Crash

On 10 May 40 because of the heavy Ju 52 transport movements near Waalhaven/Rotterdam 600 Squadron detailed 6 Blenheims IF to this target. At low level the airfield was attacked and one Ju 52 of KGr zbV 172 was set on fire.

At the very same time a formation of Ju 52s headed for Waalhaven. These were escorte by Me 110's of 2. and 3./ZG 1. Very heavy dogfights started - only one Blenheim (piloted by F/O Hayes) managed to escape and return. The others were shot down by the Me110's.

Early in the afternoon of May 10th the RAF attacked Waalhaven airport with Blenheim-1F fighter-bombers of 600 squadron. One of the Blenheim had straffed the airbase when on the way back a Messerschmitt attacked them. According to reports from citizens of Hoogvliet and Spijkenissewas the Blenheim was able to shoot his attacker down and the German crashed with a big splash in the Oude Maas near the bridge of Spijkenisse.

Two months later, parts of the wreck was secured by the son of the Bridge guard.

The British Blenheim was also damaged by German return fire and forced to land. It was to be a crash landing. Just outside Hoogvliet the Blenheim hit the ground, both crew members were killed. The pilot was found beheaded and missing a leg, the air gunner was found dead in the turret.

The crew of the Blenheim L1515 L-BQ consisted of Pilot Officer [equivalent to second lieutenant pilot] Michael H. Anderson and Leading Aircraft (s) man [equals Soldier 1st Class] HCW Hawkins. The man could not be identified on 10 and 11 May 1940. On May 11 when the two appear to have been recovered, they were recorded as two British soldiers of unknown origin in the rank of Leading Aircraft (s)man. It was decided to bury the two airmen in Spijkenisse.

The story has a special follow-up. Until 1981 both pilots were known as "unknown British pilots' at the General Cemetery of Spijkenisse. Only then local historian Hans Underwater together with British archives was able to establish the identity of these two airmen buried in Spijkenisse. It also provided direct identification of two other - until then - unknown British pilots; Flying Officer [1st Lieutenant] Moore and Corporal Isaacs. They had crashed at Waalhaven and had remained unidentified until then.

http://www.zuidfront-holland1940.nl/index.php?page=ijsselmonde-2

Crew

Pilot Officer Michael H. Anderson, RAF 90497, 600 Sqdn., age 23, 10/05/1940, Spijkenisse General Cemetery, NL

Leading Aircraftman Herbert C.W. Hawkins, RAF 800567, 600 Sqdn., age unknown, 10/05/1940, Spijkenisse General Cemetery, NL

Name: ANDERSON, MICHAEL HERBERT

Initials: M H

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Pilot Officer

Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force

Unit Text: 600 Sqdn.

Age: 23

Date of Death: 10/05/1940

Service No: 90497

Awards: Mentioned in Despatches

Additional information: Husband of Priscilla Ann Anderson (nee Troughton), of Kingston, near Lewes, Sussex.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Grave 26.

Cemetery: SPIJKENISSE GENERAL CEMETERY

Name: HAWKINS, HERBERT CHARLES WILLIAM

Initials: H C W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Leading Aircraftman

Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force

Unit Text: 600 Sqdn.

Date of Death: 10/05/1940

Service No: 800567

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Grave 25.

Cemetery: SPIJKENISSE GENERAL CEMETERY

Claim

The claims were made by:

Oblt Werner Streib 1

Fw Paul Gildner 1

Uffz Müller 2

Oblt Möller 1

Other sources also mention Leutnant Knacke with one claim - he flew in the Schwarm of Streib, Gildner and Müller.

Olt.Moeller made 3 claims and Viktor Moelders from 1/ZG2 claimed in space of one minute 2 Fokker T.V shot down. One from his claims was not confirmed and the other concerns T.V No.855 which crashed in North Sea. Another Fokker T.V was only damaged. The next victories (3?) came on the 12.05.40 (or 13.05.40?) - on this day Moelders claimed one Spitfire shot down but again this victory was not officially credited. On the 13.05.40 I/ZG1 claimed 26 planes destroyed on the ground on the airfield Hamstede.

Wenzel, Werner Hptm 14 6/JG-27(5/40), 9/JG-27(8/41 S.U.), 9/JG-3(7/42 S.U.), Adj III/JG-7(3/45), Stfkpt 9/JG-7(4/45 to end) Bf 109E in JG-27, Bf 109F in JG-3, Me 262A-1a in JG-7 EP, EK 1 & 2, Fighter Operational Clasp One known victory, his 1st, a Blenheim over Rotterdam, 10 May, 1940. His first known Soviet victory, an I-16 on 14 August, 1941. A Soviet double on 18 July, 1942; both Il-2's. An Il-2 at Kalatsch on 27 July, 1942. An SU-2 at Tingula on 5 August, 1942. An Il-2 N of Nadeshda on 19 August, 1942. An R-5 at Stalingrad on 24 August, 1942. A P-2 at Orlowkoj on 7 September, 1942. His 14th, a LaGG-3 on 1 October, 1942. Magnus Report, victory count may be 18 or higher.

