Airwar over Denmark

Airwar over Denmark

 By Søren C. Flensted

Home

Allied:
1939-1940 Updated 12/6-24
1941 Updated 28/4-22
1942 Updated 14/7-24
1943 Updated 15/4-24
1944 Updated 15/9-24
1945 Updated 4/12-22


German:
1939
1940 New 30/11-23
1941 New 23/7-21
1942 Updated 24/7-24
1943 Updated 28/1-23
1944 Updated 23/7-23
1945 Updated 16/7-23

Books  New Book by Steve Smith
Sources
Contact
Links

Search this site by entering search words:



powered by FreeFind

Halifax II JD273 crashed near Kliplev 29/1-1944.


The aircraft belonged to RAF 10 Sqn Bomber Command and was coded ZA-Y.
T/o 23:59 Melbourne. OP: Berlin.


Outbound the Halifax was attacked by a JU 88C night fighter of II./NJG 3 with the crew of Pilot Hauptmann Gerhard Raht, Funker Feldwebel Anton Heinemann and Bordmechaniker Unteroffizier Werner Hesse and controlled by the radar station “Star” based at Lütjenhorn in Northern Germany.
At 02:34 hours the Halifax crashed in the Kliplev moor killing all onboard.

The night fighter had started from Jagel air base at 01:22 and after having claimed JD273 at 02:34 hours it shot down Halifax JB412 at 02:37 hours over Varnæs. The JU 88C then landed at Neurruppin air field near Berlin at 04.05.

Pilot Sgt Arthur S. O`Connor, Flt.Engr. F/Sgt James Watters, Air Bomber P/O Gerald A. Twigge RCAF, W/Op Albert Mayes and Air Gnr. Sgt Albert J.W.Saxty were all laid to rest in Aabenraa cemetery on 2/2 1944.

On 30/4 the dead body of Navigator F/O Vernon L. Miles RCAF was found in Kliplev moor. He was laid to rest in Aabenraa cemetery on 3/5 1944.

 


    (Bager Weber, Bjerndrup)

 


    (Bager Weber, Bjerndrup)

 

 

 

 

Pictures showing the Civil Air Defence working on the crash site spring 1944.


The Germans closed the area to the Danes but soon The Civil Air Defense started to search the area for bombs and wreckage. This was stopped on 18/2 due to heavy frost making digging impossible. In April the digging started again and finally on 30/7 1944 the area was declared to have been cleaned of wreckage.


On 30/8 at 09:00 hours Farm bailiff Revsbeck found the body of Air Gnr. F/Sgt Thomas K. Dudley in Kliplev moor some two hundred metres from the crash site. Only an arm and a leg and an unopened parachute could be seen. The Wehrmacht was informed and they excavated the remains which was laid to rest in Aabenraa cemetery on 1/9 1944.



Pilot Hauptmann Gerhard Raht

 

Funker Feldwebel Anton Heinemann

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources: Heinemann, Nonnenmacher file, LBUK, AS 70-361, RL 19/68, BCL, CWGC, BA, ORB from 10 Sqn via Christian Jørgensen, Kliplev.

 

 

Back to 1944

Top of page
Top of page
 

 

  Copyright  ©  Søren C. Flensted 2004 - 2024