ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 213444
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| Date: | Friday 24 October 1941 |
| Time: | 05:51 LT |
| Type: | Handley Page Hampden Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 455 Sqn RAAF |
| Registration: | AE256 |
| MSN: | UB-E |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Kiel Naval Shipyard, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Swinderby, Lincolnshire |
| RAF Swinderby |
Handley Page Hampden AE256: Built by English Electric Co., Preston, converted to Hampden T.B.I (Torpedo Bomber), 08/10/1941 and issued to 455 Squadron, RAAF, Coded UB-E
Lost on combat operations on night of 23-24/10/1941. (Target: Kiel Shipyards, Kiel, Schleswigh-Holstein). Took off from RAF Swinderby on the evening of 23/10/1941. Shot down by Flak/AAA, at 05:51 hours on the morning of 24/10/1941 and crash landed onto a searchlight battery; caught fire on impact killing the search light battery crew of four, as well as the four crew members of Hampden AE256. According to a contemporary report (in German, roughly translated into English):
"October 24, 1941
Attack target: Kiel
Air raid alarm: 04.23-06.23
Bomb Victims: 4
Explosive bombs destroyed or damaged several houses, such as the Vereinsbäckerei in the Alte Lübecker Chaussee, on the Kriegsmarinewerft, on the German works and the excursion and dance bar Bellevue. At Wellsee No. 8, 1 person was killed and 1 person on a motor ship in the northern harbor.
Obltn. MA Prühs, battery chief L-flak and headlight battery, Marine Flakabteilung 261 Kiel-Nordost, control center in Röbsdorf:
The aircraft goes to SO on Stein, returns in an arc behind Schlesen to the west and attacks from 50 metres up the searchlight at Jasdorf, who keeps her constantly in his cone of light. While the machine in the light band of the headlamp "on rails" on the headlights, is shot from the front rigid Machine Gun. "
Combat report of the Flakabteilung 261:
The searchlight driver, the lamp heater and one operator of the tripod glass were killed, three more soldiers heavy injured, one slightly injured. The crew of the enemy aircraft (4 men) was killed. One of the seriously injured has succumbed to his injuries."
The attack on the headlight position of the naval artillery cost Maat MA Herbert Dreher, Gefra MA Wilhelm Metz, Gefr. MA Willi Spreda and Artl. MA Erich Rambow's life. Report of the battery Elmschenhagen to Ugruko Flakleitstand Röbsdorf: "05.47: Smoke Vane 05.47: machine smokes! Left engine burns, machine still curves some time. 05:51: Crash."
Apparently, the Hampden had been hit hard and was in a sliding crash when it struck the searchlight position in Jasdorf. The fact that the search lamp was completely aligned with the machine could have turned out to be a mistake. Given the safe crash and near-death, the pilot could have deliberately directed the Hampden into the searchlight position. A timely dimming of the headlight could possibly have prevented this. However, the fact that the Schweinwerfer-glare effect is considerable, it is clear from reports of various batteries. Ernst-Günther Prüß reports how the headlight position Wesby (MFlaA 211) crashed by a Hampden just by the searchlight glare"
Crew of Hampden AE256
61279: Pilot Officer Kenneth Tyrrel Cooper (pilot, aged 19) KIA
1164368: Sergeant Richard Cubitt Blamey, (Navigator, aged 20) KIA
930289: Sergeant Samuel Barton, (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner, aged 23) KIA
1154295: Sergeant William Conyers Wright (Air Gunner, aged 27) KIA
When the debris of the Handley Page Hampden was removed, an airscrew was left behind. The survivors of the attack suggested that a memorial be built from it, which still exists today. The killed British airmen found their temporary rest before this memorial, until they were reburied after the war on the Commonwealth war graves cemetery in Kiel. The epitaph reads: "Honor the dead through works of peace "
Sources:
1. http://www.luftfahrtspuren.de/jas.htm
2. https://www.backtonormandy.org/the-history/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/hampden/25707-AE2561941-10-24.html
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2356280/cooper,-kenneth-tyrrell/
4. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2356181/blamey,-richard-cubitt/
5. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2356150/barton,-samuel/
6. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2356985/wright,-william-conyers/
7. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/hampden.htm
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 15 September 1941 | AE249 | 455 Sqn RAAF | 2 | Winzeldorf, Bönningstedt, Schleswig-Holstein | |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Jul-2018 20:27 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 18-Jul-2018 20:28 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 18-Jul-2018 20:31 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 18-Jul-2018 20:33 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Location] |
| 10-Nov-2018 22:24 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator] |
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