ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 54318
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| Date: | Tuesday 2 April 1940 |
| Time: | 08:50 |
| Type: | Heinkel He 115 B-1 |
| Owner/operator: | 3./Kü.Fl.Gr.506 Luftwaffe |
| Registration: | 2410 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | North Sea, SW of Terschelling, Friesland -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
In the morning of 2 April 1940 ten He 115 of 3./KüFlGr. 506 flew an armed reconnaissance south-west of Terschelling Bank. The three Hurricanes of Blue Section of 504 Sqn RAF intercepted two of them at 0720 hrs (British time) near Smith’s Knoll Lightship.
Two of the three Hurricanes were compelled to turn for home due to fuel shortage, but Flg Off David Phillips, "Blue 2", continued the attack, closing to 100 yds and taking serious hits from return fire, including a bullet in the thigh. On the other hand both engines of the He 115 B-1 WNr 2410 S4+EL tookk more than 100 hits during the attacks by Phillips and one engine, one wing and height and lateral controls were badly damaged. The floatplane ditched in the sea southwest of Terschelling Bank at 0850 hrs (German time, 0750 hrs British time). Lt zur See Erwin Dirking (observer/Funkoffizier) was slightly wounded but was rescued with the rest of the crew (believed unhurt) by the He 115 B S4+GL of the same unit, that then sank the disabled S4+EL with gunfire. Another He 115 returned with one float punctured in attacks but the crew was unhurt and the aircraft was repaired.
Phillips force-landed his Hurricane I L1951 TM-L in a field near the Rollesby Road at Martham, near Gt Yarmouth, Norfolk. The aircraft was repaired and eventually crashed later with 9 FTS. Info from the RAF Commands forum seems to indicate Phillips ended up flying a desk, presumably as a result of the wound/injury. His victory was the first success of 504 Sqn during the war.
Sources:
http://www.504rcacs.ca/History.html
http://web.archive.org/web/20120320130812/http://www.rafandluftwaffe.info/luftwaffe1.html
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=20615
http://www.wlb-stuttgart.de/seekrieg/lw/seeflieger-verluste.htm
“Batailles Aériennes n° 3: les combats aériens de la drole de guerre”, French magazine, 1997-1998
http://www.historisches-marinearchiv.de/projekte/luftwaffenfahrzeuge/luftwaffen_fahrzeuge_seeflugzeuge/ausgabe.php?flugtyp=Heinkel&where_value=1040
http://www.luftwaffe-zur-see.de/Seeluft/Verlustlisten/Jahr1940.htm
http://www.marineregions.org/gazetteer.php?p=details&id=3303
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Dec-2008 11:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 19-Jul-2017 09:58 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Dec-2019 21:18 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 26-Jun-2021 07:55 | TigerTimon | Updated [Aircraft type] |
| 19-Jun-2022 19:32 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
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