10-05-40 00:00 "Ltn." "Werner" "Wenzel" 06-11-09 "JG 27" "Blenheim" "Rotterdam" "14.35" " 1st" 6 "yes" "OKL" "Prien/Bock"

Uebe, Heinz Uffz 2 6/JG-27 Bf 109E EK 1 & 2, Fighter Operational Clasp One known victory, his 1st, a Blenheim south of Rotterdam, 10 May, 1940. His 2nd, a Morane 406 at Montdidier, 6 June , 1940.

10-05-40 00:00 "Uffz." "Heinz" "Uebe" 06-11-09 "JG 27" "Blenheim" "S. Rotterdam" "14.20" " 1st" 4 "yes" "OKL" "Prien/Bock"

I/ZG 1 intercepted six Blenheim IVs of RAF 600 Squadron over Walhaven airfield, five were shot down with only one escaping. Falck describes his experiences as he tries to bag the one that escaped.

"I was on patrol in the area of the Hague when I spotted a Blenheim and tried to catch him. I chased him around church spires, around sand dunes, around trees, round and round we went only 10-15 meters high. I was right behind him but couldn't get a shot at him. When he broke for the open sea I thought 'Now I'll get him!' I began closing in on him but after a few kilometers he began circling a steamship at only a few meters above the waves. Round ana round the ship and 1 couldn't get a shot at him. Finally he again broke for the open sea toward England but now 1 was low on fuel and had fo break off my chase. The last I saw of him he was skimming the waves as fast as he could towards home. That Englishman was some pilot."

F/O Hayes was that "brilliant pilot", who could run alive from Falck under his fire.

10 May 1940 Oblt. Werner Streib shot down Blenheim bomber, his first and last day victory. I./ZG 1 pilots intercepted a formation of 6 Blenheims, and only 1 could avoid death. All rest was shot down.

Strangly Streib is not credited for destroying any planes on May 10th.

Streib, Werner Obst 6/13/1911 Pforzheim/Baden 65 2/ZG-1, 4/NJG-1, Stfkpt 2/NJG-1 (7/40), Kdr I/NJG-1 (10/40-7/43), Kdr NJG-1 (7/43-3/44) Do 17Z-7, Bf 110G-4 Werk # 5317 (lost 5/5/43), He 219A-0 Wk# 190009 (lost 6/12/43) RK(10/7/40)-EL (2/26/43)-S(3/11/44), DK-G(3/9/42), EK 1 & 2, Night Fighter Oper.Clasp in Gold Approximately 150 combat missions. 65 Night victories, 1 Day victory. One known victory, an RAF Whitley V bomber on 20 July, 1940, flying the only Do 17Z-7 built. His RO/Gunner, Uffz Lingen. Another Whitley and perhaps a Wellington on the night of 22 July, 1940. A Hampden the night of 30-31 August, 1940, no location. Two Wellingtons and a Hampden over England the night of 30 September, 1940. A Hampden the night of 14-15 October, 1940, no location. Another, a Hampden at Venlo, 10 March, 1941. Two Wellington's at Panningen, southeast of Eindhoven the night of 13-14 March, 1941. Two Hampdens in the Roer/Limburg vicinity the night of 10-11 April, 1941. Another victory, a Whitley V on 1 July, 1941, no location. A Lancaster and a Whitley V on 17 August, 1941, no location. A Wellington and a Whitley V the night of 27-28 December, 1941, no location. He crashed his Bf 110G-4 at Hegelsom Holland, SW of Horst, NW of Venlo, on 5 May, 1943, cause and pilot/crew disposition unknown (DeSwart). Crashed his He 219 at the Venlo Holland airfield on 6/12/43, cause and injuries unknown (DeSwart). Deceased 15 June, 1986.

Werner Streib (The first night fighter ace to recieve the Knight's Cross, post-war Brigadegeneral in the Luftwaffe)

A claim on a Blemheim is made by;

Uebe, Heinz Uffz 2 6/JG-27 Bf 109E EK 1 & 2, Fighter Operational Clasp One known victory, his 1st, a Blenheim south of Rotterdam, 10 May, 1940. His 2nd, a Morane 406 at Montdidier, 6 June , 1940.

Squadron

No 600 (City of London) Squadron