Date: 12th August 1943
Time: 12.23 a.m.
Unit: 1 Staffel./Fernaufklaerungsgruppe 121
Type: Junkers Ju 88D-1
Werke Nr. 430564
Code: 7A + NH
Location: In sea 8 miles South of Plymouth, Devon.
Pilot: Leutnant. Herbert Roehrer 53501/153 POW.
Born 19.11.1922 in Heidelberg.
Observer: Unteroffizier. Eckhard Hein 53501/140 POW.
Born 20.05.1921 in Sorau.
Radio/Op: Unteroffizier. Helmut Goetze 53501/130 POW.
Born 26.08.1922 in Jena.
Gunner: Unteroffizier. Oskar Eichstill 53501/129 Killed.
Born 14.06.1921 in Micheldorf Kr.Kirchdorf.
REASON FOR LOSS:
This aircraft was intercepted and shot down by Sgt. W. H. Miller and Sgt. F. C. Bone in a Beaufighter VI of No.125 (Newfoundland) Squadron. Aircraft burst into flames and dived vertically into the sea. Three of its crew managed to get out of the stricken aircraft and became POW's, the gunner Uffz. Eichstill perished in the crash. His body was recovered from the sea on the 20th August 1943.
Extract from Sgt. Miller's Combat Report:
At 00.21 hours A.I. Contact was made on a bogey (enemy aircraft) at 11 o'clock, 4 miles range at 22,000 feet. Range closed fairly easily
to 2,000 feet when visual was obtained. At 1,000 feet pilot identified aircraft as a Ju 88 flying at a very low airspeed. Beaufighter used
30 degree of flap and reduced speed to 100 I.A.S, and opened fire at 400 feet with a two second burst at 00.23 hours, one ring deflection,
and observed many strikes on enemy aircraft. Ju 88 then fired two short bursts from top dorsal turret, missing fighter by about 50 yards.
Ten seconds later Sgt. Miller gave a further two second burst and tail unit of enemy aircraft broke away and huge gushes of flame came from
the rear end of fuselage. Enemy aircraft went into a vertical dive, braking up and crashed into the sea about 8 miles South of Bolt Tail.
Personnel of Hope Cove G.C.I. and S/Ldr. Hayley Bell of 125 Squadron saw this aircraft crash into the sea.
Cannock Chase cemetery entrance (A.R. Society archive)
Burial detail:
Deutsche Soldatenfriedhof Cannock Chase, Staffs, England. Block 1. Grave 103.
Compiled and researched by Melvin Brownless, August 2010. (A.R. Society)
