Date: 9th April 1941
Unit: 2 Staffel / Kampfgeschwader 27
Time: 01.20 a.m.
Type: Heinkel He 111H-5
Werke Nr. 4018
Code: 1G + FK
Location: Little Hill Farm, Wellesbourne, Warwickshire.
Pilot: Oberfeldwebel Heinz Mueller 62673/? POW
Observer: Oberleutnant Hans Mueller 62673/? Killed
Radio/Op: Unteroffizier Georg Schaefer 62673/? POW
Gunner: Feldwebel Helmuth Mueller 62671/? POW
War reporter: Sonderführer Wulf Dieter Mueller Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
P/O Richard P. Stevens DFC (Steeple 3) left Wittering at 0032 hours in a Hurricane with orders to orbit Coventry on night fighter operations.
At about 0114 hours when at 1900 feet over Coventry he sighted a He 111 flying westerly below him, amidst cloud layer. P/O Stevens dived and chased to 75 yards, making a quarter attack at 15,000 feet and hit belly of enemy aircraft. A large explosion followed (seen by F/Lt McMallon) and the enemy aircraft dived. The port motor was alight and another burst of fire into the centre section and fuselage caused a fire to break out. The enemy aircraft was twisting and diving in a southerly direction and entered cloud layer at about 5,000 feet. P/O Stevens followed and saw the enemy aircraft blazing ahead of him with bombs and incendiaries blowing up. It eventually crashed and exploded in a mass of flames.
The destroyed wreck of He 111H-5 at Little Hay Farm the morning after the crash.
Newspaper report of recovery by local aviation archaelogical group.
Burial details:
The two who lost their lives were originally buried in St. Peters Churchyard, Wellesbourne. Re-interned at the Deutsche Soldatenfriedhof Cannock Chase on the 03.05.1962.
