ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 263613
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| Date: | Monday 31 July 1944 |
| Time: | 00:15 LT |
| Type: |  Junkers Ju 88 A-4 |
| Owner/operator: | 8./KG 54 Luftwaffe |
| Registration: | |
| MSN: | B3+ES |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Le Mesnil-Herman, Bourgvallées, Manche 50 -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | airfield at Vélizy-Villacoublay |
Personal account by Ernst Specht;
30.07.1944. On our first mission on this day, we flew from Eindhoven onto the Contentin Peninsula attacking the
American supply lines and equipment that were around Saint Lo/Averanches.
We flew to Villacoublay, an airfield south-west of Paris for refuelling and to re-arm. We reported the motors
were defective; lacking in power during the first mission to Normandy. They were repaired and tested by the mechanics,
but we knew they were still not right. However, they had been checked and we were told to go.
We needed the whole runway to get off the ground. As we approached the target we bega hasn our climb. Instead of the 3000m
we should have been flying at, we managed only 2000 metres in a long, slow climb.
Near Saint Lo there was some light anti-aircraft fire. We were hit shortly after midnight (00.15 a.m.)
I saw the left wing break away and the aircraft started to go into a spin. I did my job of releasing the canopy and then
was able to get out. I parachuted to safety. I saw the explosion as the plane went into the ground. I called out for my
colleagues, but there were no replies. I was taken prisoner by US troops. Later enquiries revealed the location of the
aircraft to be 15kms south of St Lo at Le Mesnil-Herman.
Sources:
Compiled by Melvin Brownless (ARS) 2009.
Luftwaffe losses aircrewremembrancesociety3.com
Google Maps
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Jun-2021 17:51 | TigerTimon | Added |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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