ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 226959
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 16 August 1940 |
| Time: | 17:50 LT |
| Type: |  Messerschmitt Bf 110 C-4 |
| Owner/operator: | Stab III./ZG 76 Luftwaffe |
| Registration: | |
| MSN: | 2N+CC, grüne C |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | woodland at Droke Lane, East Dean, Chichester, West Sussex, England -
 United Kingdom
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Laval airfield (F) |
Mission: English south coast.
Pilot: Leutnant. Richard Marchfelder. II Stab ZG1. Nr.124 – POW.
Radio/Op: Obergefreiter. Herbert Jentzsch. Ln.Kp.Lth. Ben. Nr.71 – POW.
REASON FOR LOSS:
III./ZG 76 were on the return leg of their escort sortie for the Heinkel He 111s of KG 55, when Kaldrack detached Marchfelder from the Stabschwarm and ordered him to hang behind, at safe altitude, to keep an eye out for crippled bombers. Marchfelder was to radio the Gruppe for help in the event of any trouble.
As Marchfelder recalls, "Far to the east, about ten miles ahead.there appeared four Heinkel's on their way home. Like scared rabbits they hedgehopped from one batch of clouds to the next, desperately looking for cover. Just then a single aircraft appeared at eleven o'clock ! It popped out from the clouds into the sky like a cork from a champagne bottle. As it ignored the Heinkel's it was obviously a Me 109 like us guarding the bombers.‘’
Marchfelder then states our ‘friend’ suddenly changed direction and turning away from the Heinkels, he was now facing us. As he banked into position, he exposed for a moment its elliptical shaped wings. It later transpired to be the Spitfire of Squadron Leader Sandy Johnstone of 602 sqn. based at Westhampnett. Now on a course for a show-down between them, both aircraft opened-fire before evading an inevitable collision. Marchfelder suffering the worst, reports crabbing hard to the right and fighting to keep her under control. "With great effort I managed to move my right leg over to the left rudder to help reduce the pressure (and) keep Ursula on her course. Although we were unable to see anything, our position must have been north of Portsmouth.’’
"Then, unexpectedly, the starboard engine burst into flames, its propeller paddling in a ball of fire. Closing the fuel line didn't seem to have any effect -nor did the fire extinguisher show any results. In the distance, the Channel appeared.
But to get there and cross it seemed hopelessly remote! Ignoring my silent prayers, flames were creeping through the wall, eating into the cockpit. "Reluctantly accepting the inevitable, Marchfelder gave the order to bale out ‘’Aussteigen” Herbert !’’ but he couldn't get out !
The cover of the 'greenhouse' was jammed ! He pushed against it with all the strength he could muster, but it did not budge ! ‘’Fumes of burning rubber mixed with oxygen were filling my lungs making me cough violently. fighting for breath, I was getting dizzy.’’ Struggling to maintain control, Marchfelder tried to turn the aircraft onto its back but the smoke and fumes were affecting his sense of orientation. "I was getting engulfed in flames. Only then it occurred to me that I was turning over the burning engine.
Fighting desperately to move away from the heat, I jerked Ursula to the left ! As a result Herbert fell out, into the fresh atmosphere, together with his (cockpit) cover !.’’ Marchfelder then tried to lift himself out of the cockpit, but his parachute pack got caught under the rear cockpit frame. Struggling to release himself, and desperate to avoid the agony of being roasted alive, he finally managed to pull his parachute clear of the framework and fell clear. "I was free ! But not before passing through a ball of fire. What a relief it was to be greeted by the soothing cold air at seven thousand metres". Jentzsch and Marchfelder both survived, landing safely near Amberley, but 'Rima' wrenched his knee badly on landing. Their aircraft crashed 6 miles away at Droke, near Upwaltham, north of Chichester.
(Thanks to Clive Ellis for photo and Marchfelder personal account via Peter Cornwell).
Not the best of quality but nevertheless a rare colour shot of Marchfelder’s Bf 110 that crashed at Droke. (via Ellis).
Rare colour photo showing Lt. Marchfelder at the controls of his Me 110 taken by his radio operator, Herbert Jentzsch (Ellis via Jentzsch).
The crash site of Lt. Marchfelder's Messerschmitt110 pictured October 2008.
Small parts from Marchelder's Bf 110 in the Clive Ellis collection. (Ellis).
Obergefreiter. Herbert Jentzsch. (Ellis).
Researched & compiled by Melvin Brownless with special thanks to Clive Ellis Nigel Parker & Perer Cornwell, June 2013.
Sources:
Luftwaffe losses aircrewremembrancesociety3.com
http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Zerstoerergeschwader/ZG76.htm
http://ww2.dk/Airfields%20-%20France.pdf
Google Maps
Media:
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 09-Jul-2019 08:36 | TigerTimon | Added |
| 09-Jul-2019 08:36 | TigerTimon | Updated [Embed code] |
| 15-Jan-2020 16:31 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator] |
| 16-May-2020 15:48 | TigerTimon | Updated [Registration] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation