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Registered Allied/German aircraft losses over Holland

Allied aircraft losses due to Allied planes over Holland 11-18 May 1940

The German fighter kills over Western Europe during the May War have been listed in the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe Fighter Claims list.

The registered claims are not all 100% certain. It is clear that some claims are attached to wrong plane types. Moreover, twin engine planes like the Fokker T-V, Blenheim, Amiot 143 and Potez-63 - although quite different in shape - appeared to have been mixed up on a number of occasions. Also we know for certain that occasionally the Spitfire and the Defiant were mixed up [13 May - Dordrecht]. Reason for this may have been that the majority of air-to-air kills were achieved from the rear and consequently the gun-film of observer (e.g. pilot) did often not reveal the international identification marks or specific features of a plane. Still we felt that for your information we should produce the list of lost Allied planes over Holland during the period 10-18 May.

As always claims do not match the actual scores. That is why the German claims have been compared with the actually registered crashes on Dutch soil.

Sometimes the nationality of planes is certain, but on many occasions it isn't. The Gloster Gladiator (fighter) and the Fairley Battle (light bomber) for example were flown by both the British and the Belgian airforce, and so was the Hawker Hurricane. In regard to the latter we are quite positive that the few Hurricanes of the Belgian airforce were all put out of action at 10 May by Luftwaffe doing. Hurricanes can therefore be connected to the RAF exclusively.

The time listed is the Dutch local time, which was 1 hour and 40 minutes earlier than the German time. Time-indications given below proof often wrong.

10 May

Type Unit Pilot Crash location Crash time Comments
Blenheim 1F 600 F/O C.R. Moore Waalhaven 1400 by Bf-109 6./JG27 and Bf-110 of ZG1
Blenheim 1F 600 F/L J.H.C. Rowe Piershil 1400 ditto
Blenheim 1F 600 P/O R.C. Hain Herkingen 1400 ditto
Blenheim 1F 600 P/O M.H. Anderson Spijkenisse 1400 ditto
Blenheim 1F 600 S/L J.N. Wells Pernis 1400 ditto
Blenheim 1F 604 F/O/ I. Joll Wassenaar 1745 Unk.
Blenheim IV 18 P/O L.T. Dixon Kessel 1700 Unk.
Blenheim IV 40 F/O R.M. Burns 's Gravenzande 1500 by Bf-109's of JG.26
Blenheim IV 40 F/O P.J.H. Rowan 's Gravenzande 1500 ditto
Blenheim IV 40 F/Sgt I.L. Thomas Wateringen 1500 ditto
Blenheim IV 40 F/Sgt A.J. Robertson Voorburg 1500 ditto
Blenheim IV 57 P/O A. Thomas Echteld 1200 by Bf-109 of 5./JG.27


11 May

 

Claim by unit Claim by pilot Crash location Crash time Type Comments
4/ZG26 [Bf-110] Oberfeldwebel Stahl Vlissingen - Potez 631 AC-2
4/ZG26 [Bf-110] Oberfeldwebel Stahl Vlissingen - Potez 631 AC-2
5/JG27 [Bf-109E] Oberleutnant Schäfer Rotterdam 1620 Hurricane 17 sq
3/JG51 [Bf-109E] Unteroffizier Schreiter Rotterdam 1623 Hurricane 17 sq
3/JG51 [Bf-109E] Oberleutnant Krafft Rotterdam 1628 Hurricane 17 sq
St I/JG51 [Bf-109E] Leutnant Terry Rotterdam 1631 Hurricane 17 sq
St I/JG51 [Bf-109E] Leutnant Terry Rotterdam 1635 Hurricane 17 sq
3/JG51 [Bf-109E] Oberleutnant Krafft Rotterdam 1636 Hurricane 17 sq


Only four of the six claimed Hurricanes I of 17 Squadron were confirmed kills. It appears impossible to asses which claims were right. Certain are the following Allied crashes:

Type Unit Pilot Crash location Crash time Comments
Hurricane I 17 F/L M.S. Donne Numansdorp 1630 by Bf-109's of I./JG51 or II./JG27
Hurricane I 17 P/O P.D. Hulton-Harrop Dordrecht 1630 ditto
Hurricane I 17 F/Sgt J.A.A. Luck Dordrecht 1630 ditto
Hurricane I 17 F/O G.W. Slee 's Gravendeel 1630 by Bf-109 of JG.51
Potez 63-11 AC-2 Lt de Vaisseau Folliot Vlissingen 1700 by Bf-110 of 4./ZG.26
Potez 63-11 AC-2 Maitre G. Samery Vlissingen 1720 by Bf-110 of 4./ZG.26
LeO-451 GB II/12 S.Lt R. Morel Granville 1800


