See War over Holland for an account of the activities of the French Army, Navy and Air Forces during the opening parts of the Battle of France in The Netherlands.
The data of the French soldiers and airmen killed in the Netherlands are gathered by Allert Goossens.
10/05/1940: 1 Mureaux loss? Herkingen? 11/05/1940: Zeeland and Noord-Brabant; German losses by French planes 11/05/1940: 2 Potez 631's; 1 LeO451 lost 12/05/1940: Morane's of GC III/3shoot down 3 He 111's 12/05/1940: 1 Bloch 152 lost 13/05/1940:
Morane's of GC III/3claim 4 Me 109's 13/05/1940: 1 Potez 63.11; 2 Morane Saulnier 406's; 1 Curtiss-Hawk 75A lost 14/05/1940: One Ju 88 shot down by French fighter, Aardenburg? 14/05/1940: 1 Amiot 354 lost 15/05/1940: GB I/34 on operation above the Netherlands 16/05/1940:AB/1 bombs bridge Kapelle 16/05/1940: Moranes of GC III/1 destroy a Do 17
16/05/1940:
AB/2 bombs locks at Hansweert 16/05/1940 (1 ground crew KIA?) 17/05/1940: 3 Curtiss Hawk 75A's lost 17/05/1940: Vlissingen; AB/3 - one Chance Vought V lost
17/05/1940:
AB/1 bombs targets on Walcheren
17/05/1940:
AB/2 bombs targets on Walcheren
17/05/1940:
AB/1 bombs artillery targets on Walcheren
17/05/1940:
AB/2 bombs artillery targets on Walcheren
18/05/1940
19/05/1940
20/05/1940
Type: Mureaux 115 or 117
Serial number: ? Escadrille: ?
Operation: ?
Lost: 10/05/1940 This plane is reported to have crashed or force-landed at Herkingen, near 'Boerderij Geluk' (Geluk farm), Netherlands. A picture seems to exist that clearly shows the tail with the characteristic Armee de l'Air tricolor tail panel and the often used French style big number 2.
French aerial historians deny however the possibility of this type of aircraft crashing in the Netherlands in May 1940.
See also these discussions on the TOCH-Forum: Mureaux (1) and Mureaux (2).
He-111 P-2 of 7/KG 27 (1G+..) force-landed near Kapelle, shot down by Dutch Flak and Potez-631 patrol. Olt Wolf Bodenberger, Fw Otto Fiedler, Uffz Klaus Migge and Uffz Willi Hettich are made prisoners of war. Uffz died of wounds, buried at Ysselsteyn German War Cemetery (grave BA-226).
He-111 from 1/KGr 126 crashed at Oosterhout. Was attacked above Zuid-Beveland by French Morane Saulnier M.S.406 fighters and tried to reach Germany on one engine.
He-111H from 3/KGr 126 shot down by French Morane Saulnier M.S.406 fighters at approx. 18.00 hrs (Dutch time, GMT + 20 min) near Woensdrecht (farm at Doelstraat). Bordmechaniker Uffz Heinz Gütteck and Uffz/Funker Ernst Fischer were killed. Originally buried in Goes, now Ysselsteyn German War Cemetery, graves BA-88 and BA-89. Uffz Otto Kippschull and Ofw Paul Wittich were wounded and taken POW.
According to Dr.Heinrich Weiss, 'Luftkrieg über Holland 10-15 Mai' and Studiegroep Luchtoorlog 1939-1945 this happened on 12/05/1940.
Type: Potez 631
Serial number: ? Escadrille: AC2
Operation: ?
Lost: 11/05/1940 Georges Samery, Pilot, (Maître) (French Naval Air Arm), Escadrille AC2, 11/05/1940, buried originally in Middelburg; now Kapelle E-1-11 or -12 as unknown.
Eugène Louis Le Maresquier, Quartermaster (Maître) (French Naval Air Arm), Escadrille AC2,11/05/1940, buried originally in Middelburg; now Kapelle E-1-11 or -12 as unknown.
Crashed on 17.20 hrs (Dutch time) on a house in the Verkuyl Quakkelaarstraat te Vlissingen
Type: LeO451
Serial number: 46 Unit: GBII/12
Operation: ?
Lost: 11/05/1940 Sous Lieutenant R Morel.
Crashed at 18.00 hrs (Dutch time, GMT +20 minutes) in Granville Beaulieuweg in ?
Unknown number of French Morane's 406 from CC III/3 [likely to be of GC III/3] shoot down three He 111's (3/KGr 126, 9.Fliegerdivision), during or after a raid by the German bombers on the Bath defensive position.
He-111 H6 (4W+AW) crashed near Calfven, on the dirt road between Hoogerheide and Ossendrecht.
One He 111 crashed on the farm of the De Moor family, Doelstraat, Hoogerheide
One He 111 crashed at 'De Duintjes', northwest of Korteven.
Five German airmen are killed; three taken PoW (two of them were wounded).
Type: Brequet BR693
Serial number: 18 Unit: GBA 1/54
Operation: ?
