ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 193429
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| Date: | Wednesday 5 February 1941 |
| Time: | 08:25 LT |
| Type: | Focke-Wulf Fw 200C-3 Condor |
| Owner/operator: | I./KG 40 Luftwaffe |
| Registration: | F8+AH |
| MSN: | Wrk.Nr.42 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 6 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Cashelfeane Hill, in Derryfunshion, County Cork -
 Ireland
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
The Fw 200 C-3 WNr 42 F8+AH of I./KG 40 crashed at approximately 08:25 hours British Summer Time in fog on Cashelfeane Hill, in Derryfunshion, near Dunbeacon on Dunmanus Bay. This area is to the north of Schull, Cork County. The sole survivor, Ofw Max Mohaus, was hospitalized in St. Brichin’s Military Hospital, Dublin, with terrible burn injuries, where he remained for the next two-and-a-half years.
He returned to Germany in late 1943 in a exchange of POW’s organised by the Red Cross and passed away in the mid 1980’s. A local woman, Mary Nugent, was awarded by the German government for assisting Mohaus from the burning wreckage. The five dead crew men are buried in Glencree (Volksbund site). The February 8, 1941 Southern Star carried a large front page article describing the circumstances of the crash.
Some printed sources have claimed it was damaged by flak from an Allied convoy at sea, but information researched by others suggests this is not the case. Poolman in his book "Scourge of the Atlantic" names vessel as Major C, but this may be an error for the SS Majorca (warsailors Forum 2003, 2007) but this vessel was not in the area. Both MacCarron and Quinn give the Major C as the vessel shooting down. Other suggestions for the involved vessel are the Greek ship ’Ioannis M. Embiricos’.
Martin Gleeson on the TOCH forum was of the opinion that no vessel was involved and listed the following reasons:
"Firstly the aircraft crashed at approximately 0825 hours British Summer Time (0925 hours Central European Time). Any attack on the ’Ioannis M. Embiricos’ by Gommer’s crew would have to had taken place several hours earlier in darkness due to the ship’s location.
Secondly when the aircraft crashed it disintegrated and went on fire. Six unexploded 250 kg bombs - probably SC250s - were found around the wreck. A hand-drawn diagram illustrating one of these bombs and noting its markings is to be found in one of the Irish Army files on this crash.
Thirdly the sole survivor Fw. Max Hohaus told one of the early Irish rescuers that the Condor had a "Full load" when asked how many were on board. His English was very limited but that reply could have referred to a full bomb load. Later he said through an interpreter that the crew had lost their way in the prevailing fog and did not know where they were.
Lastly based on observations by local people the aircraft was flying in a North West direction when it crashed. That is from France towards the general area where convoy SC 20 was under attack".
Also to add to the above if the Condor had been damaged by AA fire or whatever then the crew would almost certainly have jettisoned the bomb load in the sea before attempting an emergency landing."
Crew:
Oblt. Paul Gömmer (aircraft commander) KIA
Obfw. Willi Dose (pilot) KIA
Obfw. Werner Albrecht (fight engineer) KIA
Major (Dr.) Erhard Ludwig Herrström (meteorologist) KIA
Obfw. Max Hohaus (radio operator) WIA/Interned
Fw. Walter Clasen (gunner) KIA
Sources:
http://www.ww2irishaviation.com
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archive/index.php?t-28885.html
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/archive/index.php?t-21843.html
http://www.curragh.info/klines.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schull
https://www.google.fr/maps/search/Derryfunshion,+County+Cork,+Ireland/data=!4m2!2m1!4b1?dg=dbrw&newdg=1
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Feb-2017 12:16 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
| 10-Dec-2017 20:19 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Registration, Cn, Other fatalities, Phase, Narrative] |
| 04-Jan-2019 07:27 | dp_burke | Updated [Source] |
| 08-Dec-2019 21:27 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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