12 May

 

Claim by unit Claim by pilot Location Time Type Comments
4/JG27 [Bf-109E] Feldwebel Bendert N-Rotterdam 0714 Blenheim
4/JG27 [Bf-109E] Leutnant Wiesinger N-Rotterdam 0714 Blenheim
4/JG27 [Bf-109E] Leutnant Kugler N-Rotterdam 0714 Blenheim
4/JG27 [Bf-109E] Unteroffizier Schacht N-Rotterdam 0715 Blenheim
4/JG27 [Bf-109E] Feldwebel Reckel N-Rotterdam 0715 Blenheim
2/JG27 [Bf-109E] Oberleutnant Framm Maastricht 0850 Blenheim I
2/JG27 [Bf-109E] Oberleutnant Framm Maastricht 0855 Blenheim I
2/JG27 [Bf-109E] Feldwebel Sawallisch Maastricht 0855 F Battle


These German claims do not match the confirmed air-kills on Allied planes over Holland. The following list gives the confirmed claims:

Type Unit Pilot Crash location Crash time Comments
Blenheim IV 15 F/O T.G. Bassett Maastricht 0915 by 2./JG.27
Blenheim IV 235 P/O N.A. Savill Brielle 0715 by 4./JG.27
Blenheim IV 235 P/O N.A.L. Smith Hoek van Holland 0715 by 4./JG.27
Hurricane I 1 F/O A.G. Lewis Maastricht
Hurricane I 87 F/O J.A. Campbell Maastricht
Hurricane I 87 F/Sgt F.J. Howell Maastricht
Swordfish 815 FAA Lt A.S. Downes Herkingen 2130


13 May

 

Claim by unit Claim by pilot Location Time Type Comments
5/JG26 [Bf-109E] Leutnant Krug Waalhaven 0645 Spitfire I (*)
5/JG26 [Bf-109E] Feldwebel Meyer Dordrecht 0645 Spitfire I (*)
5/JG26 [Bf-109E] Leutnant Roch Dordrecht 0645 Spitfire I (*)
5/JG26 [Bf-109E] Unteroffizier Wemhöner Dordrecht 0646 Spitfire I (*)
5/JG26 [Bf-109E] Leutnant Roch Dordrecht 0650 Spitfire I (*)
5/JG26 [Bf-109E] Leutnant Krug Dordrecht 0655 Spitfire I (*)
5/JG26 [Bf-109E] Feldwebel Stolz Dordrecht 0700 Defiant I (*)
5/JG26 [Bf-109E] Leutnant Roch Dordrecht 0705 Spitfire I (*)
8/JG3 [Bf-109E] Feldwebel Glaubig Roosendaal 0900 Hawk-75A
8/JG3 [Bf-109E] Oberfeldwebel Kuhn Roosendaal 0900 Hawk-75A
1/JG26 [Bf-109E] Leutnant Henrici Breda 1000 Morane 406
1/JG26 [Bf-109E] Unteroffizier Speck (+) Hoeven 1000 Morane 406 (**)


(*) These claims are all related to the same engagement between twelve British planes and the Stuka's of IV/LG1 and the Bf-109E's of 5/JG26. The subject mission was flown by six Defiant [264 Sq] and six Spitfire [66 Sq] fighters. It is certain that five Bolton Paul Defiant fighters were shot down. Their crash sites are all registered. All Spitfires returned home safely, and one of the six Defiants too. Obviously three of the eight claims can be explained as "double-claims", and all claims involve Defiants [and not Spitfires]. The Germans lost four Ju-87 Stuka's and one Bf-109E. Crash sites of four Ju-87 and one Bf-109E are known.

Type Unit Pilot Crash location Crash time Comments

Defiant 1 264 P/O S.R. Thomas Biesbosch (Petrusplaat) 0650 see below
Defiant 1 264 P/O G.E. Chandler Biesbosch (Moordplaat) 0650 see below
Defiant 1 264 P/O A.M. McLeod Zevenbergen 0700 see below
Defiant 1 264 F/Lt G.F.A. Skelton Geertruidenberg 0655 see below
Defiant 1 264 F/Lt P.E.J. Greenhous Oosterhout 0655 see below
Morane 406 GC III/3 Capt. R. Trouillard Etten-Leur 0920 (**)
Morane 406 GC III/1 Sgt G. Pralon Roosendaal 0850
Hawk 75A GC I/4 Lt J. Hirschauer Hulst / Clinge
Potez 63-11 GAO 501 Capt. A. Wiccaert Oirschot 1615 (***)