Lost: 12/05/1940
Lieutenant R. Delattre
Crashed or force-landed near Vroenhoven, Belgium, near Maastricht, Netherlands.
Type: Potez 63.11
Serial number: 297
Operation: Reconnaissance sortie between Breda and Eindhoven
Lost: 13/05/1940 Louis Coqueton, 1st Lt, Groupe Aérien d'Observation 501, 13/05/1940, Oirschot / Kapelle / Quelaines
Louis Leygnac, Sgt, Groupe Aérien d'Observation 501, 13/05/1940, Oirschot / Riom
André Wiccaert, Cptn, Groupe Aérien d'Observation 501, 13/05/1940, Oirschot / Dunkerque
Shot down by Bf109E from the 1/JG26 at 1614 or 18.38 hrs. Crashed on Café de Nachtegaal on Koppeldijk, Oirschot.
(according to Allert Goossens) / Shot down by Lt Butterweck of 1./JG26 over Poppel during reconnaissance sortie between Breda and Eindhoven. Crashed and burned out at Kapeldijk, Oirschot, 5.45 p.m. (according to Cornwell)
Sources: Allert Goossens and Peter Cornwell, The Battle of France Then & Now p259. Time quoted is BST (GMT + 1 hour).
Type: Morane Saulnier M.S.406
Serial number: N-967 / 549
Unit: 3e Escadre Aéronautique, GC III/3
Operation: ?
Lost: 13/05/1940 Capitaine
Roger Trouillard, Cptn, 3e Groupe, 3e Escadre Aéronautique, 13/05/1940, originally buried Etten Leur; now on cemetery in Paris
Collided with Uffz Hermann Speck in Me Bf-109 E-1, 1/JG 26.
The Morane crashed on 'Hillekens', Etten Leur (Noord-Brabant, NL). The Messerschmidt crashed at Hoeven. Uffz Speck was killed and is buried at Ysselsteyn German War Cemetery.
Type: Morane Saulnier M.S.406
Serial number: N-954 / 532
Unit:GC III/1
Operation: ?
Lost: 13/05/1940 Sergeant G Pralon
Crashed north of Roosendaal. Sgt Pralon made it back to his unit; he is seriously wounded on 19/05/1940.
Type: Curtiss-Hawk 75A
Serial number: ?
Unit: GC I/4
Operation: ?
Lost: 13/05/1940 Lieutenant Jean Louis Hirschauer
Force-landed in the vicinity of Clinge, near Hulst (Zeeuws Vlaanderen). The pilot made it back to his base.
Sources: Allert Goossens and 'Aéro-Journal n° 14 : Août - Septembre 2000', via Ciel de Gloire, GC I/4; ; Slagveld Sloedam
Ju-88 A-1 from Aufkl.Gruppe 1(F)/121 crashed at Aardenburg - St. Kruis.
Shot down by either a Hurricane or a French fighter of (from?) Dorrory.
The crew of the Ju 88 are killed. Olt Heinz Spillmann, Ofw Richard Schnegotzki, Uffz Wilhelm Collosseus and Uffz Walter Gers were originally buried in Aardenburg, now in Ysselsteyn German War Cemetery, graves AI-257 - AI-260.
Type: Amiot 354
Serial number: 34 or 30 and markings white 7 or 8
Unit: G.B.I./34
Operation: ?
Lost: 14/05/1940 Colonel François?
Crashed in the Maastricht area.
It was lost due to Flak probably in the night. Crew members:
- Lt.Col.Dagnaux WIA (plane's CO)
- Lt.Franck Fremond (pilot)
Three Moranes of GC III/1 shoot down aDo 17 near Zaamslag, at 12.55 Belgian Time (GMT + 1 hr) during patrol over Dendermonde area. The French pilots are: (Lt) Tony Leenhardt, (A/C) Cremieux and (S/C) Cazade.
The Do 17 from 7.(F)/LG2 made a belly landing north east of Spui. The crew, Fw August Schenkelberg, Gefr Herman Reiche en Uffz Johann Gronn, were made prisoners of war.
Nine Curtis Hawks 75A's from GC I/4 engage German planes. They claim to have shot down four Me 109's and one He 111. Three Curtis Hawks are lost in combat with Me 109's from the I/JG20 (16-17.00 hrs).
Type: Curtiss-Hawk 75A
Serial number: ?
Unit: GC I/4
Operation: ?
Lost: 17/05/1940 Lieutenant Jean Louis Hirschauer
Bailed out Westerschelde/Hoofdplaat; injured.
Type: Curtiss-Hawk 75A
Serial number: ?
Unit: GC I/4
Operation: ?
Lost: 17/05/1940 Sgt D. Bompain.
Bailed out near Middelburg. Plane crashed north of Middelburg. Taken prisoner of war 23/05/1940.
Type: Chance Vought V-156F (SB2U-1 Vindicator) (dive bomber)
Serial number: X88-484 or 84 / X-884 ?
Unit: AB/3 [A...(?) de Bombardement] Aeronaval
Operation: ?
Lost: 17/05/1940 ?
Crashed or force landed near or in Vlissingen (Flushing)
Based in Alprech.