenski. Shot down by fighters during bombing operations targeting the Thames Estuary, the crew baled out Bf: Ogefr Heinrich Prumann. prior to the aircraft crashing into the Channel. Bm: Gefr Johann Gobel. ID: 51593, AW: grey, Schweinfurt, 30/1/40, FP: -. Ff: Lt Hans-Eberhard Walter. The ID discs were all for II/KG28. Fw F Schauer. Uffz E Kirchubel. Uffz A Pieronczyk.

15 August 1940 He111H-4 1H+ MH 1/KG26

At sea - Cresswell Bay, Northumberland. 14.00 hrs. While on bombing operations to Middlesbrough, intercepted and shot down by fighters. Crashed into the sea and the crew managed to inflate and get into their life raft prior to being rescued. ID: 62712 & 53557, AW: -, FP: -. Ff: Uffz Willi Zimmermann 53557/68. Bo: Obltn Rudolf Roch 62712/76. Bf: Gefr Erwin Kulick 53557/65. Bm: Gefr Alwin Machalett 62712/64. Bs: Flieger Ernst Heinrichsen 62712/72.

Unit assumed from ID disc 62712; 53557 was of II/KG28.

15 August 1940 He111H-4 1H+FS 8/KG26

At sea - thirty miles east of Middlesbrough. 14.00 hrs. Targeting Middlesbrough but attacked by fighters before reaching the objective and jettisoned bomb load of four 250 kg, one 500 kg and incendiary bombs before crashing into the sea. All the crew were rescued.

20 21 15 August 1940 Ju88A 4D+ - M 4/KG30 Above: Soldiers pick through the remains of Auburn Farm, Fraisthorpe, nr Bridlington, Yorkshire. 13.30 hrs. the 4/KG30 Ju88 which crashed at Auburn Farm While on operations to bomb Driffield aerodrome, Yorkshire, attacked by fighters and crashed. Aircraft near Bridlington. completely destroyed on impact with the ground and burnt. AW: -, FP: L 26681. Ff: Fw Rudolf Bihr +. CC 3/367. Bo: Fw Robert Pohl 62748/15 +. CC 3/367. Below: 4D+DR lies in a BF: Uffz Severin-Günther Kürsch 62748/23 +. CC 3/363. field near Bridlington Bm: Uffz Arnulf-Georg Neumeyer +. CC 3/365. Reservoir. The aircraft was subsequently put on display in the local area Unit assumed from ID disc and Feldpostnummer. as can be seen in the photos opposite. 15 August 1940 Ju88A 4D+DR 7/KG30

Bridlington Reservoir, Yorkshire. 13.30 hrs. Took off from Aalborg to attack aerodromes in Yorkshire (Driffield), with four 250 kg bombs but did not reach objective before being shot down by fighters and carrying out a forced landing. ID: 62755, AW: -, FP: L 30121. Ff: Obltn Werner Bachmann. Bo: Uffz Werner Evers. Bf: Fw Georg Henneske 62756/60 +. CC 3/369. Bm: Flieger Robert Walther.

15 August 1940 He115C Wn.3251 S4+BH 1/KuFlGr506

‘Faldiehill’, Panmure Estate, west of Arbroath, Angus. 04.04 hrs. While low flying, the pilot was dazzled by searchlights and flew into a hillside, spreading wreckage over three fields but did not catch fire. Markings: B in white. Shield; blue-grey, with three black and white birds. Armament: two MG15, two MG17 found in wreckage and a cannon marked ‘MG151 14.99 Madsen’ was found in an adjacent field. One bomb dropped near by. No armour plate found. ID: -, AW: white, Kiel, 21/2/40, FP: -. Ff: Ofw Rudolf Holfert +. CC 4/7. Bo: Ltn zur See Hans Eberhardt Tonne very seriously injured. Bf: Fw Paul Schroers 73038/3 +. CC 4/5.

The unit was assumed from the aircraft code.

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