British airmen involved were:

(+) KIA, (r) returned to UK by boat May 1940, (POW) Prisoner of War

Defiant 264 Squadron:
- F/Lt G. Skelton (+) and P/O J. Hatfield (returned)
- P/O S. Thomas (returned) and LAc J. Bromley (+)
- P/O G. Chandler (+) and LAc D. McLeish (+)
- P/O P. Greenhous (POW) and Sgt F. Greenhalg (POW)
- P/O E. McLeod and LAc W. Cox (both returned) 
- P/O D. Kay and LAc E. Jones (both unknown)

(**) This Bf-109E and the Morane 406 [Capitaine Trouillard - 3rd Esc Dyon] collided in mid-air and both planes crashed. Both pilots perished.

(***) All three on board perished.


14  May

 

Type Unit Pilot Crash location Crash time Comments
Amiot 354 GBI/34 Col. Francois Maastricht Unk Unk


15 May

 

Type Unit Pilot Crash location Crash time Comments
Blenheim IV 15 P/O D.S.R. Harriman Aardenburg 1200 Unk. cause
Hampden I 44 F/O L.J. Ashfield North of Breda Unk. cause
Fairey Fox VI C 7/III/3 Gr Cpt A.A.G. Maquet Hoogerheide 1540 Belgian airforce


17 May

 

Claim by unit Claim by pilot Location time Type Comments
2/JG20 [Bf-109E] Leutnant Stendel Middelburg 1334 Hawk-75A
2/JG20 [Bf-109E] Feldwebel Küll Middelburg 1335 Hawk-75A
2/JG20 [Bf-109E] Leutnant Schlitzer Middelburg 1336 Hawk-75A
1/JG27 [Bf-109E] Oberfeldwebel Dau Middelburg 1335 Hawk-75A


The above claims do not match the actually registered crashes, which were:

Type Unit Pilot Crash location Crash time Comments
Hawk 75A GCI/4 Sgt D. Bomplain Middelburg Unk By Bf109's
Hawk 75A GCI/4 Lt J. Hischauer East of Middelburg Unk By Bf-109's
Chance Vought V AB-3 Unk Vlissingen Unk


18 May

No registry

German aircraft losses due to Allied planes over Holland 10-18 May 1940

Below listed kills are confirmed kills by Allied planes. All crash sites are acknowledged. Possibly more Luftwaffe planes were shot down by Allied planes but not positively registered as such. The below listing is mainly an extract from an inventory of Lieutenant-Colonel (ret.) E.H. Brongers.

10 May

 

Do-17Z 8/KG77 Crapoel [L] - By unknown Allied fighters


11 May

 

Do-17P 2(F)/123 't Rooth [L] - By French Moranes 406
Ju-88A1 1(F)/121 Prov Zeeland 1030 By British Hurricane(s)
He-111H6 3/KGr126 Woensdrecht [Z] 1800 By French Moranes 406
He-111P2 7/KG27 Kapelle [Z] - By French Potez 631


12 May

 

He-111H6 3/KGr126 Hoogerheide [NB] 1800 By French Moranes 406
He-111H6 3/KGr126 Hoogerheide [NB] 1800 By French Moranes 406
He-111H6 3/KGr126 Korteven [NB] 1800 By French Moranes 406


13 May

 

Ju-87B1 12/LG1 Werkendam [NB] 0630 By British fighters
Ju-87B1 12/LG1 Almkerk [NB] 0630 By British fighters
Ju-87B1 12/LG1 Sliedrecht [ZH] 0630 By British fighters
Ju-87B1 12/LG1 Neuenkamp [D] 0630 Due to damage by British fighters
Bf-109E3 5/JG26 Numansdorp [ZH] 0630 By British Defiant
Bf-109E1 1/JG26 Hoeven [NB] 1000 Air-collision with a Morane 406
Bf-109E3 1/JG26 Etten-Leur [NB] 1000 By French Moranes 406
He-111H 2/KGr126 Roosendaal [NB] - By French fighter


14 May

 

He-111P St/KG54 Yerseke [Z] 1400 By French fighter (*)
Ju-88A1 2/KG30 Borsele [Z] - By destroyer HMS Whitley
Ju-88A1 1(F)/121 Zeeland - By Allied fighters

(*) On return-flight from bombardment of Rotterdam

16 May

 

Do-17 - Spui [Z] 1310 By French Moranes 406


No confirmed kills have been registered on 15 and 17 May 1940.