ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 210249
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| Date: | Tuesday 17 October 1939 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Junkers Ju.88A-1 |
| Owner/operator: | 1./KG 30 Luftwaffe |
| Registration: | 4D+EK |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Pegal Burn, Isle of Hoy, Orkney -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Westland-Sylt, Germany |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Junkers Ju 88A-1 4D+EK, 1/KG30, Westerland: Destroyed in combat 17/10/39 when shot down by AAA (226 HAA), Pegal Burn, Isle of Hoy, Orkney. Battery No 1 gun fired and its 4.5 inch shell blew the glazed nose clean off. The nose landed by the gun crew while the aircraft fell at the mouth of the Pegal Burn, Isle of Hoy. Three of the crew of four were killed:
Obltn Walter Flaemig killed
Ofw Faust killed
Uffz Attenburger killed
Uffz Fritz Ambrosius injured (captured, taken PoW)
On 16/10/39, Luftwaffe Junkers Ju88A-1 bombers left Westerland on the Isle of Sylt (Northern Germany) for anti-shipping raids against Britain. An initial raid targeted Rosyth, damaging three ships. However, two of the Ju88's were engaged by fighters of 602 and 603 Squadrons RAF and shot down by these fighters over the Firth of Forth.
The next day, the Luftwaffe conducted a raid against ships in Scapa Flow, including HMS Iron Duke which received two direct hits causing extensive damage. The battleship was saved from sinking by a tug called to its assistance.
However, during the attack, one Ju88 was struck by anti-aircraft fire from guns on a islet close to Hoy known as Rysa Little. Consequently, the bomber—now in flames—crashed to the ground on the Isle of Hoy, in the vicinity of Pegal Burn. With much of its bomb load still intact, the aircraft exploded on impact.
Unteroffizier Ambrosius released the upper escape hatch which was dragged away from the aircraft by the slip stream, with him still holding onto the release handle. Once clear of the aircraft he was able to open his parachute.In his statement made to RAF Air Intelligence personnel he said that he could not understand why the Pilot and Observer had not abandoned the aircraft as he thought they had sufficient time to do so.
This was the first enemy bomber to be shot down over British soil by anti-aircraft guns (as distinct from the earlier air-to-air combat with the RAF over the Firth of Forth).
According to the RAF Museum, the bombs exploding on Hoy were considered to be the first enemy bombs to explode on British soil.
Almost certainly the graves of three of the Ju88 crew in two unknown graves in Lyness Naval Cemetery,though it seems odd that although understandaby they may not have been able to ID the bodies due to the explosion,but why were the headstones not dated? The graves are simply inscribed "Ein Deutscher Soldat" ("A German Solider")
Sources:
1. http://www.rcawsey.co.uk/Acc1939a.htm
2. http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/junkers-ju88a_pegal-burn.htm
3. https://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/crash_sites/scotland/junkers-ju88-4dek-isle-of-hoy/
4. http://www.crashsiteorkney.com/orkney-land-crash-sites
5. https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/50693-so-what-was-the-first-german-aircraft-shot-down-on-british-soil-in-ww2-then/
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Apr-2018 22:29 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 09-Dec-2019 15:13 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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